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Making
things happen - with integrity. A weekly CyberMemo designed to keep you on task. Monday August 11, 2003 Volume V Number 37 |
FOCUS - Arnold
California is all abuzz. There’s excitement in the air. Passions are kicking in. People who long ago gave up on the possibility that our state might ever recover from the debacle of the bursting of the tech bubble and the energy fiasco that drained a monster surplus dry and a far-away State Capital too distant, too removed from the realities of its constituents to ever govern effectively, well, they are beginning to act as though anything’s possible. Even recovery.
I’m not going to try to defend Arnold Schwarzenegger (though I, along with the rest of the enlightened world would ask you to pronounce the second to the last syllable of his last name with an “e” that sounds like “egg,” rather than the erroneous “i,” as in “rig,” as is all too common these days, even among public speakers who ought to know better). I don’t know how much of Arnold’s politics are mine. I’m quite certain we have our differences. And I’ve been around long enough to remember the early days in his career when his ego bulged bigger than his biceps. He said outrageous things - to the glee of his adoring fans and to the horror of polite society. These were the early muscle beach days. Venice, California. Not far from where I lived back then.
But even with the outrage and the egocentrism and the exhibitionism, no one doubted his work ethic. Or his ability to exploit capitalism with uncanny skill.
Only a week or so ago, before the bombshell dropped on the Golden State during the taping of the Jay Leno show, our current Governor, Gray Davis, looked like he was poised to extinguish the brush fire of Recall gaining ground in the summer heat in his usual, highly effective way. I am no political expert, certainly not any kind of authority on California politics (like most people I know, I hardly know the names of our local state representatives – and don’t pay much attention to Sacramento news, generally) but I have certain impressions of our current Governor. Mainly, my source would be his own past campaign strategy.
I’ve watched him slice and dice his opponents, spending enormous quantities of money, framing them all as miscreants; evildoers, criminals, moneygrubbers, delinquents and villains. If there is a skeleton in the closet of his adversary, he’ll be sure it ends up dancing in the headlines – and then he’ll hammer it home in a relentless series of single minded thirty-second TV spots and full page newspaper ads – exposing his political challenger as a cheat and a fraud and an abuser of the common man. Listen to him develop his case, and you wonder how the criminal justice system could have let the guy slip through their fingers. Gray Davis smeared his last opponent, Bill Simon, in an unconscionable way. And then Davis won.
Apparently, deceptive, cynical, misleading campaigns work in California. Don’t get me started.
So, just a week ago, I simply assumed that Davis would run an effective defense against the recall. Sure, it was popular among some. The State’s hurting, badly. Even teachers, who were among his most loyal followers (in the good-old days of surplus revenues, he made a substantial commitment to education) have given up on him. A groundswell of support for an historic dumping of a sitting governor gained ground. But the shrewd politician, with a substantial war chest in reserve, was already mounting a counter-offence that would stall a recall vote, and buy him time to rebuild his base. Already the attack strategy had taken a toll on Darrel Issa, the wealthy California business man who launched the effective recall campaign. Davis and his cynical entourage of advisors hit the media trail with their satchels brimming with press releases, their PCs launching a flurry of e-mails, their web-sites loaded with “facts and new disclosures,” all aimed at the heart of the enemy, in a desperate attempt to slay the fire breathing dragon just in time to stave off an unbearable defeat.
One of the favorite arguments against the recall coming from the Davis camp was an old familiar one. It was a new twist on the “vast right wing conspiracy” theme, an attempt to convince Californians that they had been duped by the Jerry Falwell crowd, and that a vote for recall would be a green light to the fundamentalist branch of religion to take over the State and take away all of your cherished personal freedoms. Vote for recall, and next thing you know they’ll be reading your mail, scanning the cookies on your hard drive and setting up mini-cams in your house, monitoring your personal behavior. Ya really want THAT?!
The anti-recall strategy would not so much be a call to support an effective but beleaguered Governor. It would rather be a call to arms against the fearsome right-winged monster; loathed by so many Californians – especially up North.
Sadly, there seems to be an entire segment of society that believes that sort of thing. And I kind of assumed that with Davis’ spin machine hard at work, and the rank and file’s vulnerability to this brand of conspiracy theory, and the opposition framed as some sort of rag-tag splinter group of misguided zealots, hopelessly incapable of dealing with the complex issues of State, that Davis would once more perform his magical two-step, and dodge the bullet. One more time.
