I, for one, am dreading the possibility of Gov. Arnold. Let’s consider the negatives:
1. Liberal media will have a new Dan Quayle caricature to show how much smarter Democrats are. But Arnold’s no dummy, you suggest? Neither was Quayle. But if they can exploit the image, they will. Reporters will be asking about Swedish-style land-use planning just to get the gaffe.
2. Liberal media will have a new Rudy Giuliani/Christie Whitman character at the NY convention to constantly underline how “fringe right” the GOP is on abortion and homosexuality.
3. After giving every responsible candidate in the recall race a fraction of the attention the Terminator gets, Gov. Arnold gets eight times as much attention as all other 49 governors combined (not to mention about 500 congressmen). That’s how it worked for Gov. Ventura. Confirms theory that reporters think voters are deeply stupid and easily swayed by celebrity.
4. Despite the odd thought of Democratic, Starr-loathing operatives bombarding reporters with Arnold’s sexual exploits and philosophies (oral sex isn’t cheating), any Republican who even whispers in defense of Arnold’s wild life will be portrayed as a complete hypocrite on the Lewinsky saga.
5. Maria Shriver as First Lady of anything? Can’t we complete the recent trend of Kennedy family electoral defeat?