Clichéd, for sure, but it is the line that’s tagged every story about Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s departure from office. Will Arnie return to the political fray or enjoy a sun-kissed retirement?
The odds of a return to office are long. California, the state that did most to shape America’s self-image in the 20th century, is now like former movie stars who eke out an existence in Hollywood’s run-down parts – they once had it all but have since lost both looks and love. Fair or not – the Californian governor doesn’t have as much power as his peers. Voters give Schwarzenegger part of the blame for the state’s mess; his approval ratings on his last day in office were as bad as those of the governor he defeated in a recall election, Gray Davis.
Yet Schwarzenegger has salvaged his career from greater depths before.

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