WRONG BIND

Arnold's bid for total recall puts conservatives in bind (RICHARD ROEPER, August 7, 2003, Chicago SUN-TIMES)

Like just about everyone in the media, I was stunned by Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement Wednesday evening that he WILL be a candidate for governor of California after all. I really thought that if Ah-nold was going to become "The Running Man," he wouldn't have done it via a taped appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Kudos to Leno for getting the scoop, but why didn't Arnold opt for a live announcement and press conference with wall-to-wall coverage, held at a more deadline-friendly hour in a more serious venue?

But now I have a question for all the conservatives, in California and across the nation, who believe Schwarzenegger will make a fine candidate: If you think this actor's views should be taken seriously, then you must agree that the opinions of Sean Penn, George Clooney, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon should be heard and respected as well, right? Because if your answer is "no," that would mean you want to hear only from those Hollywood figures whose opinions agree with yours--which sounds rather un-American to me.

No one said they shouldn't be heard. We said they were wrong.

The more difficult bind for conservatives is whether they value their purity so highly that they are incapable of supporting a liberal Republican. Complicating the situation is that an archetypal conservative--Bill Simon--had a golden opportunity to defeat Davis last fall and failed. The choice isn't Arnold or a conservative, but a Republican or a Democrat.

MEANWHILE:
Pelosi View Changing on Having Democratic Replacement for Davis on Ballot (David Espo, 08/07/2003, AP)

In a reversal, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California has concluded the party needs a candidate in the Oct. 7 recall election aimed at Gov. Gray Davis, party sources said Thursday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Democratic House leader has joined in a series of conference calls in recent days with fellow Democratic lawmakers as and other officials seeking a consensus candidate.

Pelosi issued a statement Thursday calling actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to enter the race as a Republican an extension of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's "extreme Republican agenda ... using a familiar public face to promote poisonous policies that favor special interests over the public interest.

Think voters are going to but the idea of Arnold as a radical Rightwinger and a tool of special interests?

AND FOR THE LIBERTARIANS:
Gary's Plan: The Coleman platform proposes decisive action on the problems of the state. (CHRIS THOMPSON, 8/06/03, East Bay Express)

Gary Coleman is not just another pretty face. In his 25 years in Hollywood, he's learned some tough lessons about life, love, and money. The man's a hard-bitten showbiz veteran, with nerves of steel and a big brain filled with good old-fashioned common sense. Now, as California teeters on the edge of disaster, he's offering you this unique opportunity to put his ideas to the test. The Express is proud to be part of this historic moment, and we have assembled Gary's most powerful ideas into a platform that will inspire you with its wisdom and foresight.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 7, 2003 9:23 PM