Everyone's talking about Arnold's "position" on gay marriage and his "moderate" views. Everyone's missing the point. It doesn't matter what Arnold thinks, because his candidacy isn't about what he wants, it's about what his handlers want. Arnold is nothing more than a mask behind which hides the ugly face of power, privilege, and money. It's no surprise that he turned to Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in America, for economic advice. Does anyone think that Warren Buffett cares about you and me and the long-term needs of California? Of course not. The Republicans see Arnold as nothing more than a golden opportunity to distract us, while they gallop full speed into Sacramento and plunder the last and greatest holdout of Democracy in America before we realize what's going on. They're hoping that we'll be dazzled by Arnold's "moderate" views and his movie star popularity. But those things don't matter when our state is being sold off piece by piece to out-of-state companies that see us as nothing more than an untapped well to be exploited for their own financial gain.

And it's no surprise that Arnold isn't speaking to the press, as if he's somehow above talking to the very people that he pretends he wants to represent. Until Arnold has memorized the lines his handlers are feeding him, he can't be allowed to talk, because he might stray from their agenda, or perhaps reveal that he really doesn't have a clue about what California wants and needs and is just in it for the fame and glory.

Just one example: On the environment, Arnold is totally off base. His promotional efforts for the gas-guzzling Hummer, and his idea about jetting between his Gated Mansion in Brentwood and the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento (an 800 mile round trip that would spew hundreds of pounds of pollution into the air on a daily basis, all paid for by you and me), reveal just how out of touch he is on the vital issues of air quality and transportation.

Can a man who lives in an $11 Million house in a gated community and flies his private jet around the state be expected to understand and address the problems that face us regular mortals? Can a man who lives his life in the fantasy world of action movies be expected to understand the intricacies of managing a state with a population of 34 million people, a government budget of $150 billion, and an economy of $1.5 trillion?

California, don't be fooled. Arnold is the Wizard of Oz revisited. Turn your gaze from the dazzling display and look behind the curtain at the real powers behind his campaign. They don't want us to see them, because then the sheer brazenness of their Enron-like deception will be revealed. But once we pull the curtain back and shine a light on the truth, we'll see that Arnold is nothing more than a puppet under the influence of a school of sharks who smell blood.

A vote for Arnold is a vote for the standard old politics of power, money, and influence peddling. A vote for Arnold is a vote for the destruction of all the environmental and social progress that we've achieved in the last 20 years. And a vote for Arnold is a vote for the conservative agenda. Why else would the Republicans rally around him?

The day that Arnold terminates his cozy relationships with the power brokers and instead listens to us folks whose hard work and ingenuity make this state the greatest in the country, that's the day we can treat Arnold like a legitimate candidate.