Regardless of the opinions we might have regarding same sex marriage, I think something on which we can all agree is that Governor Schwarzenegger’s recent dodge of responsibility demonstrated a troubling lack of leadership. It must be tough when there is no director to tell you what to do next.

Just in case you missed it—you know with Katrina and Iraq and all—legislation defining marriage to be a legal union between ‘two people’ came to Arnold's desk with the political blood of many California state representatives and senators still damp on its pages. And The Arnold vetoed it, falling back to a public referendum vote from five years ago declaring same sex marriage illegal as grounds enough. In short, the Governator possesses no super powers, as evidenced by his meekly reasoned decision not to overrule the intentions of the good people of California. Had the opposite occurred (i.e., signing legislation overturning a prior referendum that had legalized same sex marriage), he would have had to veto that too, using the same logic. For the Governator to cast an empty robotic eye on this is nothing more than taking a pass by claiming stare decisis, revealing him to be just another ‘girlie-man’ political hack.

Voters of the State of California on both sides of the issue need to know where their elected Governor stands. He’d gain a lot more respect from all if he’d say, “I vetoed the bill because I believe marriage is between a man and a woman only.”

Pressed by polls showing him to be only a scant few percentage points less despised than the bum he replaced, the formerly popular Governator finds himself way in over his head and exposed as nothing more than a washed up super

Governors govern Arnold! And to govern, one must make decisions—sometimes difficult and unpopular ones, as certainly this testy issue requires. It’s what the populace elects politicians to do. If the legislature forwards a bill or law to be passed, the Governor must use her or his judgment and pass or veto it, explaining her or his decision process. Sadly, The Big “A” isn’t governing, he is polling.

I have to say, I am disappointed in Arnold. I was kind of excited to see California shake things up by electing him. There was the promise that he might be a refreshing break from politics as usual—the kind of hope I had when Jesse Ventura, his movie actor buddy, was voted in as Governor of Minnesota. Oh well, so much for promise and hope. It turns out that state politics is a much more foreboding and powerful scourge than the Terminator model 2 and Predator ever were. The beast politico has chewed up the Governator and crapped out the Squirminator.

But who cares about the opinion of guy from Jersey. What about the people of California? We know don’t we? Arnold’s day of referenda accomplished the impossible. His ideas had less fan appeal than “Last Action Hero”. And taking a page from his party boss, when the going gets tough, the tough get to Asia. He’ll be back—maybe!

Now my hopes shift to Texas of all places, where Jewish cowboy Kinky Friedman is running for Governor. Hold the holishkes, I’m feeling a little shittern mogn coming on.

This article was written by humorist Robert Crane. You can find more of the same and then some at his popular site: http://www.cranelegs.com

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