Arnold Says He'll Veto; Do We Need Stronger Celebrity Politicians?

Less than a day after the California Assembly passed a law allowing same-sex marriages, Governor Schwarzenegger has made public his intention to veto the bill. The measure passed by slim margins in both houses and is very likely to survive a veto. Since no member of his party voted for the bill, a veto makes political sense for the governor, who faces re-election next year. But we can put to rest any talk of Schwarzenegger being a gay-friendly Republican.

In related news, according to a recent Field Poll, the majority of Californians are not planning to vote for Schwarzenegger, and the governor trails each of his two most likely Democratic opponents.

I live nowhere near California, so my thoughts on who they elect governor shouldn't matter. Still, while I understand the reasoning behind removing Gray Davis from office (though California voters had re-elected the guy less than a year before they recalled him), I don't understand replacing him with Arnold Schwarzenegger. More to the point, I'm not sure why Gary Coleman's gubernatorial campaign was dismissed as a joke, while Conan the Barbarian was considered from the beginning a legitimate candidate. I mean, Arnold Schwarzenegger had no more political experience than Arnold Jackson; Why was the Kindergarten Cop such an obvious choice?

Like I say, who Californians elect as their governor is their business, but here are a few celebrities who are more fit to hold office than Arnold Schwarzenegger:

Jay-Z: Jay Hova, as the President and CEO of Def Jam and part-owner of the New Jersey Nets, has management experience. He also owns a fashion label and a film company. Jay-Z is talented, creative, driven, business savvy, and street smart. I can't think of any current elected officials about whom I would say the same.

Oprah: I'm not much of an Oprah fan, but the woman can get things done. Anything. She transcends boundaries such as race, class, religion, and ideology, and is already one of our country's most influential leaders.

Larry Bird: Larry Legend is all business. He expects heart, pride, effort, diligence, and sweat from himself and everyone on his team. Larry has exceeded everyone's expectations as a player, a coach, and an executive. And you can bet that he'll be up before sunrise every day shooting free-throws.

Anderson Cooper: Dude's fearless, and he always seems to know more about what's going on in America and the world than any of our elected officials. Cooper is smart, sympathetic, and well-spoken, and he can think on his toes. I remember Anderson Cooper from his days on Channel One. Even as a field reporter for a 15-minute newscast for teens, Cooper clearly had a better understanding of the situation in Somalia than the Clinton Administration did. Of course, his intimate understanding of the crisis on the Gulf Coast has made many officials in the current administration look foolish by comparison.