On Aug. 29, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Cal State Long Beach. No one knew about it until the last minute; few people even knew about it until after he had left. This is unusual for guests, especially for politicians, who generally try to publicize their appearances as much as possible.
Rather than try to get his face plastered in as many newspapers and television stations as possible, Schwarzenegger was low-key, not announcing his presence until the night before his visit, which is incredibly humble, especially for a famous incumbent who is running for re-election in two months.
Schwarzenegger’s visit was also refreshingly out of character for a politician because he had an unscreened, unrehearsed question and answer session with the audience. According to an article in yesterday’s issue of the Daily Forty-Niner, he answered questions regarding the recent immigration reform protests, immigration reform in general and, of course, his acting career.
Rather than engage in the typical mudslinging that often precedes a major election, Schwarzenegger seldom mentioned his opponent, State Treasurer Phil Angelides. Instead, he focused on other, more pertinent issues.
In his speech, Schwarzenegger chose to introduce himself to his audience, letting it know who he was, where he came from and where he stood on certain major issues facing the state of California.
He also took a relatively firm stance on questions students raised regarding policy, something people running for office rarely do. More often they engage in what political scientists call “the beach theory” (something those in the Political Science 100 class Schwarzenegger spoke to will soon be learning about).
The beach theory states that instead of taking a firm stance on an issue either in favor or against it, as Election Day nears politicians try to gather as many votes as possible by becoming more centrist in an attempt to catch any sway voters.
Yesterday, Schwarzenegger told students that California’s borders need to be secured in a “decent” way. Regardless of whether or not this policy will be beneficial to California, or if that should be a focal point of Schwarzenegger’s campaign, the mere fact that he took a stance on an issue when confronted with it by students is commendable.
But, maybe Schwarze-negger’s secret trip was done with the noblest of intentions. His last visit was greeted with an egg tossed at his shoulder and his welcoming words of, “Where’s the bacon?” Maybe this time he just wanted to keep his suit clean.
Regardless of his reasoning, an unexpected visit from a gubernatorial candidate that is free of the ho-hum opponent-bashing and overwhelming publicity is something that is much appreciated and obviously welcomed, especially at a university where political activity and awareness is extremely important.
Hopefully, Schwarzenegger’s trip will set the precedent for other politicians to follow and grace our campus with their presence and give us a new insight to the political process.