After some years in storage, the Fox & Hounds mind-reading machine is back, and pointed at a familiar target…
I am sick and tired of the whole media talking about how I’m just like Trump. Some of them are even surprised I didn’t endorse the guy.
What a bunch of foreheads!
I tried to ignore this drumbeat of “Arnold is Trump, Trump is Arnold” for a while, but the media couldn’t move off the line, so membres of my old team rallied and tried to put that to rest last week.
I’ve gotten along with Donald, sure, and I’m even taking over for him on Celebrity Apprentice. But c’mon. I did some anti-politician name-calling, sure, but every politician badmouths his colleagues at election time. And I was trying to be humorous—more than 10 years after I called legislators Girlie Men, and no one can get over the joke.
Yes, I see the guy is using some of my old political tricks – talking about how rich and successful he is, playing Twisted Sister – but c’mon. Trump is not a star. Or an actor for that matter. Did he ever work with Emma Thompson? Or James Cameron?
I also took policy seriously – still do. I have two think tanks. And by the way, I actually had a health care plan—a very detailed one that got pretty far in the legislature before some Democrats decided to block it.
And I’m a different kind of businessman than Donald – while I believe in pushing through limits as you develop yourself. I’m very careful in making investments and I don’t like debt. That Trump approach – with the high leverage and risk – isn’t for me.
He is an outsider, and I do think we need more people from outside politics in our politics. But when you go in, you have to lift people up, to inspire people – not tear other people down all the time. I’m not the sort of person who lives in the past or walks around with regrets, but I know that my worst moments as governor were when I lashed out.
We have too much division already, and I hate what he says about immigrants. I celebrated immigrants, because that’s what this country is all about. And think about it–where would America be without me?
I wouldn’t admit this, but this campaign has been tough on me, and not just the Trump business. I always wanted to come out for Kasich—he’s just a great guy who is the kind of governor and person I admire. And I’d seen him up close in Ohio, since I have my Arnold Expo—a fantastic fitness convention with the bodybuilding and every other athletic thing you might imagine – there in Columbus every year.
But Jeb was in the race. He’s a bit too far to the right for me, and I knew early on he was going to be a weak candidate. The people wanted something different. But I just love his father – I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I had in politics without the first President Bush. So I couldn’t come out for John while Jeb was still in the race.
Do I think Republicans will listen to me? I don’t know, but they will if they know what’s good for them. It’s been a decade that I’ve been warning them about going off the cliff, and getting too far from the people, and they just keep going off that cliff. I’ve saved the world a few times, and I’m working on helping save it from climate change. And I am very positive we will get the job done there.
But saving the Republicans? I’m a superstar who can do almost anything I set my mind to. But I’m not God.