Arnold Schwarzenegger

Published on October 2, 2003

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor Elect- California

It is very difficult to find one person who could not believe the carnival atmosphere associated with the Gray Davis recall vote. Putting all politics aside, there is another story that needs to be told.

It is about Arnold Schwarzenegger, the successful body builder, entrepreneur, actor and now politician. Dan Rather had it right in a commentary the day after the election. You can criticize Arnold for his ridiculous behavior with women. You can mock his acting abilities. You can even question his qualifications to be Governor. But what you cannot question is his success.

Arnold has succeeded in all four careers he embarked on for several reasons. The first and primary reason was his commitment to success. Before he agreed to step into each new area, he was fully committed to doing whatever it took to succeed and reach the top of his professional field.

Another virtue was his ability to surround himself with highly qualified people. Getting Warren Buffet as an advisor was not only a stroke of genius, but also provided instant credibility to Arnold’s campaign.

Finally, Arnold’s history proves that as time goes on and the media grows more powerful, it is going to be more difficult to find a candidate with no blemishes on his record. The issue in most cases is not so much the blemish, but how the blemish is treated. Do you ignore it or acknowledge it? Kennedy (Bay of Pigs) and Johnson & Johnson (Tylenol scare) are two great examples of how one can instantly reduce the heat by acknowledging issues (not necessarily taking blame) versus Nixon (Watergate) and Exxon (Valdes) who both suffered the ultimate consequences through their failure to acknowledge the issues. While Arnold’s acknowledgement did not eliminate the issue altogether, he did reduce the negativity associated with it enough to not let it get in the way of his candidacy.

Looking at Arnold’s candidacy this way, you realize Arnold just does what most successful people do.

Congratulations Arnold, our Titan Profile of the Month. Now, show us how you can clean up California and return it to the vibrant state that once again attracts people with their dreams.

Posted in