Schwarzenegger Premiere Turns Heads

The scene wasn’t Grauman’s Chinese or the Cinerama Dome, but Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first full day as a candidate for governor had all the elements of a movie premiere.

Early Thursday afternoon, Schwarzenegger made his lone public appearance of the day at the Norwalk offices of the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder, where he had to pick up papers to run in the Oct. 7 recall election.

He got out of a black GMC Yukon to the cheers of more than 100 fans who had found out about his appearance. He signed autographs along a rope line that had been set up alongside the entrance. And as he headed inside along a pathway that had been cleared just for him, heavily tanned reporters for entertainment news shows such as “Access Hollywood” and “Extra” posed questions.

“I’m very excited to be here today to pull the papers ... for the recall election on Oct. 7,” he said, waving a manila envelope during a post-paper-pull news conference of exactly four questions. He promised that he would soon present “an agenda ... to bring government back to the people.”

But Schwarzenegger and his aides stuck Thursday to a nearly issues-free diet.

He repeated lines from the Wednesday announcement of his candidacy about the importance of bringing businesses back to California, though he declined to offer specific proposals.

“We have to overhaul our economic agenda. We have to make sure everyone in California has a fantastic job,” Schwarzenegger said.

Asked about his qualifications for governor, he talked about leadership and dismissed the value of Davis’ experience in government, given the state’s poor financial record.

Pressed for details, Schwarzenegger said, “We will have a plan very soon, a detailed plan.”

At the same time, he managed to get in a plug for the maker of exercise equipment he uses.

He said he was working out at 8 a.m. Thursday on his LifeCycle when he got a call from former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, whom he quoted as saying, “Arnold, I was pleasantly surprised by your announcement.”

Sean Walsh, a strategist and press spokesman for Schwarzenegger, said that issue statements and position papers will be forthcoming, but that the campaign won’t be rushed.

“We don’t drink from a fire hose. This is a campaign that will go for two months,” Walsh said. “He’s a very substantive person. People will not be disappointed.”

What Thursday did make clear is that Schwarzenegger’s campaign would leave a larger footprint than most. The size of the media and public contingents was more typical of presidential campaigns. And their attention was focused Thursday on the drab, county government building at 12400 Imperial Highway in Norwalk.

Fans of Schwarzenegger began arriving three hours ahead of his appearance. At 11 a.m., Patricia Contreras, 22, was driving home to Bell Gardens from an interview for a typist’s job when she spotted the commotion in front of the registrar’s office and stopped to check it out.

Ripping out a page from her mother’s notebook and using a Sharpie she keeps in her purse, Contreras made a “Governor Arnold” sign and waited behind a line of yellow police tape.

“I think he will bring out people who haven’t voted before,” said Contreras, who said she is registered but has not voted in recent elections, including last year’s gubernatorial race. “I’m a big-D Democrat .... He’ll be my first Republican.”

On a car radio playing loudly in the parking lot, Fred Grandy -- who played Gopher on “Love Boat” before becoming an Iowa congressman -- could be heard telling an interviewer that “the best training I ever got to be in politics was working in improvisational theater in New York.”

To make way for Schwarzenegger, the petition gatherers and business pamphleteers who frequently toil outside the county registrar’s office were removed from their usual posts by county officials.

Grace Chavez, a county spokeswoman, said the unusual measures were necessary to get Schwarzenegger in and out of the public building with the least hassle possible.

“None of us can work here today because of Arnold Schwarzenegger,” complained Virginia May, one of the petition gatherers, who said she is paid by the signature.

Inside the clerk’s office, about 40 people were conducting business or waiting around an hour before Schwarzenegger’s arrival. Some were couples about to be married -- one woman wore a bridal gown -- who heard he was on his way.

“You know what? He has to get in line,” said Albert Chang, who was waiting to file his candidacy papers for the board of the Rowland Unified School District. “I’m first.”

When Schwarzenegger arrived about 1 p.m., a crowd of office workers and others whooped, took pictures and sought autographs.

At the counter, Schwarzenegger stated his business and asked clerk Tanya Ramirez, “You know who I am, right?”

Ramirez laughed and nodded.

“See if you can pronounce the name.” She did so enthusiastically and giggled.

The clerk asked if he had any questions. He didn’t.

Much of the action Thursday and in future days will be behind the scenes, as Schwarzenegger and veteran GOP strategist George Gorton, his top campaign aide, fill out a political team drawn largely from the ranks of aides to former Gov. Pete Wilson.

The team already includes media consultant Don Sipple, pollster Dick Dresner, and strategists Joe Shumate and Bob White. Gorton and Sipple said they expect Schwarzenegger will spend $15 million to $20 million on the race.

“He’s committed a substantial amount of his own money” and will raise money as well, Gorton said.

Schwarzenegger worked Thursday morning alongside his ally, Riordan, who formally backed Schwarzenegger. The two are “getting along great,” Gorton said.

Aides spent most of Thursday in meetings and on the phone, as Republicans appeared to line up quickly behind his candidacy.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), the recall’s main financial backer, got out of the race and endorsed Schwarzenegger. So did Michael Huffington.

Four congressional Republicans also got behind him: Reps. Doug Ose of Sacramento, Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach, David Dreier of San Dimas and Mary Bono of Palm Springs.

“Arnold’s going to be taking some new approaches,” Rohrabacher said, “and he’s not bogged down in the [GOP] infighting that has developed over the years.”

Schwarzenegger’s wife’s uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), did not follow suit: “I like and respect Arnold,” he said in a statement, but added: “I’m a Democrat, and I don’t support the recall effort.”

Gorton said Schwarzenegger will appear on some morning programs today and meet with a youth group he supports. He will probably next appear in public Saturday when he returns his completed papers to Norwalk.

Before Schwarzenegger left the Norwalk office Thursday, the county clerk advised him to arrive early Saturday to beat the traffic.

Walsh, the spokesman, said that between now and then much of the Schwarzenegger team would be devoted to handling a crush of phone calls.

Asked to describe the campaign’s future plans and structure, Walsh played coy.

“Stay tuned.”