Why not Arnold?

Think about it. Schwarzenegger epitomizes the Republican Party's version of the American dream. The story, as I remember it, is that he arrived here from Austria barely able to utter an English word. With fellow body builder, Franco Columbo, he started a construction business. Later, Schwarzenegger won the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding title seven times. He also became a successful actor, and a successful businessman. He has even dabbled in politics. For instance, he championed California Proposition 49, which benefited after school programs for children.

Sure, his father was a Nazi party member, but that doesn't mean that Schwarzenegger holds views similar to his father's. And yes, he once said that he loves the Nazi war criminal Kurt Waldheim. Although he hasn't repudiated the statement, he reportedly didn't know about Waldheim's Nazi past. Besides, I haven't seen anything that indicates that his associations are any worse than those of the royal Bush family.

And, Schwarzenegger did serve as the head of President George H.W. Bush's Council on Physical Fitness. That's a good thing isn't it? Okay. So, it bothers me a little that he admitted using steroids to help him win his Mr. Olympia titles and then advised America on fitness. But, President Bush wasn't all that great a decision maker. After all, he did pardon all of the Iran-Contra criminals. So, it isn't that surprising that he would choose a steroid popper to be part of his administration. That's not Schwarzenegger's fault. He just accepted the position.

And, according to the corporate media, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a moderate or even a liberal Republican. Yeah, I know. He backed boy Bush for the occupation of the White House. And yeah, the economy is staggering, our young men and women are being sacrificed in wars of empire building (which Schwarzenegger supports), and Bush has moved the United States closer to fascism than at any other time during my 40-plus years on this planet. I guess Schwarzenegger just made a bad political decision when he chose to back Bush. So what? Maybe steroids have adverse affects on the brain, too.

Besides, there's no doubt that California is in terrible shape. California could benefit from Governor Gray Davis being recalled and replaced with an honest and forward thinking individual. Sure, part of California's power related problems come from a deregulation scheme that was pushed by former Republican Governor Pete Wilson, who is now one of Schwarzenegger's advisors. But, having Wilson as an advisor should work well for someone who seems to have an interest in helping children. Right?

Remember, Wilson was the one who took money from schools and used it to build prisons to house young illiterate drug users--three square meals and a warm dry place. That's certainly better than having educated, productive young people making their own way in society, isn't it?

Come to think of it. Boy Bush's number one campaign contributor, Enron, contrived part of the power problem in California. And, when Bush had the opportunity to step in to help California, he let us go dark

Ya know, Schwarzenegger having backed Bush is beginning to bug me. And perhaps even worse, Bush is considering returning the favor by backing Schwarzenegger.

Then there's Schwarzenegger's love of producing violent action movies. Back in my younger days, I really enjoyed watching my hero slice, dice, and blast his way through legions of evildoers in movies such as "Conan the Barbarian" and "Predator." However, I now recognize that producing these kinds of flicks runs contrary to his supposed concern for children. Many children and adults get enough real-life violence on the streets or in foreign lands. They don't need Schwarzenegger's movies.

Back in my teens and early twenties, I probably wouldn't have bothered to research candidate backgrounds before choosing which one to vote for. Instead, I would have been easily influenced by Schwarzenegger's sound bites, such as "I'm going to clean house." Yeah Arnold, go whoop some ass! I probably would have voted for him. Baseless sound bites worked on me when I voted for Ronald Reagan.

But, I've grown up now. And Schwarzenegger's backers should do the same. Hollywood and political hype just doesn't cut it anymore. How exactly is Arnold going to clean house? He hasn't a clue. According to an Associated Press story, he talked in vague terms at a press conference on Wednesday about what steps he would take. But, when pressed for specifics, he said that he didn't have to be specific before the election. Why not? Shouldn't we know what the script is before we vote? I can't imagine an action movie hero without a script.

Of course, these days, I have no "heroes." There are just a handful of individuals who I respect for the work that they have done or are doing. None of them are celebrities. None of them think of themselves as heroes, either real or imagined. All of them are principled people of peace who support freedom, democracy, and justice. They all abhor violence. None of these attributes describe Schwarzenegger. He doesn't qualify for my respect.

He fails to qualify because he makes money by pushing violent movies. He fails because he cheated in competition. And, Arnold Schwarzenegger fails to qualify because of his cozy relationship with the corrupt Bush family. If someone fails to qualify for my respect, they certainly aren't going to get my vote.

However, I may still vote for "Arnold." But, it will be the football-headed lead character of the TV cartoon "Hey Arnold." He is on the ballot, isn't he?