Mark Steyn on politics and celebrity in the Golden State:

So now [Schwarzennegger's] being stalked by Warren Beatty. In the runup to election day, Beatty showed up everywhere Arnold did, as if he were the Actors' Equity-designated understudy for the role. If they're remaking 42nd Street, Arnold's Bebe Daniels and Warren's got the Ruby Keeler role as the plucky kid from the chorus who gets sent on stage with the stirring words, "You're going out there a youngster but you've got to come back a star!" Or in Warren's case: You're going out there a wrinkly woozy semi-has-been but you've got to come back a star!"

Will he do it? "I don't want to run for governor," he said the other day, making it sound like he's interested in the role but he won't audition. He's certainly in the right party: The Democrats have already taken on most of the characteristics of a bad Hollywood project—no ideas, script full of ancient cliches, but if you can get the right star to commit to it we just might make this thing fly. And, though he's never run for office before, Beatty has the crucial ingredient: name recognition. All over California, women are going: "Warren Beatty? Oh, yeah, right, now I remember. That guy I had sex with in the late '60s."

Read the whole thing, and thank me later.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:14 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Thank you, AG! I'm still wiping the tears. The thing Arnold has over Shirley MacLaine's little bro is that he actually worked for everything his has. Inspite of the fact that many people hear "funny accent" and believe that means low IQ, Arnold is a very shrewd businessman. He also can take the lumps that were dished out by the CTA, Unions and state Socialists, learn from them, and move on. Beatty was little more than a pretty, priapic shell. Looks like "shell" is all that's left.

Posted by: Darleen at November 22, 2005 08:49 PM (FgfaV)

2 Furthermore, he's really vain

Posted by: Attila Girl at November 23, 2005 12:10 AM (JZqY7)

3 Furthermore, he's really vain That song wasn't about him. Now, if the CA Republicans can just overcome their "Death Before Election Victory!" self-destructive tendencies. I mean, precisely how stupid does a political party have to be to take Gray Davis' advice on who to run against him?

Posted by: Christophe at November 23, 2005 12:29 AM (td8Qe)

4 Mark Steyn's on a short, short list of essayists who just about never miss. Hitchens, Krauthammer, and a few others are that good. Not many, though. No, Christophe, that song isn't about Warren Beatty. But he probably thought the song was about him. Which is kind of the point.

Posted by: utron at November 23, 2005 09:52 AM (VVBQC)

5 No, Christophe, that song isn't about Warren Beatty. But he probably thought the song was about him. Which is kind of the point. Christophe make little yok, ya? All over California, women are going: "Warren Beatty? Oh, yeah, right, now I remember. That guy I had sex with in the late '60s." We like to call that "energizing the base."

Posted by: Christophe at November 23, 2005 01:02 PM (2rBIo)

6 Fake Eastern European accents are so enchanting. I have to go now: I want to watch Shampoo again, and verify that its premises about female sexuality are just a teensy bit male-stereotypical. But in that charming, sleazy 70s way.

Posted by: Attila Girl at November 23, 2005 06:06 PM (JZqY7)

7 Actually, Utron, the thing that amazes me about Steyn is his ability to keep utterly up-to-date on what's happening in the U.S., Canada, Britain, and the Continent all at the same time. An ex-boyfriend of mine used to refer to Isaac Asimov as "the Asimov brothers." I feel that way about Steyn.

Posted by: Attila Girl at November 23, 2005 06:30 PM (JZqY7)

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