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Sacramento Bee Columnist Daniel Weintraub

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July 28, 2003

Is Riordan ready?

If Arnold is dropping out, people have been asking, why doesn’t he just get it over with and announce that he won’t run for governor? Why are his advisers issuing statements saying he has not made up his mind? Here’s my theory: He needs a stand-in. It’s clear that Arnold has been under a lot of pressure from Maria not to run. His own campaign advisers have said as much. I expect Arnold himself to acknowledge this at some point, either directly or through the “concern for my family” statement that’s become so familiar in politics. And I think it's sincere. He's got young kids. He probably doesn't want them exposed to the kind of trash that would be thrown his way if he entered the fray. But he doesn’t want Maria to be cited as his sole reason for ducking the race. Manly men respect their wives but don’t let their spouses dictate what they do. And Arnold has an easy out. He has said all along that he will run only if he doesn’t see anybody else out there capable of doing the job. Enter Dick Riordan. I think the reason Arnold hasn’t announced his decision is that Riordan either isn’t committed or doesn’t have the campaign infrastructure in place yet to take the ball and run with it. But if and when Riordan is ready, don’t be surprised to hear Arnold say, “I don’t need to run because we have Dick Riordan and he would do a great job.” Just a theory.