Is the Golden State playing with a full deck?

The U.S. military used decks of cards to keep track of fugitives in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Now, Californians are keeping track of the gubernatorial hopefuls with the new limited edition California Recall Cards. And they’re learning a lot about the unprecedented recall effort that’s drawn 135 candidates into the political ring.

We’ve already heard a lot about the big contenders, like Arnold Schwarzenegger ("I’ll be back — and he is!") ... Cruz Bustamante ("Why shouldn’t he be governor? He’s already in the building!") ... and Arianna Huffington (who thinks the State Capitol has been "turned into a giant vending machine").

But there are plenty more, like former child star Gary Coleman (who’s looking "for a real job") and Mary "Mary Carey" Cook (the adult starlet who wants gun owners to trade in their "pistols for porn.")

The collection of candidates in this limited edition 52-card deck is as wildly diverse as the Golden State itself, from the sublime to the satirical. California Recall Cards include 38 photos and captions, plus a complete list of those who’ve joined this wild pursuit.

Nancy Handelman, a Berkeley resident, says, "I am going to order a deck of California Recall Cards right away for my mother in upstate New York. She says the whole country is watching this circus with a great deal of interest."

California Recall Cards are the brainchild of Joyce Aldana, a San Francisco entrepreneur who came up with the idea to help increase voter turnout. "California’s future is at stake," says the former restaurateur and current publisher of Bay Crossings. "So we need everyone to get out there and vote."

Aldana, a brain surgery survivor, says she had to think like a candidate in order to get the cards ready in time for the election. "I had to learn how to be creative under deadline pressure," she jokes.

Now, for just $12.95, you can hold the political future of California — perhaps even the nation — literally in your hands.

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