As partisan politics run rampant in our country and the plethora of 2008 presidential hopefuls rant and rave about typical partisan issues, a rare voice of reason has spoken out – and it has an Austrian accent. When I think of Arnold Schwarzenegger the politician, I can’t help but remember the hilarious scene in “Demolition Man” in which Sandra Bullock, as foxy, by-the-book, futuristic Lt. Lenina Huxley, mentions the “Schwarzenegger Presidential Library” to renegade cop John Spartan, played by Sylvester Stallone. Stallone, in disbelief, asks, “He was president?” With all the garbage flying on the airwaves and across my television screen, I’d vote for Conan the Barbarian in a heartbeat. There is a natural born citizen requirement, but, as mentioned in “Demolition Man,” the “61st Amendment” could clear that right up. Assuming he meant what he said in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, Schwarzenegger would get my vote. In discussing presidential candidates’ visits to California, CNN quotes the “Gubernator” as saying, “It’s very important that the candidates let us know how they feel about the very important issues. I want to know how they would go about, when they go back to Washington, to bring Democrats and Republicans together.” Schwarzenegger continued discussing topics close to the hearts of many of his constituents, such as immigration. “We don’t want to hear the regular rhetoric, ‘We should be firm but compassionate.’ What does that really mean? Let’s go into specifics, let’s find out what they’re talking about,” Schwarzenegger said. He also mentioned the topic of universal health care reform, which the federal government has done next to nothing about , much to the dismay of many Californians. All this talk about real issues was preceded by a gorgeous little war between the mammoth governor and his party’s most extreme commentator. “[Rush] Limbaugh is irrelevant,” he said. I’ve wished for an important member of the Republican Party to utter those words for a long time, but I never expected to hear them from the same mouth which vomited “Hasta la vista, baby” into the toilet of mainstream pop culture. Indeed, Schwarzenegger said those exact words in a March 20 appearance on “The Today Show,” probably in reaction to Limbaugh’s use of the term “closet liberal” to describe Schwarzenegger’s political ideology. The governor explained, saying, “What you guys are talking about – the ideology, the philosophy, the Right vs. the Left – I cannot deal with that as much because what is important to me is that I bring both of the parties together and make things work to serve the people.” This particular interparty conflict is only one example of a broader political trend in which centrism plays a key role. Until recently, Republican candidates with a less than extreme stance on any number of issues were the targets of commentators like Limbaugh and had little chance of nomination to any major political post. This drift to the extremes of the ideological spectrum appears to be letting up, however. Candidates such as Rudy Giuliani for the Republicans and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats each have evidence of moderate stances on their respective records. While Giuliani cut taxes multiple times as mayor of New York City, he holds a liberal record on social issues such as gun control, abortion and gay marriage. Clinton, on the other hand, has advocated a socialized health care system but also supported the Iraq War. This move to the center certainly will hurt Limbaugh. CNN reported, “Limbaugh is struggling now that his party has lost control to the Democrats. And because there is no leading Republican candidate he can tout wholeheartedly on his radio show.” Limbaugh, who has enjoyed success as a firebrand conservative, also has held significant power through his daily rants in the past. Luckily for the vast majority of Americans who fall to the middle of the political spectrum, Limbaugh’s power is in decline. One only need look to Gov. Ah-nold for evidence. Schwarzenegger shows the signs of a good politician – he appeals to his constituents on issues they feel are most important, not what his party tells him is important. The only true regret is that Schwarzenegger never managed to call Limbaugh a “girly man.”
—–Contact Jack Collens at jcollens@lsureveille.com