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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (4253)	8/4/2003 1:49:30 PM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793674

Can Clinton(bill) run in CA? It's where the girls are. mike It's a five year residency. Davis will never give up, the Repubs don't have anybody with gravitas. Davis could pull this out.

To: michael97123 who wrote (4253)	8/4/2003 2:07:43 PM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793674

This makes sense: Schwarzenegger's TV appearance raises suspicions Candidate, or actor with movie to pitch? Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer Monday, August 4, 2003 ©2003 San Francisco Chronicle \| Feedback Was it all just brilliant stunt work by "The Terminator"? Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger will finally announce whether he will run for governor when he sits down Wednesday with "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno -- but his choice of venue has raised questions about whether the GOP star was promoting a movie or launching what he hopes will be a serious career in politics. "It shows one thing: He's too close to Hollywood," said one leading GOP strategist who has advised state and national candidates. "When you make a decision to be governor . . . you've got to act like one. The gimmicks that go along with being an actor -- that should be put aside." Interviews with a number of high-level Republicans suggest the actor's move to make his first major discussion of a possible run in the recall election on "The Tonight Show" has some believing he is more interested in upping his box office receipts for "Terminator 3" than he is in a campaign. But many of those who are critical of Schwarzenegger also are unwilling to put their names to the comments -- saying he has yet to reveal his plans and could still play a role in state politics. And others say Schwarzenegger's decision to talk first to Leno underscores the actor's keen understanding of communicating with the public -- a strength that helped another actor, Ronald Reagan, make it to both the Sacramento statehouse and the White House. "The reality of it is Leno, (CBS' David) Letterman and (Comedy Central's) Jon Stewart are extremely influential in terms of shaping the political opinion of a whole lot of Americans," said political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe. She notes that Gov. Gray Davis, Al Gore and George W. Bush all appeared on "The Tonight Show" during their campaigns. NBC publicists have touted the appearance of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., on the show tonight, in what is expected to be an opportunity to push her book "Living History" -- and perhaps to put in a good word for Davis on the recall. In Schwarzenegger's case, his decision to appear on "The Tonight Show" comes after months of dallying with the possibility of a campaign. Now, the choice of an entertainment-related venue for his first big interview -- apparently made public when NBC publicists jumped the gun -- appeared to signal what he had been hinting for days: that he wouldn't join the race. "The Tonight Show" choice, however, has irked some Republicans who have long pushed the actor's political viability. They now say the "Terminator" may have terminated his hopes for a political career in recent weeks, beginning with his drawn out decision and ending with his Leno interview. "One of the things he had going for him was that he was a tough, decisive (guy)," said one leading GOP strategist. "This is more Hamlet than Napoleon." But Schwarzenegger adviser Sean Walsh said that the actor had carefully weighed his options -- and deeply respects his public following -- and that the appearance with Leno signaled just that. "Arnold Schwarzenegger is a (political) outsider with business experience and takes a common-person approach to politics," Walsh said. "Using 'The Tonight Show' as a vehicle affords him the ability to communicate to millions of Californians and tens of millions of Americans unedited and in their own living rooms. A traditional press conference gives you a 30-second sound bite on the news and a one-sentence quote in a newspaper." Walsh didn't mention that Leno's couch has another plus: no questions from reporters. Those close to the actor's campaign say the decision was also made out of fear of a "feeding frenzy" atmosphere at a press conference, where he wouldn't have the time or luxury to answer questions at length. "Why should he do the same old tired thing every politician does?" Walsh said. "If you compare the ratings between Leno and Larry King, there's no comparison. Larry King is appealing to insiders -- but you're not getting to the great mass of the electorate that goes to work, comes home and eats Hamburger Helper. These are the people who vote." Bebitch Jeffe said the question now was whether the actor would leave Californians wondering Wednesday whether he was only interested in "a little bit of movie hype." "If that's what . . . the voters and the press believe, that could be the most hurtful thing of all" to his future political aspirations, she said. One thing is certain: Schwarzenegger has managed the press as brilliantly as his career. The actor created an international frenzy in the last months and gave numerous interviews that always ended with the same question: Are you going to run? And he said he would, if his party and "the people of California need me." On Wednesday, it will be apparent how he feels on that subject -- but some observers say he is a winner either way. "Anytime any television news station mentioned him, (they broadcast) a clip from 'Terminator 3,' " Bebitch Jeffe said. "And you can't beat that type of publicity." sfgate.com