Schwarzenegger’s Toronto event leads to comparisons with Henry Kissinger and Rob Ford

Aside from the boilerplate nature of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech last night in Toronto—it was filled with his usual catchphrases, such as “girly men” and “I’ll be back”—the former chief executive of California bragged about his unique status among politicians. The National Post was there to hear it: “I know that this is a place where so many speakers come through. I’m very much aware of the Henry Kissingers and the George Bushes and the Bill Clintons… But I am somewhat unique… George Bush didn’t dance with Danny DeVito. Or, for instance, how many of them were naked in Terminator 3? … How many have been pregnant, like I was in the movie Junior?”

After Rob Ford welcomed Schwarzenegger to the city, reporters asked the mayor what his impressions were. Ford noted that he needs “to get in good shape like him” (according to the Star), but also that there are a lot of similarities between the two men (according to the Post). “That’s how I got to where I am. We’re on the same page. For most issues.”

California’s actual record during Schwarzenegger’s term might terrify some people. Without ragging on it too much, we’ll simply note that there are a few notable examples of sharp disagreement between Ford and the former governor.

• Kevin Libin: How Arnold muscled his way to the top [National Post]
• Arnold flexes his muscle in Toronto [National Post]
• Toronto speech all about Arnold Schwarzenegger [Toronto Star]
• Schwarzenegger speaks to Toronto audience [Toronto Sun]

(Images: Kissinger, Rubenstein; Schwarzenegger, David van der Mark; Ford, Shaun Merritt)