So the California Democrats are being typical Democrats -- first they were going to back Davis to the end, then Bustamante got in, now Garamendi is in -- and I guess Garamendi got in because he didn't think Bustamante, Arianna Huffington, and the Green Party's Peter Camejo were going to divide the votes of GOP-wary voters enough, and he wanted to divide them even more, so Schwarzenegger's likely victory will seem even bigger.

I'd be upset, but I think I'm really going to enjoy it when the current crop of right-wing Arnold enthusiasts -- this guy, say, or this guy -- howl for his head and denounce him as the social liberal he apparently is when he fails to turn a state deep in recession into a thriving Limbaughnista paradise. I know how this works. I live in New York City, and I see how conservatives are turning on socially liberal GOP mayor Michael Bloomberg -- another rich guy who'd never public office -- for failing to work right-wing miracles, and for at the same time pursuing what are seen as squishy liberal ideas (the ban on smoking in restaurants). As right-wingers look to California, they're engaging in a lot of magical thinking -- they think platitudes like this ("The most important thing to have when you run a state is leadership . . . and in everything I ever did, I showed great leadership") constitute a bracing, inspiring political platform; they seem to think a macho guy, or at least a guy who plays macho guys on screen, can just kick the budget crisis's ass in two hours, no need for a sequel. Grown-ups know that real life doesn't work that way, but let's not tell the Republicans -- let's let them keep dreaming.

I wonder if Schwarzenegger will even finish out his (partial) term. When you're a pol, even a governor, you get challenged and rebuffed. When's the last time something like that happened to Arnold? Think he'll like it? Think he'll put up with it?

Politics is a process. Schwarzenegger may not be stupid, but I really don't think he's a process kind of guy. I'm think his semi-term in office could be highly amusing.

UPDATE: Rush says Arnold = Bloomberg. I loathe Rush, but he knows what he believes in.