Prediction: Schwarzenegger Runs for Senate as Democrat in 2012

I really found it hard to believe that the Governator came to Columbus, Ohio in the waning days of the presidential campaign to stump for John McCain.  After all, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-CA, is often at odds with his own party and their wedge issues platform.

Democrats will be in trouble again if more Republicans talk – and act – like Schwarzenegger.  During a week where the dominant political story seemed to be all about how Republicans will climb back to relevance, Schwarzenegger spoke some truth to his party’s powerbrokers on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopolous:

SCHWARZENEGGER: (…) Remember that so many times there’s dialogue about, you know, we have to go back to our core values.

What is that? What is core? How far does core go back in history in America, the word core? Does it go back 30 years? Does it go back 50 years? Because we know that Teddy Roosevelt talked about universal health care. So they’re off the core for a long time ago already. He has talked about protecting our environment. So they’ve been off for a long time on that.

I mean, let’s be honest. Ronald Reagan — let’s go to Eisenhower, for instance. Eisenhower has built the highway system in America and he’s poured billions of dollars into infrastructure. Where Republicans today say, well, that’s spending. We shouldn’t spend. That’s not spending. That’s investing in the future of America.

So there’s a lot of things that they have been off on, if they want to go and talk about the core values. But maybe their definition of core values is maybe different.

But I mean, so I think it’s all nonsense talk. I think if they just talk about one thing, what do we need now?

Now, America needs to be rebuilt, because we haven’t really rebuilt America for decades. So we need to rebuild America, fix the bridges, fix the highways, fix the buildings, tunnels and all of those kind of things we need to do. And then we have to go and create great relationships with our partners overseas, with the world, and to build those relationships again. And we have to take care of health care. We have to take care of our environment. And we have to build an energy future. Those are the things that people want right now.

Schwarzenegger also discussed his proposal for a 1 1/2 percent state sales tax in California to deal with the state’s projected $11 billion budget shortfall.  California, like Ohio, is dealing with the ill effects of the soon to be official U.S. recession – shortfalls in state revenue.  Rather than take the stance of the idealogue, Schwarzenegger is pragmatic about taxes:

STEPHANOPOULOS: You don’t want to do it.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I don’t want to do it. I hate taxes. I hate the word “taxes” and all of those things. But there’s certain times when you have to forget about the ideology, and, you know, all of this, and fix problems…

STEPHANOPOULOS: That is…

SCHWARZENEGGER: Because people want their fixed problems.

A look at just a few of the issues Schwarzenegger has taken the lead on in California over the past year shows a fairly progressive agenda: tearing down dams on the Klamath River, numerous alternative energy projects, school-based health centers, reform of the emergency medical care system and state infrastructure improvements.  Although far from being an endorsement, in the quote above, Schwarzenegger is the first Republican I’ve heard to evoke the memory of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Rider’s ruminations on universal healthcare for Americans.  Usually when contemporary Republicans speak of TR it’s bombastic and centered on their one-dimensional understanding of history and Roosevelt – “Bully” and “Gunboat Diplomacy” come to mind.  Schwarzenegger seems to understand that TR was a reformer and a progressive.

So, I am predicting today that the GOP has created a monster that will drive some of its stars to become Independents or Democrats.  Their party’s base has been given over to the social conservatives, culture warriors and theocrats.  Finally, most of the country seems to be rejecting this brand of conservatism and beginning to understand that every breath wasted on wedge issues while we’re mired in two wars and in a state of economic decline is foolishness.  The country which has set the standard and created the future is now getting left behind.

I’ll further refine the prediction by saying that in 2012 the Governator will be running for the U.S. Senate from California as an Independent or a Democrat. 

I think that Arnold’s water carrying for whichever Republican is running for president will be coming to an end.  He’s eventually got to realize that the dinosaur party needs him and his star power much more than he needs them.