You should see his live show

LOLITA HARPER

Wow. What a show. Arnold Schwarz- enegger’s recall rally at the

Orange County Fairgrounds was better than spending $9 on any

Terminator flick.

The saying “truth is stranger than fiction” played out beautifully

today, as Hollywood itself could not have created a bigger circus.

Stay-at-home moms, uniformed blue-collar workers, toothless

activists, yuppie businessmen and goth kids in full regalia of black

pants, shirts, eyeliner, boots and capes were all on hand to

terminate Gov. Gray Davis and repeal the car tax.

John Hopkins, a striking man with a wonderful smile -- devoid of

pearly whites -- definitely made a statement. He rode his bike around

the rally with a sign that read, “reach out and cop a feel for

Arnold.” It may seem that this 30-something man was harping on the

article in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday morning, alleging sexual

harassment by Arnold from six different women. But that was hardly

the case.

“So, you are a huge Arnold supporter,” I asked.

“Right on,” Hopkins said. “He is the best. At least he admitted

it. I gotta give him that. No one else would have.”

To Hopkins, a little roaming of the hands a few decades back was

not surprising, nor worthy of criticism. Arnold is a man and a huge

movie star, he explained. End of story.

OK. Moving on.

Lori Hatley drove all the way up from Escondido to attend the

rally. The loyal Republican stayed with her daughter Joanna outside

the official rally boundaries, where there was plenty of room to push

her stroller. Hatley said the traffic and crowd were too much trouble

for her to attend the San Diego rally earlier Thursday morning --

just miles away from Escondido -- so she packed up Joanna for an hour

drive to Costa Mesa.

“I haven’t been to a political rally since 1987, when Reagan was

campaigning for soon-to-be President Bush,” she said. “I strongly

support Schwarzenegger because we need a Republican back in this

position.”

The family woman touted “strong Republican values,” as a selling

point for the Terminator and was not at all concerned with the, uh,

touchey-feeley news that had surfaced that morning.

“I wouldn’t know about it unless Arnold told me himself,” Hatley

said. “I don’t read the newspaper. I don’t watch TV. I don’t listen

to anything the liberal media has to say.”

She is likely waiting for Arnold to come over, put his arm around

her and explain his campaign platform. Cool.

Mike Mechael of Huntington Beach was busy drawing a portrait of

the Terminator on a “Join Arnold” yard sign. Mechael, 19, said he was

hoping to get an autograph. Arnold gets his vote because “he is the

best.”

In what?

“Well, I have been a big fan, long before this political stuff ...

.” He stopped in mid-sentence. “Is he here? Is he here?”

And Mechael was gone before he could begin his in-depth political

analysis of the benefits of having Arnold at the helm of this fine

state.

And there he was. The soon-to-be governor of California, barring

anything unexpected, on stage in Costa Mesa, wearing a sharp black

suit, white shirt and no tie. Not your average politician, see? No

tie. The first of his very non-politician-like statements during his

three-minute speech.

“We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore,”

Arnold said about politics as usual.

A few more movie lines and Arnold directed attention to the crane

that was about to destroy an old jalopy with the words, “Davis’ car

tax” on the side.

“I played a character that if I didn’t like something, I destroyed

it. I wiped it out,” he said.

And with that, a wrecking ball slammed through the roof of the

car, smashing it off its foundation and sending glass everywhere. The

crowd roared and Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” blasted

from the speakers.

“I always wanted a governor like that,” said 18-year-old Mike Hanzich of Tustin.

Like what?

“Well, you know ... um, well, there are so many things, it is hard

to chose just one,” Hanzich said. “I strongly relate to him.”

How?

“Well, I don’t know, it’s just ... .” He sighed. “It’s hard to

pick just one thing.”

OK.

“He’s confident,” Hanzich said. “I like his confidence.”

Confident enough to get any chick he wants?

“Oh, that’s all just smear stuff,” said Amber Lachmund, who was

there with Hanzich.

“He’s a people person. I hate it when people mudsling. That is

just [expletive]. Arnold is obviously sincere about making this state

better for the people. He cares.”

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at

lolita.harper@latimes.com.