Total Recall: California’s Political Circus cover art

Total Recall: California’s Political Circus

Total Recall: California’s Political Circus

Written by: CNN Podcasts
Listen for free

It reads like a movie script. The year? 2003. The mission? Defeat hundreds of challengers to save the state of California and become its leader. But this wasn't a movie... it was a real-life election for governor that featured adult film stars, sumo wrestlers, comedians, and ended with the election of action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. In Total Recall: California’s Political Circus, CNN’s Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash will unpack the scandal, partisanship, and celebrity of the Golden State’s 2003 recall election – and explore what it might have forecasted about politics today.2021 - 2026 CNN Politics & Government Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Introducing: Civilian or Spy

    Introducing: Civilian or Spy
    Aug 15 2026
    When a Russian-born American citizen named Ilya Beloozerov is gunned down by the FBI in 2024, the authorities refuse to say why they’d killed him. CNN’s Isabelle Chapman embarks on a sprawling investigation that takes her from the Mississippi parking lot where he died to Washington, D.C. to unravel the mystery: Why did Ilya abruptly leave his family and his job and head for the border with laptops and cash? Why is there still no official explanation of his death? And maybe most importantly: Was Ilya a spy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 min
  • Same Circus, Different Result

    Same Circus, Different Result
    Oct 13 2021
    And just like that, we’ve arrived at the final chapter of our story: The 2021 California Recall. There are plenty of echoes of the 2003 recall in the latest effort to oust Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. It was a complete circus... but with a completely different result. In this episode, we’ll take you through Newsom’s recall win, the lessons learned from 2003, and what the results can tell us about future elections. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • The Arnold Interview

    The Arnold Interview
    Oct 6 2021
    After months of learning about the 2003 recall —talking to candidates, reporters, and experts —we finally get to speak with the man himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. And as you might imagine, he wasn’t exactly shy. In this episode, we take you inside his Los Angeles mansion, meet his eclectic pets, and let the Governator himself tell you all about his historic victory in 2003. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet