As a person who’s only seen Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from behind the ropes at press conferences up and down the Tri-Counties, I’ve lost my ability to connect with his charm.

He now strikes me as a particularly hollow political figure. He’s pretending to ride off into the sunset in a blaze of glory. But what he really leaves behind is a mess that will plague California governors for decades to come.

Yes, Schwarzenegger is impressive when he speaks. And his relentless energy has a certain appeal. But I don’t believe he’s ever really taken the time to understand the small businesses that create most of the new jobs in the California economy.

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