America the country that has the Terminator as the governor of the ninth largest world economy. HOW.?

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this. I have lived in California all my life. I did not vote for this man but obviously all the other Nutjobs that weren't locked up that day did! Yeah, it's embarrassing & sucks!

Hmmm, the Govenator!

California is full of the most dreamy people in the world. They don't see things the way that they really are.
I can speak.
I've lived here for the last five years.
Before this I was in Arkansas and Mississippi... right before Katrina.
Californians don't believe that everything is perfect and super, but they do live in a false state of reality that constitutes electing a person based off of their fame. I'm not saying that the Terminator is a bad governor. The people of California voted for him based, probably, on the fact that he is a well known figure who obviously knows how to make it in this world, and isn't a loser.
The issue is California itself, which rose to power, not because they know what is best, or even because they have some kind of idea as to what's going on in the world.
They found gold.
There was gold here, so it generated a lot of money a long time ago.
This made pretty things; pretty houses. Pretty parks... even pretty roads.
Now the rich and famous want to live here.
The weather helps, too.
But now we are four BILLION dollars in debt thanks to governor Grey Davis. Eventually, this will catch up to us.
And, with any luck, California will fall off into the sea, come year 2013.
According to the projectory maps, my land in Arkansas should then become oceanfront property.
God bless the USA!

I am not an American, so my view doesn't count for a lot. I think that Arnold Schw. is where he is because he is one of the less partisan Republicans who is able to work with Democrats.

Being raised as an Austrian, which is an EU country, he has the street smarts to NOT preach hate or religious bigotry. I like his stance on vehicle emissions standards. Not sure if he's so good at managing California's money, though!

NPuppy love the idea of Arkansas as beachfront property. Little Rock as the new Santa Monica! Moonshine instead of Merlot! I think you have it right, people vote for the personality and the press coverage not the policies. I doubt Arnie has the faintest idea how to reduce the budget deficit.

as a native californian i wrote my own name on that absentee ballot when arnold swarzenegger, gary coleman, arianna huffington, that dang **** star & everyone else ran for gray davis' spot as governor. i didn't need to show up to vote. i worked overtime that day!

Hi SamOnHisSoapbox
It makes perfect sense to me. Politics is a product sold and marketed. Why not use the high profile of an Actor? If he was not foreign born would be President. Ronald Reagan did it!
Does it matter?
:)

OH puhleeeze- America is not "as seen on tv" and California is basically its own country. I am tired of them giving us all a bad name.

I think you all believe in the power and authority of U.S. political figures a bit too strongly... the people we elect as figureheads are not the ones running the country... I think very few people actually know who is in charge here... I for one could care less, so long as I have my basic freedoms, which I do... except for marijuana...