Arnold is down, but not out. The way to knock him out completely is a joint Democratic ticket in the next election with State Treasurer Phil Angelides for Governor and Warren Beatty for Lt. Governor. Such a ticket would combine the most visionary, competent, consistent and experienced policymaker to come along in years with the deeply informed star appeal necessary not only to win a big mandate at the polls, but to effectively communicate when the tough decisions of governance come due and must be sold to the public.
The California electorate this last week finally disabused Arnold of his Bush-like belief that policies which favor public investment and protection of working families are unwelcome because, as if this were the stifling socialism of his Austrian childhood, they somehow block opportunity, innovation and prosperity.
On the contrary such policies -- initiated during Governor Pat Brown's tenure in the late 1950s and early 60s -- were the very foundations of the opportunity culture that enabled Arnold decades later to rise from the pressing bench through action hero films to the governor's chair. And they are the policies that are needed again to reinvigorate the California dream in the times ahead when the world's sixth largest economy faces the competitive rise of middle class Asia, the troubling turmoil of neighboring Mexico with its slow tsunami of immigrants headed north across the border, the challenges of climate change and the transition to the post-petroleum age.
The candidate for governor who best understands how to renew California's foundations in this new context is Phil Angelides. He had the political courage to become the "anti-Schwarzenegger" at the height of the governor's popularity, declaring that more wealth for the richest through lower taxes -- but less money for community and state colleges and education in general -- was a recipe for shutting down opportunity for the majority, not unleashing prosperity. While Arnold was huddling with his Wall Street contributors, Angelides led the charge by CalPers and CalSTRS -- the stunningly powerful state pension funds which dominate institutional investing with their $270 billion in assets -- to force Richard Grasso out of the New York Stock Exchange and clamp down on the fraud and crony capitalism of WorldCom, Enron and others.
"Our real genius as a country and a state," Angelides has said, "is that we have managed to combine a wealth-creating, risk-taking innovative private sector that produces new technologies, new products and jobs with smart public investment in infrastructure and education. Economic expansion had, and must have, a public foundation."
Angelides has done his ground work. He has already secured the endorsements of both California senators, Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as Congressional leader Nancy Pelosi and 25 labor unions.
But, in the media age in a state as large as California, you cannot prevail by good policy alone. The power to communicate is a key part of campaigning and governance. That is where Warren Beatty's star power comes in.
He and his wife Annette Bening clearly played an important role in the defeat of Arnold's propositions. Beatty is well known for his progressive views and is, far and away, the most informed and politically experienced of the Hollywood set. He is a natural leader. Still, after Arnold, the public is rightly wary of movie star politicians who they doubt have the administrative stamina or interest to run the state on a day to day basis and deal with the legislature.
The public would more likely trust the non-Hollywood Angelides to be the responsible executive. By taking the Lt. Governor's slot, Beatty would have an official pulpit to shape public opinion but remain free of the day to day tasks of governing. The critical importance of a thematizing role by Beatty should not be underestimated in the years ahead when a historic shift back toward a progressive agenda is possible.
Winning the campaign might be the easy part. Beatty's communication skills would be even more direly in demand when the tough decisions -- raising taxes, dealing with immigration, making schools accountable, toughening environmental regulations -- need to be made and sold.
A Phil Angelides/Warren Beatty combo would be the best ticket for California's future.