Hasta la vista, Davis....

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 6 — The recall election on Gov. Gray Davis of California took stunning turns today, as one of the state's most respected elected officials, Senator Dianne Feinstein, announced that she would not run to replace Mr. Davis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, a politically untested movie star, announced that he would.

As extraordinary bookends on a day of fast-moving events, the two decisions could not have been more dissimilar in style and substance. Public opinion polls have identified Ms. Feinstein, a Democrat, and Mr. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, as among the most popular alternatives to Mr. Davis, who faces a recall vote on Oct. 7.

I thought Arnold's recent disavowals were purely strategic, designed to give this evening’s announcement even more punch.

If Feinstein persists in staying out of the race, I fear Schwarzenegger will be the state’s next governor.

If the stakes weren’t so incredibly high, this circus would be hilarious.

Complete story here.