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by Warpigs » Mon Nov 15, 2004 1:03 am Let me lead off by making it clear that I'm NOT a religious fanatic -- I like to take a open stance on everything -- including religion. That means I absorb as much information from all sides and ultimately make up my own mind on a situation, regardless of current popular trend.
The prospects of Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming President of the US is interesting to me. I've always thought that the US public is starving for something new in terms of President. The campaigning has turned into such a fiasco and there is so much bad-mouthing and finger-pointing when it comes near election time, that people can get turned off to the whole process very easily. It annoys me, for example, that Bush and Kerry had to be so darn polar opposite on EVERYTHING. It was as if they had to totally represent their party views and not allow any personal convictions or feelings come through to the surface. If Kerry felt one way on a topic, Bush was sure to adamently feel the opposite way on the issue, and vice versa.
I also always have felt that if someone ran for President while truly talking WITH the US people instead of TO them during the campaign, they'd be a shoo-in for the job. If someone did everything possible to not slander or "trashtalk" their opponent, but instead embrace the different view, but then promote themself and their own views positively instead of meeting a national party agenda, they'd be an easy front-runner.
So it's easy to see why Arnold Schwarzenegger could appeal to so many people if he ever were able to run for US President. He's a non-politician (like Reagan) that's more connected to the US people than many of the previous options seemed to be. Plus, he's someone that takes a strong PERSONAL stand on an issue and uses heart and soul to back it up -- not always following the political party's cookie-cutter expectations.
However, back when Schwarzenegger made his push to be California's next governor, it was apparent that a potential presidential push was in his future (depending on the constitutional situation).
At the same time as Schwarzenegger's rise to power, I was reading the Left Behind series. Again, I didn't read it out of feelings of religious obligation, but because I was curious as to what caused the book series such wide-spread success. For some reason, my mind made an unconscious connection between Schwarzenegger's unexpected rise to power to that of Nicolae Carpathia's character in the book series.
Now, I'm not saying that Schwarzenegger is the Anti-Christ. I'll never even be close enough to religion to start throwing around that label or even hinting towards it. However, I thought it was interesting to watch Arnold's sudden political popularity soar. His message of peace and prosperity, mixed with his bad-guy image from movies. His movie career was the perfect eye-catcher for people across the world, and catapulted him into the limelight. His image of being strong and unwavering through his body building and cinematic characters.
Again, I'm not inferring anything here. I think it may just be a matter of coincidence that Schwarzenegger's push into the political spotlight happened at the same time I was reading the Left Behind Series. However, I can't seem to shake the weird, almost deja-vu feeling whenever I see new ads for Arnold pushing to be a Presidential candidate. It's sad, because part of me thinks that a major change of pace (like Schwarzenegger would bring to the table) is just what our political system needs to get back on track (something like checks and balances). Yet another part of me is starting to think that this whole situation is too good to be true, and that perhaps we should tread carefully in all this.
What do you all think? Am I off my rocker?
