WHY NOT ARNOLD?
NPR reports on Arnold Schwarzenegger's run for California governor by saying that nothing really "shocks" Californians, as though maybe this should. But you may recall that in 1998, John Edwards, a successful personal injury trial lawyer from Raleigh, threw his hat in for United States Senate. At the time, Edwards had no discernible history of political involvement, and had hardly even voted prior to his entry into the race. Yet, a mere two years after taking his seat in the Senate, Edwards was seriously considered to be qualified to be Vice President, and after 4, President. Sure their were rumblings about lack of experience, but mostly from the right and these were written off as partisan attacks.

And unlike Edwards in 1998, Schwarzenegger has a much longer history of political involvement. From working on the President's physical fitness council in the 1980s, to campaigning for candidates throughout the 1990s and spearheading a ballot initiative in California just recently. Plus, his dogged determination and focus on developing a successful career in a difficult industry, from a point where he could hardly speak English to being a top box office draw and one of the post powerful people in his industry, he's shown plenty of success in life to suggest he would be tough enough to assemble a team capable of handling California's problems. And he has the added advantage of being a political moderate that shouldn't be seen as a divisive partisan.

Great political theater for the political junkie.