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multinational forces backing U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Bush
description of the "Coalition" as evidence of widespread international
consensus for the war in Iraq was criticized during the 2004 election
because only 2 of the 49 countries identified in the "Coalition" contributed
significant numbers of troops. (And no, I didn’t forget Poland.) Critics
described the term "Coalition of the Willing" as nothing more than
propaganda designed to mask the lack of worldwide support for U.S. policy.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has adopted this same strategy in California –
manufacturing artificial coalitions to create an illusion of support where
none exists.
The first example followed the governor’s announcement in January that he
planned to renege on his promise to fully fund education and shortchange
schools by $2 billion. Not surprisingly, by March his support in the
education community had evaporated and his poll numbers on education had
plummeted.
The loss of support from the education community prompted Team
Schwarzenegger to create Schwarzenegger’s Coalition for Education Reform, a
phony group run out of one of his campaign consulting firms. While we know
the governor has it out for teachers’ unions, his so-called "coalition" did
not even include any of the management groups, like the school boards or
administrators.
included Republican party activists and beneficiaries of Schwarzenegger’s
vocational education largesse.
The latest such "coalition" emerged last week with Schwarzenegger’s launch
of the "Statewide Latino Coalition." This so-called coalition was
conveniently conceived only after a survey by the Public Policy Institute of
California revealed that the governor’s job-approval numbers had dropped to
17 percent–a record low among California Latino voters.
The "coalition" is chaired by Sen. Abel Maldonado (who needs
Schwarzenegger’s fundraising support for his own run for state controller),
and Rosario Marin, who is currently being paid more than $117,000 as a
Schwarzenegger appointee on the California Integrated Waste Management
Board.
There is no evidence that either of these so-called "coalitions" has any
real grassroots support, a fact lending even further credence to the growing
notion that Schwarzenegger’s official and political efforts lack substance
and must rely on sleight of hand.
Californians are growing weary of his show. Actor Warren Beatty recently
summed it up in a speech, saying, "Government’s not show business. Governing
by show, by spin, by cosmetics and photo ops, fake events, fake issues and
fake crowds and backdrops is a mistake."
Liberal Hollywood actors are not alone in this opinion. Even in the
conservative central valley, the theatrics are wearing thin. Jim Boren,
editorial page editor of the Fresno Bee, wrote: "Many, including Republican
supporters, have been criticizing the governor’s ‘town hall’ meetings, which
are actually tightly scripted meetings with people who will tell
Schwarzenegger what he wants to hear. These events have become tiresome and
counterproductive at a time when the governor should be confronting his
critics with facts, not gimmicks."
megastar he wasn’t ever really going to be one of them. But they presumed,
at least he would listen to what they had to say. After a year of phony
events and phony coalitions, they now realize the unfortunate error in this
presumption. Gov. Schwarzenegger may have the ability to manufacture his own
"willing" coalitions, but he’s going to have a tough time manufacturing
"willing" voters.
