Discontented Soul

...Arnold [Schwarzenegger] has an aesthetic sense that passes over the heads of the Republicans. No matter how scripted he may be, he remains pure in his underlying message. He makes the case for the narcissism of power through the power of narcissism. No one is more narcissistic than the body builder. He builds his reputation standing before mirrors. Schwarzenegger offered the Republican convention totemic worship of virility borne out of fear of its fading. It was an act he has been perfecting for decades. In its essence, he offered a sexual identity panic speech ... He offered the flattery of the immigrant to the native: "Everything I have, my career, my success, my family, I owe to America."
Having established his citizenship, Schwarzenegger felt entitled to articulate the Republican credo - power over weakness. "If you believe this country, not the UN, is the best hope for democracy, then you are a Republican." Thus the immigrant blasted internationalism. "If you believe that we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican." Thus the Democrats were soft. "And to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don't be economic girlie-men."
"Girlie-man" is a peculiar accusation. It reveals fear of women and their complex values. The name-calling is a frantic effort to suppress nuance, which the action hero fears he may harbour within.
- Sidney Blumenthal in The Guardian/UK, 02/09/2004