WI: Schwarzenegger Doesn't Become Governor

What if Arnold Schwarzenegger failed to win the Governorship of California in the 2003 recall election, or did not run for the office? What would become both of Schwarzenegger, his personal and public life, and politics in California?
 
Assuming some generic Republican wins in Schwarzenegger's absence (Bill Simon got pretty close in 2002 - maybe he tries again?), they probably lose in 2006 to some generic Democrat. Assuming said generic Democrat faces the same problems Schwarzenegger did (and assuming there aren't too awfully many butterflies), they may very well go down in the Tea Party wave of 2010.

But I dunno, my gut feeling is, even if Arnold doesn't run for something here, he'll run for something else down the line. Maybe he challenges Barbara Boxer for her Senate seat in 2004? With the right Republican, under the right circumstances, she could be vulnerable.

One thing's for certain, though. In this scenario, Arnold probably takes up the offer to make a short cameo in Alien vs. Predator.
 
I'm most interested in Schwarzenegger's career sans the gubernatorial run (or at least a delayed entry into politics). His last role before becoming Governor was in Terminator 3. There's been a gap of almost a decade in his career while he was Governor.

AVP has already been mentioned. I'd like to add the possibility of a third Conan movie, which has long been rumored and I believe is actually in the planning stages now. I don't know if the 4th Terminator could have, in any of the proposed stories for it, permitted him to star in it or have a cameo, or have it written so he is part of it like he was the first three. That may also be a possibility.
 
This strikes me as a very realistic POD; the 2003 recall election was instigated and the astroturf groups supporting it were financed by Darrell Issa as a vanity project to try and buy himself the governor's mansion. Had he known that Schwarzenegger intended to run, Issa likely would have saved his money.

Outside of the very unique circumstances of the 2003 recall special election, it's difficult to imagine Schwarzenegger winning a Republican primary for statewide office and/or a general election.

Arnold was born in 1947, which made him a (ridiculously fit) 56 in 2003. You'd think that would be too old to star in Terminator 5, The Legend of Conan, Predator 3, or even (please??) The Running Man 2 -- but take a look at the roles he's taken or committed to ITTL at age 66: The Expendables 1, 2 and 3, Legend of Conan, and The Last Stand. So I think it's reasonable to presume he would take those sorts of roles ten years earlier, too.
 
I see a problem with action movies in the upcoming years for Arnold - Arnold is Arnold and a lot of the action films are going to be comic book films and really, I don't see anyone buying him as any comic book character (see: Mr. Freeze)

I bet a lot of voice work could be lined up.

I would love to see a prestige piece like The Wrestler or something that maybe prooves Arnold actually has some acting chops. Maybe like The Boy with Striped Pajamas.

That aside, out of projects completed IOTL I see him with some roles instead of Ford or Willis in Firewall or 16 Blocks. Snakes on a Plane with Arnold would be interesting.

He could work with Ridley Scott in some of his films instead of Denzel. he could be shoehorned into Blood Diamond as Leo's father or something.

I see him taking the role slightly-older evil guy in films.

- Smokin' Aces
- Could be tagged to the script that got turned into Live Free or Die Hard
- God help us but he could get rolled up in Transformers
- A The Pacifier -esque film could be in the works
- Drillbit Taylor may fit the bill
- A father or older soldier in Defiance
- Could have Lou Ferrigno's role in I Love You, Man (wouldn't be the first time they competed against each other :D)

This is actually harder than I thought it would be.

Anywho, food for thought.
 
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