BLATHER REVIEW

Good Fences Make Good Governors

Well, I promised myself I wasn't going to blog about that fershlugginner California Governor brewheehaw, but, now I can't help it!
A story from Reuters published in the Washington Post quotes President Bush as saying Arnold Schwartzenegger would "make a good Governor." The entire item is two short paragraphs:

Bush Says Schwarzenegger Would Be 'Good Governor'
Reuters
Friday, August 8, 2003; 1:15 PM

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush said on Friday he believed that Arnold Schwarzenegger would make a good governor of California.

Bush, answering questions at his Texas ranch, repeated that the California recall election was something for the people of California to decide, but when asked what he thought about the actor as governor, Bush replied: "I think he'd be a good governor."

My first thought was, "oooooooookay."
But then I thought for a bit about Bush as Governor, and how he gained the respect and praise of Republicans and Democrats in the Texas legislature. What exactly does one need to become a good Governor...?

Bush, before running, was just a businessman. Arnold's a businessman -- in the movie biz -- and y'might even say a more successful businessman than Bush.
Bush had no governmental "experience", other than as a honcho in his father's campaigns. Arnold has no governmental "experience", other than his backing and getting passed various initiatives having to do with children's issues.

Schwartzenegger insists that Experience -- in a Governor -- is less important than Leadership; and I think he's exactly right.
Leadership, let's agree (for the sake of it), is a) having core principles applied to well-defined goals, b) being able to communicate that vision in clear and vivid terms, and then c) hiring people who know how to accomplish those goals by working the System.

The ability to succeed by working with and within the System is, I think, the most important test of Leadership.
We think of "the System" as an obstacle, as we should, because it is. It's supposed to be. It slows the Process in order to check impulsiveness. A driveway of activism without speed bumps of stubbornness is potentially a runway for flights of rash ambition. We need those systemic checks because what Californians are electing is a Governor, not a Caesar.

George W. Bush obviously understands this. If Arnold Schwartzenegger does, too, then he may well be dispositioned to "be a good governor."
I think my main point here is that "experience" -- narrowly defined, as it will be in the next 7 weeks -- is for beaurocrats; but, is not neccessarily a neccessary neccessity for leadership. Yeah. That's what I mean...

Posted by Tuning Spork at August 8, 2003 03:47 PM