The Governator

While Arnie may not have a lot of political experience, those who dismiss him as a lightweight would be well-advised to pick up a copy of Studs Terkel’s American Dreams: Lost and Found.

Not only is Terkel a genius and American Dreams his masterwork, the book contains a short oral history from a little-known bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the time, he was still trapped in the insular, muscle-bound world of bodybuilding. Yet when you read what he told Terkel, you can see that he had already planned to become a superstar. The remarkable thing is how closely Arnie’s achievements mirror the plans he told to Terkel, over 25 years ago.

I would never bet against someone with that kind of determination and savvy. While he has had his stumbles (Planet Hollywood, anyone?), Arnie has never failed to achieve what he set out to do.