 
BEHIND THE COUNT: All eyes will be on the California
secretary of state's office today for the big recall count --
but the real plays are going well behind the scenes.
The biggest question, of course, is whether Arnold
Schwarzenegger -- who just got back from a European promo tour
-- will make this the biggest story of the year by jumping
into the fray.
And now that the clock is ticking, the time for playing
cute is rapidly coming to an end.
"Everything is set up to go if he says 'yes,' but it's
do-it-or-get-off-the- pot time," admitted one source close to
the Terminator. "My expectation is that he's talking it over
with his wife right now."
One of the keys in all this will be the final round of
words between Schwarzenegger and former Los Angeles Mayor
Richard Riordan -- who is being urged to run by more liberal
Republicans.
"The bottom line," our source told us, "is if Arnold goes,
Dick won't. If Arnold doesn't do it, then it's highly likely
Dick will -- it's between the two of them to hash out."
From what we've hear, the Republican hierarchy --
especially those close to former Gov. Pete Wilson -- would
favor Schwarzenegger. At least that's the word that came out
of the Bohemian Grove this past weekend, where a number of
state and national GOPers, including presidential adviser Karl
Rove, happened to have gathered at a club getaway.
None of this would be good news for Gov. Gray Davis -- who
hopes his opponents will be limited to conservatives like Bill
Simon or San Diego-area Rep. Darrell Issa.
"There's no question Riordan would be the biggest problem
of them all," said one Davis operative. "He's the most
liberal, he has a strong name ID in Southern California and
you can't pin him as a right-winger -- which is the whole key
to the Davis strategy."
Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross
appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. They can also be heard
on KGO Radio on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Phil Matier
can be seen regularly on KRON-TV. Got a tip? Call them at
(415) 777-8815 or drop them an e-mail at matierandross@sfchronicle.com.
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