The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster DemocracyCalifornia voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978. At the same time, a champion bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger was becoming a movie star. Over the past quarter century, the twin arts of direct democracy (through ballot initiatives designed to push the public to the polls on election day) and blockbuster moviemaking (through movies designed to push the public to the theaters on opening weekend) grew up together, at home in California. With the state's recall election in 2003, direct democracy and blockbuster movies officially merged. The result: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In The People's Machine, political reporter Joe Mathews, who covered Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial campaign for the Los Angeles Times and who has subsequently broken many front page stories about him, traces the roots of both movie and political populism, how Schwarzenegger used these twin forces to win election and, especially, how he has used them to govern. "Let the people decide," said Governor Schwarzenegger after his inauguration. The People's Machine, through remarkable access and whip-smart analysis—there is news in this book—reports on whether this system of governing proves blessing, curse, or mess, and on the remarkable Austrian bodybuilder, movie star, and political man with the nerve to carry it out. |
Contents
I | xv |
II | 1 |
III | 3 |
V | 15 |
VI | 29 |
VII | 49 |
VIII | 61 |
IX | 79 |
XVI | 195 |
XVII | 217 |
XVIII | 219 |
XIX | 237 |
XX | 257 |
XXI | 277 |
XXII | 297 |
XXIII | 307 |
Other editions - View all
The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster ... Joe Mathews Limited preview - 2006 |
The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster ... Joe Mathews Limited preview - 2006 |
The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster ... Joe Mathews Limited preview - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
advisors after-school aides Angeles Arnold Arnold Schwarzenegger asked Austrian ballot initiative ballot measure bill bodybuilding budget Burton California called campaign Campbell candidate capitol Clarey comp Costa Costco County Davis deal Democrats direct democracy endorsement focus groups fund-raising funding Gorton governor Gray Davis Gustav Schwarzenegger Hein Hiram Johnson interview Issa Johnson leaders legislative legislature Los Angeles Maria Shriver Marty Wilson McClintock meeting memo million movie Murphy negotiations November Núñez party percent Pete Wilson political consultant politicians poll pollster president programs Prop 13 Prop 49 Prop 75 Prop 98 Proposition Propositions 57 Randle recall reform Reiss reporters Republican Riordan Sacramento Sacramento Bee Schwar Schwarzenegger told Schwarzenegger's senate Shriver signature gatherers Sipple special election speech staff staffers star state's talk tion tribes union vote voters wanted week Wilson workers zenegger
Popular passages
Page vii - I should have wished to be born under a democratic government, wisely tempered. I should have wished to live and die free : that is, so far subject to the laws that neither I, nor anybody...