Just two years into his term as California's governor, bodybuilder-turned-businessman-turned-actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger is already being written off by some pundits. A string of unpopular decisions and a heavy loss earlier this month in a vote on his authority have produced record low opinion poll ratings, a sign the growing list of opponents claim does not auger well for his re-election bid next year.
They unkindly crow that Mr Schwarzenegger's trip to the mainland and Hong Kong this week was to escape the US state's feel-bad factor towards him; that so far from home, he could be among people who loved him for his muscle-bound, action star image of old and knew nothing of his clumsy leadership of the present.
He must wonder how his critics can fail to be impressed by his life story: a near penniless immigrant barely able to speak English when he arrived in the US, a millionaire by the age of 22, one of Hollywood's best-known movie stars despite his thick accent and monotone, and a Republican married to the niece of the most famous Democrat the US has known, John F. Kennedy. They are ignoring his overwhelming drive, need for dominance and adulation and absolute confidence.
Surveys have, after all, put him alongside Jesus Christ, revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevera and musician Bob Marley as being among the world's most recognisable figures. That alone, must count for a lot, even in the world of politics.
True, Mr Schwarzenegger, 58, has made some political mistakes, just as some of his movies were flops. An early decision to have a smoking chamber built in the state capitol building in Sacramento so that he could enjoy his beloved cigars in an otherwise smoking-free environment was viewed with scorn. He has rankled gays and lesbians, union leaders, nurses, teachers and a host of other Californians with unpopular vetoes of bills and ill-judged comments. Many of his election promises remain unfulfilled, most notably the one for which he was chosen over former governor Gray Davis - to rid the state of its multibillion-dollar debt.
While scripted one-liners in his movies like 'Hasta la vista, baby' have been embraced lovingly by popular culture, off-the-cuff political remarks have won criticism rather than adoration: 'From the time they get up in the morning and flush the toilet, they are taxed. Then they get a cup of coffee, they are taxed ... This goes on all day long - tax, tax, tax, tax, tax'; 'To those critics who are pessimistic about our economy, I say, don't be economic girlie-men'; 'I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman'; and 'Government's first duty and highest obligation is public safety.'