Facing stiff competitors like Larry Flynt (“The smut peddler who cares”), Gary Coleman (“I’m probably the least qualified for the job.”), Gallagher (“Wearing pants too low allows the pooper part to show.”), among a couple hundred other hopefuls, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last night that he will run for California governor in the upcoming recall election. Fox News predictably compares this to past elections, noting that “Schwarzenegger’s candidacy stirs the specters of past entertainers-turned-politicians – former President Ronald Reagan, former Rep. Sonny Bono and former Gov. Jesse Ventura – in what is becoming one of the most fast-paced and idiosyncratic elections in recent memory.”
I don’t know what to think about Schwarzenegger’s candidacy yet, but of all of the “outsider” candidates, he seems like the least frivolous. However, that isn’t exactly a platform to run on. It’s early yet, so it’ll be interesting to hear more about his views on various issues. As one of the higher visibility candidates it seems like he could actually make a run at this, if only riding on his popularity, although that’s not necessarily the best solution for California. Still, the Sacramento Bee has an interesting editorial predicting his victory as well.