Where's Phil?

The large video panels overlooking Times Square blazed with the image of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as he helped his business friends preside over the opening of the Nasdaq stock market on Monday.  Moments later, he was photographed by Mark Lennthan of AP strutting across Broadway before climbing into a black Suburban and whisking off to meetings with the mayor and the governor.

Last week, he campaigned on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and prior to that he participated in the season opener of ESPN's Monday Night Football.

In addition, he recently garnered front page publicity with his high profile visits with Prime Tony Blair and the Dalai Lama.

Over the last few days he has christened the first Virgin America plane to be based at San Francisco International Airport, resurfaced in San Diego to sign an executive order aimed at tightening port security and presided over the renaming of a freeway in San Bernadino (the new name being that of a Republican backer).

So while all of this seems to fill up the front pages with Arnold on most days, one has to delve a little deeper into the papers to find out exactly where Phil is, or where he has been, or where he plans to be.

Most of us are aware that, a day or two after Arnold's appearance on Jay Leno's show, Phil planted himself on the pavement outside the NBC studios in Burbank to demand that NBC give him equal time.  "I know I'd be fun," Angelides said from behind a lectern.  The circus atmosphere that resulted was enhanced by Phil's small group of supporters chanting "Let Phil on!  Let Phil on!" and by the mainly derisive remarks of people waiting in line for that day's show, many of whom called out:  "Hi, Arnold."

NBC, meanwhile, has seemingly ignored his demand.  Talk shows are not required to comply with the law of equal time.

Beyond this brief appearance in the reflected starburst of his opponent's wake, however, Phil's travels have been more difficult to trace.  Brief news items reveal his attendance at small, union-organized rallies and meetings with groups of volunteers and occasional exposure to small panels of reporters, but these campaign stops are a far cry from the dog and pony show being conducted by the incumbent governor.

And, to add more frustration to Phil's situation, the governor has now gone into the familiar role associated with frontrunners, that of avoiding reporters' questions. This reflects the theory that the greatest risk to a candidate with a comfortable lead, comes not from the challenger, but from the candidate himself.  

So, ironically, while Phil has vigorously sought the opportunity to get his message out to the voters, but has basically failed so far, his opponent has basked in the opportunity, but has avoided it.

With less than three weeks to go before election day, these results are not encouraging for the Democratic candidate.

Meanwhile, since Arnold stiff armed Bush on his recent visit to California, Phil has had to drop the ads identifying the governor with the president.  He has now resorted to an unexciting advertising campaign based on brief biographical sketches and family shots.  Unfortunately, this seems to be bringing back memories of Gray Davis, however, the governor who was deposed in mid term by Schwarzenegger.  

The situation is critical.  Today, the LA Times reported that the exclusive West Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood - the home base of liberal Hollywood, the virtual money factory for Democratic candidates and causes - "has fallen hard for a Republican.  Brentwood loves Arnold."

Time is running short.  Phil, the man with the message, must find a way to get it out.  He must discover a way, and quickly, to let the voters know that he is the candidate for change; that he is the candidate who is opposed to our money based political system; that he is the candidate who wants to restore the power to the voters.

The incumbent must be revealed for the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing that he really is.  There has to be a way to let the voters know that Arnold - the recipient of more money than any predecessor, a man who is totally on the hook to his contributors and not to the public - is also a man who thinks our current system of moneyocracy is just fine.

But first, Phil must find a way for the voters to find him.

        Arnold in New York City