Divided by more than an ocean

[tinyjo]

So Californians have elected Arnie to run their state. Good luck to them. The report on the radio left me with the impression that his qualifications for this are slim to none but the fact that people liked the Terminator films means they're happy to vote for him.* Like the difference in our reactions to David Blaine, this illustrates the very different ways we view our celebrities over here. Can you imagine the mockery and derision if David Beckham stood as an MP? Americans seem to revere their celebrities. Here, we're all too aware of their shortcomings.

* I'm happy to be corrected on this point.

Comments

Re: Wibble

[applez.livejournal.com]

What aquariumgirl said; the best way of understanding a Governor is somewhere between 'president of the state' and a provincial governor of ancient Rome, albeit with less overt corruption and dependency on the Emperor.

With an economy about the size of France's, and being the primary engine of economic growth in the US - the output of California is crucial.

Some examples of Governor's responsibilities and powers:
- Direct pardoning of death row criminals
- 'State of the state' speeches to review the condition of the state.
- Can call up federal reserve troops in case of emergency
- Can call on State-level police forces (as was used in Texas to seek and return the missing Democratic legislators)
- Propose, negotiate, sign, and in some cases veto state laws and proposed laws.

--> Also, depending on the state, local authorities may be very dependent upon state budget apportionment for their operations ... and may be expressly forbidden from doing things like 'council taxes' to independently fund themselves. Ah, federalism. ;-)