The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger And the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Journalist Mathews tackles the legend of Arnold amongst the contorted façade of California politics, producing an exciting jaunt into the la-la land of big-state direct democracy-the kind of politics that throws political initiatives of all stripes to the people's vote, including the infamous Governor recall vote that put Schwarzenegger into power. Mathews goes through Schwarzenegger's political history, showing how the strong-man became active in George H.W. Bush's presidential campaign and, later, in that administration's physical fitness education agenda. As Schwarzenegger's views come into focus, Mathews demonstrates how his personal frustration with Sacramento gave him the impetus to win over the lefty-libertarian vibe of Californian malcontents. A reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Mathews' meticulous research takes readers inside Arnold's flashy yet reasoned campaign, follows Arnold's governance as it takes flight, stumbles and finds its footing, and mixes a Schwarzenegger-size sense of fun with wonky policy specifics for a page-turner with the rush of a good political potboiler.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

What often looks like chaos in California politics is actually part of its long history of populist democracy dating back to Governor Hiram Johnson in the early 1900s, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Mathews. Arnold Schwarzenegger merely borrowed several pages from Johnson's book of showmanship and direct, dynamic democracy: initiatives, referendums, and recalls. Mathews delivers a completely engrossing look at Schwarzenegger's long and calculated strategy to run for political office, taking advantage of the Gray Davis recall to sidestep a Republican primary where his liberal social views would have been a problem. Mathews details Schwarzenegger's foibles and fumbles (including the "girlie man" criticism of the legislature), as well as his brilliant moves and dogged determination to build "a political machine run not on patronage but on stardust." Schwarzenegger used his celebrity, wealth, business savvy, and marketing skills for a 2002 initiative to fund after-school programs that was really designed as the launch of his gubernatorial campaign. Mathews also details the alliances Schwarzenegger has had to build and hard-knuckle conflicts he has faced and will face as he governs the nation's most populous state. A thoroughly fascinating book. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs; annotated edition edition (August 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586482726
• ISBN-13: 978-1586482725
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #603,091 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Governator: a fair and balanced look, October 7, 2006

By	Andrew Geisel "lisfan" (Mammoth Lakes, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I won't spend a lot of space going over the same ground as the two capsule reviews, but suffice to say that Los Angeles Times writer Joe Mathews has done an extraordinary job examining Schwarzenegger and how he came to be governor of California, in terms of both the man's strengths and weaknesses. While making the typical mistakes one expects of someone "new" to California politics (though he met Howard Jarvis and closely followed the machinations involved with Prop 13 many years earlier in the late 1970s), Schwarzenegger comes off smarter than one might expect.

Mathews' paralleling Arnold's business accumen and showmanship and to Hiram Johnson's much earlier version of direct democracy makes for a fascinating (and I agree page turning) read on the Governator, a Republican by party affiliation, but hardly in lock step with the GOP leadership.

Joe Mathews has managed to keep whatever personal feelings he has about Schwarzenegger in a file drawer somewhere, and takes an honest look the campaign and beyond with wit, vigor and good old-fashioned in-depth investigative coverage. In the end, whatever popularity Schwarzenegger maintains with California voters has been earned through trial and error, and hard work, as has everything he's attained all his life.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun story even though we know the ending...., January 27, 2007

By	Hempstead Tremont "Tre" - See all my reviews

Mathews weaves the histroy of the California initiative process with the rise of Arnold. It's not a page turner, but it's fun to read about the personalities and quirks of the political "leaders" in California.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Direct Democracy - the next big thing, June 9, 2007

By	B. Kaufmann (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When a Holywood icon merges with California style democracy, something new emerges - a governorship with the people instead of for the people. Joe Mathews offers a fascinating review of a learning process by one of the globes most prominent actorts, Arnold Schwarzenegger. This extremly well-written book is less a reference to Schwarzeneggers movies than an account of what it needs to become a leader beyond tv-ads, polling tests and confrontative politics. Direct Democracy looks like becoming the next big thing - not only in America's most populous state.