Conan the Barbarian takes on California

Arnold Schwarzenegger has only four words for California Gov. Gray Davis: "Hasta la vista, baby!"

It was a moment made for the big screen. For two weeks, those close to the Terminator leaked to reporters that the box office sensation had decided against running in the California gubernatorial recall. His wife, Maria Kennedy Shriver, they said, was dead set against it. He was afraid of exposing his children to the glare of political office. He had too many skeletons in his closet.

On Wednesday, Aug. 6, the morning of Schwarzenegger's appearance on NBC's "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, word even circulated that the Austrian-born actor planned to bow out of the race on national television, while summoning from backstage the man he would support for governor: former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

Instead, in one of the best surprise-ending scripts that ever came out of Tinsel Town, the Terminator stunned political experts everywhere by throwing his own hat in the ring. Hooray for Hollywood!

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Win or lose, give Schwarzenegger credit for one thing: He has turned both political parties upside down.

After failing to unseat Davis in last year's re-election campaign, a band of disgruntled Californians, with the full support of the California Republican Party, launched a recall campaign.

Their goal was to replace Davis with a right-wing Republican, three of whom have said they will belly up to the bar: businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in 2002; State Sen. Tom McClintock, who lost for state controller in 2002; and Congressman Darrell Issa, who single-handedly funded the recall drive. All three have now been effectively terminated by the Terminator.

Which could provide a comic ending to the whole recall game. If the recall succeeds and Gray Davis is bounced from office, instead of electing a conservative to replace him, Californians will elect a Republican who is as liberal as Davis on many issues.

A card-carrying Republican, Arnold Schwarzenegger has never shied from expressing his political views. And these views are 180 degrees from the official California Republican party platform – and from President Bush. He is on the record as pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-environmental protection and pro-gun control.

Not only that – oh heresy of heresies – the Arnold is even pro-Bill Clinton. In November 1999, speaking of the impeachment process, he told George magazine: "That was another thing I will never forgive the Republican Party for. We spent one year wasting time because there was a human failure. I was ashamed to call myself a Republican during that period."

You gotta love it. Replace a liberal Democrat with a liberal Republican? That's not what conservatives had in mind when they launched their recall.

But if Schwarzenegger upsets Republican plans, he also puts California Democrats in a pickle. Remember, the recall ballot has two parts. On the basic question – should Gov. Gray Davis be recalled? – voters will mark yes or no. Then, no matter how they vote in part one, they pick the best candidate to replace Davis, should the recall succeed.

For weeks, the official Democratic party line was: The only way to fight the recall was to rally around Gray Davis. Encourage everyone to vote no – and then for no other Democrat to place his name on the second part of the ballot. That strategy was risky, even with only right-wing Republicans on the ballot. It became suicidal with the candidacy of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

No sooner did Mr. Box Office throw his hat into the ring than California Democrats started breaking ranks. Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante was the first big-name Democrat to put forth his name as a possible replacement for Davis. Then came State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi. Others are sure to follow.

As they say, only in California. For the first time ever, voters will be given two choices: To retain or remove a popularly elected governor; and then to pick his successor from a whole circus full of candidates. The center ring now includes, in addition to legitimate Democratic and Republican politicians, a punk rocker, a female porn star, a newspaper columnist, a pornography publisher – and one world-famous actor married to a Kennedy.

Democrats are already making light of Arnold Schwarzenegger's candidacy. They insist that Californians, facing a $38 billion budget deficit, will never turn to a blow-dried, political lightweight with no experience.

Big mistake. That's exactly what Gov. Brown said, way back in 1966, about another second-rate actor named Ronald Reagan.