Schwarzenegger Has Magic,But You Can’t Eat It

Published in Sohu
(China) on 4 January 2011
by Wang Demin (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Michelle Deeter. Edited by Mark DeLucas.
There’s a joke about advertisements that says, “After the advertisement, you don’t want to go back.” Today, Californians feel the same about former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. After he leaves, they don’t want him to come back.

These parting words have hurt Schwarzenegger’s feelings. Not long ago, he had a 65 percent approval rating, while today his approval rating has dropped to a pitiful 23 percent. California used to be known as the eighth largest economy, and now people no longer want to move there to find work.

Most people naturally think of Hollywood when they think of Schwarzenegger, and in America’s modern history, there have been two miracles that came out of Hollywood: former President Ronald Reagan and Schwarzenegger. They are similar in that they both have served as governor of California. They are different because Reagan eventually became a respectable politician in the White House.

Reagan was perfectly capable of excelling on both stages, and in a few years he accomplished things that ordinary people were incapable of doing. The difference is that Reagan spent a long time steeling himself before he arrived at California’s throne. As a third rate actor, Reagan had two advantages: He was low key, and he experienced a lot of hardship and suffering. In comparison, Schwarzenegger’s past life was far too easy. Not only was he a first rate, world famous actor, but his family was extremely wealthy. His wife belonged to the Kennedy family. Becoming governor without having any political experience was a rare precedent and, consequently, gave him many challenges that were difficult to face during his seven-year career.

It takes skill to govern. Reagan had a lot of good qualities that Schwarzenegger didn’t have. First, Reagan was a man of the people. Because Reagan had a rather unsuccessful acting career, he didn’t think he was above others; on the contrary, he was capable of empathizing with others. In contrast, Schwarzenegger was too famous and too rich. He was unable to understand the hardships of the average person. Schwarzenegger flaunted his support for environmental protection, but he drove a gas-guzzling Hummer and even flew a private jet from his mansion in Los Angeles to his office in Sacramento, California’s capital.

Unlike Reaganomics, when faced with the financial crisis, Schwarzenegger mostly complained about the overall situation. But the thing that he is forgetting is, in the five years before the crisis in 2008, he was not very successful in office. Schwarzenegger’s term in office is a classic example of failure. California’s situation is worse now than it was when he began: The education system is broken, basic infrastructure is weak, the roads are bumpy and bridges have not been maintained. At first he went out to attack people, and now he is flying right back, like a bullet that can turn in midair.

Schwarzenegger’s bleak departure sounded an alarm for Obama. The warning is this: No matter how optimistic your initial election was, no matter how sunny the future seemed at the time, if you are not able to solve real problems for the people, you will lose the people’s support. Magic is like an elixir: You can drink it, but you can’t eat it.


有一句关于广告的笑话是,“广告之后,不要回来”。而今,美国加州人也一样对施瓦辛格说,“离开之后,不要回来”。
  这是让施瓦辛格伤感的告别语。曾几何时,他拥有65%的支持率,可如今,支持率已落到了可怜的23%,加州更从堪称“全球第八大”经济体的州,沦落到“人人都不想去工作”的地方。
  说起施瓦辛格,人们很自然地会想到好莱坞,而在过去的当代美国,也确实从好莱坞走出了两个奇迹,一个是里根,另一个就是施瓦辛格。相似的是,两人都当过加州州长,不同的是,里根最后入主了白宫,并成为令人敬仰的政治家。
  但像里根那样游刃有余于两个舞台,在若干年内都将是一骑绝尘。与施瓦辛格不同的是,里根在走上加州州长宝座前,有过长期的磨砺,三流影星经历对里根有双重好处,一是低调,二是经历了很多困苦的折磨。相比之下,施瓦辛格太过顺利,不仅是世界超一流影星,而且家财万贯,太太更是来自肯尼迪家族,而其没有从政经历却一举成为州长的罕见先例,也注定了他难以应付七年州长生涯。
  执政需要功力。在里根身上,有许多施瓦辛格没有的素质,一是平民化,并不成功的演艺生涯,使里根没有高高在上的姿态,反而能体谅他人。反观施瓦辛格,太过有名,太过有钱,很难体会百姓的苦衷。令媒体和民众不满的是,施瓦辛格标榜环保,却用耗油的悍马车,甚至用私人飞机由洛杉矶豪宅飞往州长办公室上班。
  与里根的乐观经济学不同,面对金融危机,施瓦辛格更多的是抱怨大环境。但问题是,2008年之前的5年,他的执政也并不成功。施瓦辛格的州长任期是典型的失败案例,加州的情况比他上任时还要差:教育混乱、基建恶劣、道路凹凸不平,桥梁缺乏保养……他当初攻击别人的话,现在像会拐弯的子弹一样飞了回来。
  施瓦辛格的黯淡离去,给奥巴马敲响了警钟。那就是,无论当选得如何风光,无论怎样风度翩翩,如果不能给民众解决实际问题,最终还是会失去民心。魅力可以当茶喝,但不能当饭吃。
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