COMMENTARY | If Al Franken can be a senator, can Alec Baldwin be a mayor?
According to USA Today, actor Alec Baldwin, who plays conservative corporate man Jack Donaghy on NBC's "30 Rock," is seriously considering a run for the job of mayor of New York City. One thing's almost certain, though: Baldwin's personal politics would be a 180-degree turn around from that of his "30 Rock" alter ego. Baldwin is reportedly considering running after the 2013 election, as he's contractually obligated to finish out that year's season of the NBC sitcom.
In an interview with The New York TImes, Baldwin also stated that he's been in contact with a couple of major universities to get into their masters programs in government and politics. In Baldwin's mind, he needs to brush up on the fiscal responsibilities of being the mayor of New York City. Baldwin is also planning to make New York City his permanent residence prior to running.
Baldwin certainly wouldn't be the first or last celebrity to enter politics. The late Sonny Bono was not only the mayor of California's city of Palm Springs, he was also a member of the House of Representatives. Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was Minnesota's governor, and of course there's the "Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served two terms as California's governor.
The big question, of course, is whether New Yorkers will want to elect a celebrity to represent them in the Mayor's Mansion. It seems to be a somewhat logical leap for some celebrities who are activists for one cause or another to slide-step over to the arena of public office. What must be considered, however, are the individual pedigrees of each candidate. Just being able to deliver lines convincingly isn't exactly a prerequisite for making decisions on an executive level that affect public policy.
As Schwarzenegger proved, it's not so easy being a popular celebrity who is then expected to lead a branch of government, whether it be state, local, or otherwise. It's not really even debatable that Schwarzenegger left the state of California with a much bigger mess financially than he inherited from Gray Davis, the man he ousted in a recall election. The fact that Baldwin thought enough to even consider taking some advanced courses in politics and government does show his acknowledgement that perhaps he's not totally qualified as of yet to be the mayor of one of America's largest and oldest cities.
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