LOS ANGELES (October 11, 2006) — Want to know who’s ahead in the California governor’s race? Follow the celebrities.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s double-digit edge in the polls makes him the favorite in November, but he’s already clobbered Democratic rival Phil Angelides in another very public measure: Star wattage.
Consider a recent election-season week: One day, the actor-governor signed a bill with George Clooney on hand. The next, he was hanging out with the Dalai Lama. A day later, he signed more legislation with British Prime Minister Tony Blair looped in on video.
On Wednesday, the governor returns to NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” the same platform where he launched his campaign for governor in 2003.
“I think Angelides has a better chance of trying to arm-wrestle Arnold than he does trying to match him for celebrity attention,” said Jonathan Wilcox, who teaches a class on celebrity and society at the University of Southern California.
When it comes to attracting glitz and glitter, the former champion muscleman has a built-in edge, even in Democratic-tilting Hollywood. His operation has made lavish use of his celebrity credentials as he pursues a second term, routinely rolling out entertainment, political and business luminaries to attract publicity and remind voters that he’s nothing like that other guy on the Nov. 7 ballot.
His red carpet supporters include Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. His old pal Danny DeVito pops up. He gave a speech last month at a women’s conference organized by his celebrity wife, Maria Shriver, where the guest list ranged from Martha Stewart to the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists.
Backers also include “The Terminator” director James Cameron, Interscope Records chief Jimmy Iovine and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Angelides, the state treasurer and a former developer, has shared stages with prominent Democratic politicians, including former President Bill Clinton. And he was joined at recent events by actors Ed Begley Jr. and Daniel Stern.
Angelides’ supporters also include Barbra Streisand, basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, actor Warren Beatty and TV producer Norman Lear.
“Phil Angelides has considerable support in Hollywood and the entertainment community,” said spokeswoman Amanda Crumley. “Hollywood support continues to grow.”
Hollywood and politics have long been entwined, particularly in California, where Schwarzenegger is not the first former movie star to run the state. The deep pockets in the entertainment industry are a rich source of political dollars for both parties, and the governor’s race is no exception.
But the fact that A-list celebrities are not flocking to Angelides reinforces what polls are showing — that the challenger has yet to stir widespread excitement among Democrats.
Finding Oscar-winner Clooney, a self-proclaimed liberal, at the governor’s shoulder is another reminder of Schwarzenegger’s ability to align himself with issues that cross party lines.
Andy Spahn, a spokesman for Spielberg and Katzenberg, said both men have years-old relationships with Schwarzenegger. And the governor sought their endorsements, although they did not support him in the 2003 recall election.
There is a “comfort level with the less-partisan approach he’s taking to the office,” Spahn said, citing the governor’s recent policies on the environment and education.
As an incumbent in the nation’s largest state, Schwarzenegger already has a platform to attract big names. But his handlers have been careful to enlist celebrities for consequential events, such as signing legislation to withdraw state investments from war-torn Sudan, which Clooney attended.
His wife, a member of the Kennedy clan, has been active in lining up Democratic support, too. She called Spielberg and introduced the governor to the Dalai Lama.
Too much star power can have a downside. Some voters view Hollywood as a mere confection, and too many celebrities could create an air of frivolity. “I think he needs to go back to Hollywood and become the Terminator,” scoffed Bryant Canonge, 56, a woodworker who attended an Angelides rally in Los Angeles.
Though he has his own celebrity supporters, Angelides has tried to play the everyman. One Democratic ad calls him “a leader, not an actor.”
He jokes about his rangy, “God-given” body, an obvious dig at the governor’s acknowledged steroid use during his bodybuilding days.
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