When Vicente Fox became president of Mexico in 2000 he made history as the “terminator” of the 71-year-long rule of Mexico’s staid old party.
That was one of the reasons behind the obvious rapport between this rancher-turned-Coca-Cola-exec-turned-politician-turned-TV-personality and the subject of last week’s interview, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The conversation between Fox and Schwarzenegger showed on Guadalajara’s Channel 13, in English with Spanish subtitles. It was, of course, an occasion for spotlighting Schwarzenegger’s achievements, including his movie career in such blockbuster roles as “The Terminator.” Yet in the course of the hour-long program, so many surprises and so much rapport between the two men emerged that those who dislike the “Gobernator,” as well as detractors of Fox (who left office in 2006 and has been criticized for the high-profile role he has played since then) may have come away disarmed.
“You were a great inspiration to me,” Schwarzenegger told Fox. “You came from the private sector too. You didn’t look like a politician; you looked like a leader. People are tired of politicians.”“You suddenly went to politics like I did,” said Fox, who enjoyed a decades-long career as a top executive of Coca Cola before he became governor of Guanajuato state.
Although many may view Schwarzenegger as self-absorbed, his self image is different. Describing his early work promoting the Special Olympics and after-school programs, he said he was surprised at the joy he found in this work.
“Why am I so happy?” he asked himself. “I broke the mirror in front of myself and began to see the billions of people that needed help.”
“In this mirror [what Schwarzenegger was describing] I see myself,” Fox retorted. “I lived exactly what you describe. Bringing joy to the community is what brings joy to our heart.”
The mutual admiration expressed by the two ex-leaders — Schwarzenegger named Fox to the board at the University of California Schwarzenegger Institute — was accentuated by a long list of superficial and deeper similarities: both are imposing men (Fox is six feet, five inches and Schwarzenegger’s physique is a legend), both speak English as a second language, both came into politics as outsiders, both remain crusaders after their political careers.
“I felt a big stone on my shoulders when they told me I won [the 2000 election],” Fox said.
Schwarzenegger heartily agreed. “On August 6 I announced [his candidacy for governor of California]. On October 7 was the election,” he said, adding that, “the governor’s office was the greatest schoolroom” and describing the briefings and stories he heard there.
When the conversation turned to U.S. immigration policy, the two seemed more in sync than ever.
“We have a system that doesn’t work,” said Schwarzenegger, noting that many talented Mexican-Americans lack a path to legality.
“President Bush and I reached accord about immigration” during Bush’s visit to Fox’s ranch, Fox noted. “But then September 11 happened.”
“You have to be an optimist,” Schwarzenegger replied. “Now public opinion favors a path to citizenship. Now the politicians just have to follow through and do their work. As soon as they have a breakthrough, there will be a breakthrough on many other issues,” he predicted.