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AUTHOR DISCUSSION AND SIGNING AT THE BOOK WORKS
Tuesday 3 October, 7 pm.
Joe Mathews, The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy
Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy
“Mathews is one of the best political reporters around… Mathews’ work is going to entirely change the way we view California’s governor. It’s detailed, it’s fair and non-ideological in its take, and it reveals fascinating new facts.” Pasadena Star-News
“[A] powerful account of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s political ascent—and of his subsequent fall from public grace … a penetrating, inside look at the celebrity California governor and his team … at once critical and sympathetic. Set against the backdrop of California’s fascination with direct democracy, this book is a triumph of meticulous reporting and solid research.”
—Lou Cannon, author of Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power
"Joe Mathews has done an artful, fascinating, and convincing job of connecting the California of today's Schwarzenegger era to the long history that made his rise possible. Anyone who reads his book will understand why America's political future may include many more Arnolds. This is an intriguing and accomplished book."
—James Fallows, The Atlantic Monthly
"Lest you believe it was all a dream, The People's Machine explains in vivid detail that yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually elected governor of California after his predecessor was abruptly ousted by voters. Joe Mathews examines the many interconnected reasons why that happened with authoritative reporting and uncommon thoroughness. He offers a shrewdly interpretive biography that spans a few decades while also crystallizing the heady drama of those few months in 2003 when American democracy took on a whole new form. If you're looking for clear-eyed dream analysis, here is the definitive kind."
–Dade Hayes, author of Open Wide: How Hollywood Box Office Became a National Obsession
A vivid, incisive account of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a California politician, and how his ability to harness the tools of California’s direct democracy and exploit his star power propelled him to the governor’s office—and beyond?
Over the past 25 years, the twin arts of direct democracy (through ballot initiatives designed to get voters to the polls on election day) and blockbuster filmmaking (through big-budget movies designed to get audiences to the theatres on opening weekend) grew up together in California. With the state’s recall election in 2003, direct democracy and blockbuster movies officially merged. The result: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The People’s Machine is a blockbuster of its own: an extraordinary, behind-the-scenes account of how a movie star has tried to bend the nation’s largest state to his will. Watch as Schwarzenegger battles forces more relentless than any cinematic foe: the largest budget deficit in state history, cagey politicians, and unions who want to terminate the Terminator. In doing so, Schwarzenegger builds a new kind of political machine out of old materials—celebrity, money, consultants, and ballot measures designed to rally “the people”—and discovers the possibilities and dangers of his kind of power. Schwarzenegger wins and loses, but even his defeats prove to be blockbusters.
The People’s Machine is the first book to focus on Schwarzenegger’s tenure as governor, and the most up-to-date as Schwarzenegger runs for re-election in November. Citizens of states other than California should pay attention closely to Mathews’ discussion of how Schwarzenegger was able to use the tools of direct democracy to boost his political profile, use the recall election to his benefit, and attain the highest political office in the state. Direct democracy through referenda has become increasingly important in many states—this year, pro-choice activists in South Dakota are pushing for a referendum on the new ban on abortion; and opponents of gay marriage in Massachusetts are seeking a referendum for a vote on gay marriage. Direct democracy—law made by popular vote, not legislatures—may decide some of the largest social issues of our day, and Mathews’ book is an important case study into its power when controlled by savvy and high-profile individuals.
With unmatched access and whip-smart analysis on the blessings and curses of Schwarzenegger-style governance, The People’s Machine is an important and timely look at why the entire country should brace itself for blockbuster democracy.
Joe Mathews is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, a fourth-generation Californian, and a Little League baseball coach. Raised in Pasadena, he worked at the Baltimore Sun and Wall Street Journal before joining the Times. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Anna.