Arnold Schwarzenneger is on more t-shirts than God could count: as bodybuilding icon, as big-screen barbarian warrior, as buff robotic Terminator, and as a general bad-ass. Once as a bad-ass kindergarten teacher.

But I like him best as the Governator, the actual elected governor of California.
Arnold becoming governor is a lot like Brexit: nobody really meant it to happen. But through screw-ups by politicians of both parties — it did.  He produced at least one t-shirt as governor, and I am proud to have it.

Yep, there he is in all his smug Hollywood glory, leading a trade mission to Mexico.  Who else’s mug should be on the mission’s t-shirt? Who’s the star of this epic? Need you even ask?  This is the guy who mounted the Conan sword on the wall of the governor’s conference room.

But here’s something a little different: a Terminator-themed tee from around the turn of the millennium:

But the message… is unclear. Terminate violence — with what? A humanoid killerbot from the future? Or are we all supposed to be mini violence-Terminators? If so, where’s our cool weaponry for destroying violence?

Or maybe Arnold’s simply telling us that violence solves nothing? After starring in so many movies where violence solved everything.  This is as likely as anything.

As for Arnold’s performance as governor: he meant well.  That might make a fitting epitaph for his administration. He liked to call Democrats “girlie men.” That just doesn’t get bills passed in Sacramento.

As of 2019, a new Arnold “Terminate Hate” tee was readily available online. Arnold never terminates. That said, maybe he’s learned something: this time, flowers peek from the barrel of Arnold’s shotgun.