Schwarzenegger to run for Mayor of LA?



Whatever one makes of Rudy Giuliani (Averted Gaze), he put what was previously perceived as The Mundane Urban Mayoralty upfront on the political-radar of The Chattering Classes. Even before reformist Mayor Carcetti of HBO's "The Wire" or Ray Nagin's utter incompetence, a mayor had to take up the slack of the Federal government as a result of "States Rights" and the devolution of federal administration of local concerns. A mayor, unlike, say, the current President (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment), must be effective and competent. Former California Governor Jerry Brown set a precedent when he ran for -- and won -- the Oakland Mayoralty, a position previously seen as vastly beneath him. But a smart poilitician -- like Elliot Spitzer as New York's Attorney general -- can remake the rules.

Could Arnold be following in Governor "Moonbeams" shoes and become a flashy mayor of the flashiest of American cities? According to our favorite Dickensian villain, Robert Novak:

"WHILE Republican presidential candidates woo California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his endorsement, the former movie star's relationship with the state GOP has all but disappeared.

"Prominent California Republicans generally do not want to criticize publicly the party's only statewide office holder, but privately they say Schwarzenegger has been governing as a Democrat since his re-election on a liberal platform last year. The complaint among Republicans is that the governor follows the lead of his Democratic wife, Maria Shriver.

"A footnote: With Schwarzenegger's term as governor ending at the end of 2009, there has been speculation that he might run that year for mayor of Los Angeles. He currently spends much of his time in L.A. rather than the state capital of Sacramento."

We have to admit that we are duly impressed at the way Arnold has mastered the learning curve of politics. Who would have known that the discipline of pumping iron had correlations -- however oily -- with the gut-survival instinct of politics. (Novak)