Arnold Schwarzenegger. Just the name looks intimidating. It’s a wonder how he went from bodybuilding to acting without having to change his name. Now that he’s trying to get into politics, how is his name going to stack up to the competition? Add that to the fact that he ran against the equally famous and politically inexperienced Gary Coleman, and you had one election where the media was positively drooling at the possibilities.

Indeed, in the bizarre mess of California’s gubernatorial recall, there is the disbelieving attitude of many about how things could have gotten so out of hand. It also doesn’t seem fair for us, as a nation, to be forced through another election circus, courtesy of the media, so soon after the infamous 2000 presidential election. At least in the 2000 election the candidates were actually qualified. Now it seems our country’s candidates don’t even know where they stand on important issues.

What’s sad about all of this is that the majority of California voters don’t seem to care. Instead they are more focused on Schwarzenegger’s attitudes and his truly frightening history when it comes to his behavior toward women.

This should certainly be an issue, just not “the” issue of a governor’s race. After we were forced to weather the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal it seems common sense for the media to focus attention on a much more serious situation. However, why is no one bringing up the point that if he never made the Terminator movies in the first place, he probably wouldn’t even be a candidate?

In fact, when Maria Shriver was defending her husband’s record of supporting American workers, she used the filming of a Terminator movie as an example. Schwarzenegger fought to keep the filming of the movie in question from being moved from the United States to Canada. Well that’s fine, in fact that’s great, but to me it doesn’t seem to be the qualifying mark for governor. Not to mention the fact that he actually lives in California, and filming there would be convenient for him.

This brings up another issue in the election, far from the real issues that should be in the spotlight. Recently, accusations have been thrown at Schwarzenegger that he once made comments supporting Hitler.

To counter these attacks an old bodybuilding coach of Schwarzenegger’s spoke to the press about the times he broke up neo-Nazi rallies in Austria. Once again, this is all fine, but it should have absolutely nothing to do with the campaign. Even if, for instance, Schwarzenegger did have complete plan for California and was qualified, it is doubtful he would do things to help neo-Nazis even if he secretly agreed with them. Schwarzenegger, it seems, has obviously no qualifications to run for office except money.

Worst of all, the public seems to have no problem with this. In addition, I don’t think either side, Democratic or Republican, has anything to worry about when it comes to Schwarzenegger’s questionable character affecting his actions as governor. If he were elected and publicly did everything he’s being accused of, California voters would surely just have another recall. Martin Sheen, get ready.