KEY POINTS:
Arnold Schwarzenegger has no problem playing the action man. Ever since wildfires started raging out of control across southern California last weekend, the movie star turned governor has barely stopped moving - hopping by helicopter from one fire-afflicted area to another to reassure the local population that help
was at hand.
As the fires spread from Malibu to San Diego, he declared a seven-county state of emergency. He persuaded the White House to declare the region a federal disaster zone - thus freeing up money, resources and people to combat the spreading flames.
His argument was, essentially: let's not turn this into another Hurricane Katrina.
By Tuesday he had carte blanche from President George W. Bush to ask for anything he wanted.
By Wednesday he had a visit from Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary who oversees national disaster management.
By today, he will have Bush himself on site, along with a firefighter force numbering about 10,000.
The fires may be a catastrophe in every other respect, but as an exercise in political manoeuvring they have been nigh-on flawless.
When Katrina hit New Orleans two years ago, the federal Government was essentially AWOL for days. The hurricane ended career after career - notably that of Louisiana's Governor, Kathleen Blanco.
Schwarzenegger, by contrast, has looked every inch the leader. He has made sure local, state and federal agencies worked in lock-step.
"He has been more the Governor than the 'Governator' and that is appropriate," said Raphael Sonnenshein, professor of political science at California State University in Fullerton.
"I think it is a reminder to people that he has a serious job and that he's not goofing around. For him, being taken seriously, especially outside California, is always pretty important."
Now the winds have died down a little, he has helicopters and planes ready to dump fire retardant on canyons and housing developments, and a small army of firefighters.
"Unlike previous emergencies or natural disasters, this time everyone responded very quickly, and there's a great co-ordination between everyone," said Sonnenshein.
The death toll has been remarkably low - just six as of yesterday - and the number of houses destroyed barely half the number lost four years ago.
There have been some complaints. One fire chief in Orange County complained that helicopters were too slow to save a community called Modjeska Canyon. But the slowness had many causes, not least of which is the tendency of both Orange County and San Diego County to vote against taxes that might provide the money for firefighting.
Schwarzenegger had no trouble brushing off the criticism, dismissing it as a "bunch of nonsense".
"He understands what a governor ought to do. His adrenalin really runs when he is out there making a difference and being an action hero, if you will," said Sherry Bebitch-Jeffe, a political analyst at the University of Southern California. "It's not totally cynical. It is in his genes."
Tall, tanned and built like an oak tree, Schwarzenegger exudes power and charisma without even trying.
"When Arnold goes into distressed areas, people get a twofer - the chief executive officer and the Terminator at the same time," said political analyst Allen Hoffenblum, who used to work for the California Republican Party.
"That really does have an impact when people are in distress. But it would be no good if there wasn't a competency level.
"He is obviously rolling up his sleeves and making sure that anything than can be done is done."
- Independent, Reuters
