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He had barely finished one campaign—the Terminator 3 junket—when he began another, his bid to become California's Governor. Cue the sneering. And indeed the recall election began as a 250-candidate, porn-star-and-Gary Coleman circus. But voters warmed to Schwarzenegger's toss-the-bastards theme, and he helped inspire a 20% increase in turnout. In the early hours of Oct. 8, he stood alone as the decisive victor.

Text by John Cloud and Michele Orecklin

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FROM THE DECEMBER 29, 2003 ISSUE OF TIME MAGAZINE; POSTED SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2003

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