Arnie wants to run California
By Caroline Overington, Herald Correspondent in New York
June 16 2003
On screen, Arnold Schwarzenegger has played a pregnant man, a kindergarten cop and a ruthless Terminator. In real life, he is an Austrian-born former Mr Universe who emigrated to the United States, where he married a Kennedy.
Now the story gets really interesting. Schwarzenegger, 55, and a father of four, is considering running for political office.
The actor - who, it must be said, may well be doing this because his new film Terminator 3 is about to be released and he needs the publicity - appears on the cover of next month's issue of Esquire magazine, saying: "Yes, I would love to be governor of California."
It's an interesting choice of state, since the last actor to become governor of California was Ronald Reagan. Also interesting is the idea that, if Schwarzenegger does run, he will do so as a Republican, despite being married into one of the most famous Democrat families. His wife, Maria Shriver, is John F. Kennedy's niece.
Schwarzenegger's statement to Esquire is the second time in six months that he has expressed a desire to run for office, an idea he considered in 2001 as well.
The actor, who became a US citizen in 1983, has described himself as a "compassionate conservative" in the mould of President George Bush.
He is known to have recently met one of Mr Bush's chief political advisers, Karl Rove, but said that was mostly to discuss what he might do to support US troops overseas.
Schwarzenegger knows he will be unable to run if Mr Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, decides she wants the office. Dr Rice, on leave from California's Stanford University while she works for Mr Bush, has not announced a desire to run for the governorship, but it was rumoured last week that she was interested.
Schwarzenegger told Esquire he would "love to be governor of California ... if the state needs me, and if there's no one I think is better, then I will run."
However, his spokesman, George Gorton, said last week that Schwarzenegger would not make a decision until after Terminator 3 opens on July 2.
An election could be held in California as soon as September because the incumbent, Gray Davis, is under pressure to vacate the office.
His opponents are gathering signatures calling for him to be removed and, if they get 900,000 names by mid-July, voters may be asked to take part in a referendum on his removal. In the same ballot they would vote on a replacement.
By Caroline Overington, Herald Correspondent in New York
June 16 2003
On screen, Arnold Schwarzenegger has played a pregnant man, a kindergarten cop and a ruthless Terminator. In real life, he is an Austrian-born former Mr Universe who emigrated to the United States, where he married a Kennedy.
Now the story gets really interesting. Schwarzenegger, 55, and a father of four, is considering running for political office.
The actor - who, it must be said, may well be doing this because his new film Terminator 3 is about to be released and he needs the publicity - appears on the cover of next month's issue of Esquire magazine, saying: "Yes, I would love to be governor of California."
It's an interesting choice of state, since the last actor to become governor of California was Ronald Reagan. Also interesting is the idea that, if Schwarzenegger does run, he will do so as a Republican, despite being married into one of the most famous Democrat families. His wife, Maria Shriver, is John F. Kennedy's niece.
Schwarzenegger's statement to Esquire is the second time in six months that he has expressed a desire to run for office, an idea he considered in 2001 as well.
The actor, who became a US citizen in 1983, has described himself as a "compassionate conservative" in the mould of President George Bush.
He is known to have recently met one of Mr Bush's chief political advisers, Karl Rove, but said that was mostly to discuss what he might do to support US troops overseas.
Schwarzenegger knows he will be unable to run if Mr Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, decides she wants the office. Dr Rice, on leave from California's Stanford University while she works for Mr Bush, has not announced a desire to run for the governorship, but it was rumoured last week that she was interested.
Schwarzenegger told Esquire he would "love to be governor of California ... if the state needs me, and if there's no one I think is better, then I will run."
However, his spokesman, George Gorton, said last week that Schwarzenegger would not make a decision until after Terminator 3 opens on July 2.
An election could be held in California as soon as September because the incumbent, Gray Davis, is under pressure to vacate the office.
His opponents are gathering signatures calling for him to be removed and, if they get 900,000 names by mid-July, voters may be asked to take part in a referendum on his removal. In the same ballot they would vote on a replacement.
