California Circus

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California Circus
by James Hall, Senior Associate Editor

August 19, 2003

"Leaning Left"

James Hall Thanks, California, for taking the heat off of us Floridians. In place of loose chads and nearsighted seniors flipping the wrong lever, Americans can laugh at the image of a bankrupt state spending millions to choose between the likes of Larry Flynn, Arianna Huffington, Angelyne, Gary Coleman, Arnold Schwarzenegger and a cast of hundreds vying to be governor for the low, low cost of $3200 and the signatures of 65 friends. Somebody will win this recall election, but it won't be the citizens of California, who will spend $67 million of scarce tax money to elect someone with a slim chance to making significant changes to an already-tight budget.

Californians are rightfully furious that the state spent millions during an Enron-created energy shortage and ended up with a $38 billion budget deficit and are blaming Governor Gray Davis for it. Yet if Governor Davis should be recalled because of that budget deficit, then what ought we to do about President George W. Bush, who turned a projected $200-plus billion national surplus into a $300 billion-plus deficit? A Bush who got into office by taking Enron money and who sat on his presidential hands during California's energy crisis?

Are Californians blaming the right person?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the front-runner to replace Davis, according to polls, but why should he be? Do Californians really think that being a successful body-builder and high-priced action star qualifies him to govern the state? Does announcing his candidacy on the Jay Leno Show ensure that it gets the attention--and votes--of hip Californians?

Arnold's supporters compare him with Ronald Reagan, who made a successful career out of politics after Hollywood, but Arnold might just be another Jesse Ventura instead, an ex-actor who quarreled with his legislature in Minnesota and accomplished very little there. Facing immediate hard choices over the next couple of years, California can't afford that.

As much as he might like to, the Terminator won't be able to blow away the opposition in Sacramento: he'll have to work with them to get things done. And he'll have to have a vision for his state that isn't a series of Hollywood-scripted sound bites. "Hasta la vista, baby," won't send the state's budget difficulties packing.

Unlike Reagan, who served as President of the Screen Actors Guild and spent a decade articulating a political philosophy and campaigning for other candidates before he ran himself, Arnold is a complete unknown in politics. Nobody knows what his ideas for serving California involve, or what he'll do past putting "Governor" before his name if and when he wins. How he deals with taxes, deficits, and California's social programs is a complete mystery to friends and opponents alike, and he shows no signs of wanting to answer these difficult questions for the voters early in the election campaign.

Despite Davis' flaws, his fumbling with the energy crisis and the shock of the state's budget crisis, he has already shown that he can deal with the hard issues involved in balancing a huge state budget with a policy that includes a combination of cutting expenses and raising taxes. In balancing California's budget, Davis has made the hard choices that George Bush refused to make nationally.

These solutions are unpopular and undoubtedly have led to Davis' low poll numbers, but Schwarzenegger will have to make them, too. Quick and easy solutions to problems and happy endings may be the stuff of Hollywood scripts, but governance and state economics don't work that way.

Anything can happen, but it appears that if they don't wake up, Californians are on their way to learning the real difference between governing and entertainment. ***

James Hall
Orlando, FL USA

Photo of the author courtesy of staff files