Arnold Schwarzenegger has become the poster child for celebrating the idea that anyone can be governor and his much-publicized glitz-and-glamour candidacy will hopefully stir California citizens to become more active in state politics. He has also been beneficial in shifting California Republicans toward a more moderate position, including taking a pro-choice stance on the issue of abortion. The shift is a good move for the party, helping to more accurately portray the majority views of most Republicans than the more conservative State Sen. Tom McClintock.

Behind the shiny image, however, Schwarzenegger may not prove to be the instant remedy so many Californians hope for and vote for ‹ it becomes obvious he knows little about the policies he will have to deal with when he boldly claims he will save the state from politicians, while at the same time he is being used by Republican politicians ‹ namely Rep. David Dreier and former Gov. Pete Wilson ‹ for his name recognition.

It is hard to evaluate a famous candidate without focusing on his fame, and during the one debate that featured Schwarzenegger, he made a good appearance as a capable candidate. There are those who would make comparisons to former Gov. Ronald Reagan, also an actor and a candidate known for his charm. But Reagan had plenty of political experience to back him up ‹ besides his admirable Proposition 49, Schwarzenegger has been more of a special interest pursuant.

Schwarzenegger is running as an outsider, making promises about changing things from the inside out. It is easy to say that changes can be made when you have not been in the game. And when you are a puppet for a much larger cause, the promises are even more precarious.