Governor’s Appeal and His ‘Outside’ Politicking

Re “Surprise, Party: Governor Really Is an Outsider,” news analysis, Oct. 20: Why should Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger really surprise us?

If you think about him as a young man, before “all of it,” what were his defining experiences? Coming to this country, looking for opportunities, and making decisions along the path to success that had risks and rewards. His populist demeanor is derived from those moments, not from the glory and the labels that came after those defining experiences in the early years.

Ultimately, his appeal is connecting to all people, and keeping his resonance with us as he deliberates important issues.

So please forget the false and confusing categorical imperatives that we adults fix in our minds as a way to navigate through the political world, and allow the news analysis to penetrate to levels that speak more directly to us, the community.

Samuel J. Hasson

Glendale

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Your article mentions in passing that Schwarzenegger “is expected to show up in Ohio just before election day” to stump for President Bush. Your editorial “Where’s Arnold?” (Oct. 20) questions his out-of-state excursions, incognito.

I think the people of California should demand that, although he is entitled to his vacations, he let his “boss” know where he is. And he should know we don’t appreciate him politicking out of state when there’s plenty to do right here.

Chris Gilbert

Berkeley