CNN's Total Recall Podcast: California’s Political Circus With Dana Bash Premieres

 You probably remember that Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California. 

 But do you remember how it all happened? 

The blackouts, the budget and of course, the car tax! CNN’s Chief Political Correspondent, Dana Bash, takes listeners back to the origins of the 2003 California Recall and talks with Schwarzenegger and the man he beat, Gray Davis to learn why this election became such a circus.

Listen to Season 1, Episode 1: Welcome to the Circus

Listen here: The Arnold Interview

Below are key excerpts from the interview:

Arnold Schwarzenegger: I think that there was at the time a lack of leadership, I felt there were mistakes that were being made. // people were kind of screaming out for help. // And I said to myself, this is the perfect time that you have to step in and say, I am the action hero. Use that kind of backdrop, right, in the movies and all that stuff. I'm an action hero. I will create action in Sacramento. I will clean house. You can count on me. I will clean house. There will be no one in my way. And so people have said, oh, my God, this is — that would be fantastic. // And just like in the action movies, I saw Gray Davis as the enemy and I had him in my vision as the villain. I had him as the villain because that's what they need to do in order to get the energy, right? I couldn't just say, well, I'm sure he's a great family man and is a wonderful husband and he's a good guy. And that doesn't work. 

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The double edged sword of being an action hero governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger: The disadvantage is that when we had a drought in the Central Valley. And I went up there and had the town hall meeting. They said to me, they says Governor, we need you to help us to turn that water. And I said, well I can't turn on the water, I said the federal government has said no. The guy jumped up and he says, I voted for an action hero. This is the mayor, he says, I voted for an action hero.

Dana Bash: The mayor said that?

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Yeah. He said I voted for an action hero. What are you telling me now? That you’re a regular politician? He says, I expected you to go up there and to take this wheel to rip the chain off just the way you do in the movies? What's the matter with you? Says you turn that wheel, you rip the chain off and the water is gushing out and then it all gets green and everyone has jobs... That's what I voted for. And now you're telling me that you're one of those regular guys that you have to wait for a federal judge to say, OK? No, no, no, no, that's not what I voted for.

Dana Bash: How did you respond to that?

Arnold Schwarzenegger: I couldn't because I said to myself Arnold shut up now. Yeah, of course I wanted to say something. But I said shut up because you won because of that. And this is your disadvantage. I was laughing inside of myself. I said, that serves you right. 

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Announcing Run on Jay Leno

Arnold Schwarzenegger: I didn't want to go the traditional route because for that I would have needed a team. At that point, I didn't have a team.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: And so I felt like in order to not tell anybody and to keep it a secret. I should go on The Tonight Show and just make the... Not even tell Jay Leno. He did not know, you know, I said to him, I say, I'm going to go and make an announcement if I'm not going to run or run, because at that point, the pressure was really high.

Dana Bash: I know, I remember. Why was it so important to keep it a secret like that?

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Because you cannot even trust sometimes your closest aides, everyone is leaking. And so therefore, I felt like if I don't tell anybody... Not even my wife. We had discussions about it. But she made it very clear, Maria, that whatever decision you make, I will support. So it was not like, you know, she didn't want me to run or anything like that. So I just decided that no one needs to know and people should find out when I say it on The Tonight Show. And so that's exactly the way I handled it. And it was brilliant. It was very successful. People were shocked about it and they were delighted about it and all this stuff. And so I got a really good head start because // it became a debate about how I announced it for the first time ever anyone to campaign and to make an announcement for a campaign at this level to do it on The Tonight Show is like a whole new thing.

Dana Bash: It was a whole new thing.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Normally it would be the serious press conference and below the press. So this kind of threw off everyone. // So this is how much sizzle there was about me, the running.

Dana Bash: I remember I was around back then. I remember. But it was especially interesting because you would think // somebody who is a celebrity would want to be announcing in a more, as you said, serious venue. But you said, screw it, I'm going to do it on The Tonight Show.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Well, I felt that Jay Leno is a very good friend. I always did things together with Jay Leno.

Dana Bash: So it was a comfortable place.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Well, comfortable. But, I mean, I also wanted to do something for him. It's not for me. // he was very helpful in every way. He's kind of like a very good friend. And so I felt like boy, I should go to The Tonight Show. But anyway, I did the Tonight Show, and from then on, you know, we did everything else the regular way and nothing was really regular to be honest with you.

Listen here: The Arnold Interview in its entirety.