Until shouts of “Arnold!” were broadcast around the globe one Late Night from a television studio in Los Angeles.
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What is it about Arnold that has the nation jumping?
His candidacy turned the tide of the recall momentum in a blink of an eye. Last I heard, with the suddenness of a cannon shot, there are more than a hundred who have filed their $3,500, sixty-five signatures and signed form to be a candidate for Governor of California.
There’s a new assumption out there: Gray Davis is history. Better line up now. Even Democrats have broken ranks with the party faithful and offered themselves up as replacements – even though party officials publicly argue that the recall will never happen.
So… what is it about Arnold? Is it his physique? I don’t think so. Is it his box office success? Well, it certainly gives him name recognition and a collection of loyal fans, but I don’t think that’s it either. Is it his marriage? Well, again, his connection to the Kennedy family through JFK niece, Maria Shriver (many say that’s as close to Royalty as you can get in the United States of America) certainly gave his career an odd sort of legitimacy, and certainly sets him apart from other action movie super-heroes, but I don’t think that’s it either. Is he riding in the draft of Gov. Jesse Ventura of Minnesota? No, Arnold’s in a different league. This is not the World Wide Wrestling Federation.
No, I think it’s much more.
America loves a Horatio Alger story. The self-made man. The guy who loves what American capitalism has to offer, the guy who works hard, figures out the rules of the game and plays to win. Arnold speaks of his American dream as a young Austrian boy from a small village. Step by step, he made those dreams a reality. It makes him an American Patriot. He believes in the system. He’s made it work for himself.
He certainly isn’t motivated by money. He’s got plenty of that. Maybe it’s the power. The opportunity to make a real impact on one of the world’s great economies. Maybe he believes that government has a role to play in the well-being of people.
Perhaps he is so shrewd that he engineered the surprise – it was all part of an orchestrated plan. If so, it worked.
People were so stunned by the announcement, that it became instant headline news all over the country – maybe even the world. But why?
I think people generally accepted the notion that he would decline. Who in their right mind would aspire to California politics? It’s a nasty business. Everything you’ve ever said or done becomes fair game for political opponents and an eager press. The greater your popularity, the greater the scrutiny. The caricatures are not necessarily based on fact, either. The issues of governance are so complex, the process of compromise so tainted, so convoluted, it has long been assumed that governing in America is hopelessly corrupt (cf. the old American Classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). Most everyone understood when word hit the street: Arnold Schwarzenegger will probably decline to seek the office that may well be vacated by Gray Davis.
But then he accepted. He spoke directly. He’s prepared for the inevitable smear campaign. He believes in the Great State of California. He thinks the problems can be addressed. He did what leaders are supposed to do – he inspired the masses.
The talk now is about his lack of experience – as though long time government office-holders have learned from their own. The mood today favors the outsider. Insiders betray their ineffectiveness as they defend the dismal performance of the past in government-speak, voters applaud the plain and direct speech of an outsider.
And what if that’s all he does – inspire the best in the state? Does he need the technical skills of government?
We shall see.
* * * * * * * *
It’s Monday morning. You are a leader.
I’m not ready to bet on Arnold’s chances to unseat Davis. Who knows what will surface in the next few days and weeks? But for one wonderful moment, the whole predictable order of things got tossed topsy-turvy, willy-nilly, and a surprisingly broad coalition applauded with enthusiasm. I was stuck in my car this week, for over six hours of travel, and Arnold Talk dominated the airwaves. I was amazed at the wide range of support and admiration for this man’s commitment.
He believes enough to take the risk to run. He’s willing to stand up to the Davis attack machine. When he years ago figured out that his own father was a Nazi (back in the 1930s in Austria), he asked the Jewish run Museum of Tolerance to research the issue. He subsequently became a substantial supporter in the fight against Anti-Semitism. He’s already poured his energies into providing basic needs for disadvantaged kids, and speaks tirelessly, motivating youngsters to reach for the stars.
Leaders inspire. Leaders take a stand. When a leader speaks, people listen.
I have no sense of the outcome. But for now – there’s a lesson for leaders.
Public life can make a positive impact on a troubled world.
Let’s keep our eye on Arnold.
Posted in Valley Center, California
© Copyright Kenneth E. Kemp 2003
Special Thanks to my good friend David Belcher, owner of Rhino Media Group and creator of WisdomGram
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