The musings of Arnold Schwarzenegger, part deux

Speaking at the the American Magazine Conference in  San Francisco conference Tuesday, California's governor waxed lyrical about his wife, the Democrat; Sarah ("Miss Alaska") Palin; and his own sense of frustration that he can't run for higher office. Here's a bit more from that conversation:

The governor also revealed his favorite flick of the year — "The Dark Knight" — and offered thoughts on what actors might make good politicians. His unflappable friend Clint Eastwood, who served a stint as mayor of Carmel, has all the right stuff for the job, Schwarzenegger said.

What about George Clooney?

The governor said he doesn’t know the guy that well, so it depends whether "he is thin-skinned or thick-skinned. In politics, unlike show business, you get attacked for every move you make. Jesse Ventura went in there and he just couldn’t sustain the beating he got. You have to know that is part of this profession."

Schwarzenegger also pointed out — apparently unwittingly — that the job requires a skill he honed in his "Terminator" days.

"Everyone picks up everything you say and it gets twisted and spins in 20 different direction," Schwarzenegger said when asked comments John McCain made as the credit crisis unfolded. "You have to be very careful the way you talk and sometimes you end up talking like a machine."

Question is, as term limits loom, which of his famous lines does Schwarzenegger most want to deliver: "Hasta la vista, baby," or "I'll be back"?

—Veronique de Turenne

Photo: A worker in 2003 puts the finishing touches on a three-story billboard for "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines", starring then-Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Dean S.]

I recently graduated from the University of California, and I have the Governor's autograph on my diploma. Awesome! Ok, that's all I needed. Arnold can now retire from politics and go back to making movies.