California recall election: A festival of fools?

Are the Californians naive enough to choose a bodybuilder and an action movie hero as their governor to solve the complex problem of their economy? Or have they turned into skeptical post-modernists: nobody can solve this budget problem, so who cares. Californians do not care if Arnold Schwarzenegger, like George W. Bush, does poorly in a SAT-II economics test for the high school seniors. For them, Arnold is the person who can find a viagra for the present impotency of California's economy with a broom, his symbolic gesture in the election campaign! Maybe, Californians are doped by the celebrity image of the 'Terminator,' an incredible movie-superhero (a robot) who dwells in the halo of 'magic reality'and who is able to get rid of the evildoers at the end. But the paramount question remains: can the real Schwarzenegger, not the cinematic illusion, put the creeping economy on its feet? Can he balance the budget? Simple arithmetic tells that a tax cut, as promised by Arnold, would drive up the deficit further. By cutting taxes, will he be able to resuscitate California's ailing economy? The trickle-down Republican panacea for growth is not working for the whole USA. The main drag on the economy of the entire USA including California is George W. Bush, who is staying in power while California Governor Gray Davis becomes the fall guy.

Who is this Arnold Schwar-zenegger, Governor-elect of California? He is definitely a muscle man who emigrated from Austria in his early twenties for the American dream. Still he carries a thick accent; the fact that he cannot even pronounce 'California' properly is a popular ingredient in lampooning him in TV comedy shows. After eight years of courting, he married Maria Shriver, a niece of late President John F. Kennedy. Schwarzenegger also fell in love with California and I quote him saying, "I would rather be Governor of California than own Austria." His meteoric rise in the action and sci-fi movies is a testimonial that he can act and recite the movie scripts well. Schwarzenegger, the "Austrian Oak," is indeed a rich man. But how would all these translate into solving the economic and financial woes of California? Time will tell!

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Schwarzenegger's academic records, community services, and even voting records are at best below average. He does not have any political experience, needed in dealing with the California legislators, the majority of whom are from the Democratic Party. His liberal social outlook regarding abortion, gay rights, etc., is not making him a darling of the Republican Right. Some past baggage may also haunt him while he is relishing his coveted prize of California Governorship. Alleged groping of women, lying, etc., of Arnold led to the quote from Tom Brokaw in the recent NBC Nightly News "Sex, Lies, and Video Tapes" after the popular TV show of the same name. Who is, after all, the real Schwarzenegger? Californians will perhaps discover the true Schwarzenegger as he takes over as the Governor of California. Another recall? Hope not.

Mostofa Sarwar, Ph.D. is Professor of Geophysics, University of New Orleans, USA.