http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030929/ap_on_el_gu/davis_recall_937 REDDING, Calif. - Buoyed by new poll numbers, Arnold Schwarzenegger barnstormed around California as voters seemed to indicate they heavily favored recalling Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites) — and replacing him with the Hollywood star. The CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll shows the Republican candidate far ahead of his nearest rivals as the Oct. 7 election approaches, with most voters choosing Davis' removal. The poll was released Sunday amid a flurry of weekend activity that signaled the race for the California governor's office has entered its stretch run: Davis unveiled a new attack ad, Schwarzenegger made multiple campaign stops, other candidates attended a forum in Sacramento and newspapers published a spate of largely anti-recall editorials. State Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres dismissed the results, saying they don't jibe with other nonpartisan polls or internal polls that show a much closer race. "The independent voter is going to be at the crux of how this election turns out because it's going to be very close," Torres told the NBC "Today" show Monday in a joint appearance with state Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim. Sundheim quickly fired back: "He's in the unfortunate position of trying to put lipstick on a pig. The internal polling numbers are away from Gray." The new survey, taken after a debate last week that drew large television audiences, showed 63 percent of probable voters saying they would vote "yes" on the recall question, and 35 percent voting "no." As a potential replacement for Davis, Schwarzenegger was the choice of 40 percent, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante 25 percent and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock 18 percent — suggesting Schwarzenegger could become governor even if Republicans split their vote. The poll of 787 registered voters used a model for probable voters that assumes a relatively high 50 percent turnout among the state's voting age population. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, and was conducted Thursday through Saturday, CNN said. Gallup executive editor Frank Newport said 55 percent of the full sample of registered voters supported the recall — a number more in line with previous polls. But support went up when Gallup looked at those who were very interested and said they were likely to vote. The 63 percent figure represented a best estimate of probable voters. "It's a joke," said Davis campaign spokesman Peter Ragone. Schwarzenegger hit the campaign trail Sunday, appearing before enthusiastic crowds in airport hangars across the state. In Redding, he was introduced by a Marine injured in Iraq (news - web sites). After a little girl sang the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," Schwarzenegger delivered now-familiar promises to reform Sacramento and restore California's lost glory, then ended with a dark warning to his supporters to be on the lookout for Davis attacks. "Desperate Davis is going to do all kinds of tricks, he is going to do all kinds of tricks, he is going to start a dirty campaign now, we know how he is," Schwarzenegger said. Actually, the Schwarzenegger campaign went negative first, airing anti-Davis ads all last week before the governor began responding in kind Friday. The Davis campaign, meanwhile, launched its newest television commercial attacking the Republican, accusing Schwarzenegger of ducking tough questions and refusing to debate. Davis campaign manager Larry Grisolano called the ad a response to Schwarzenegger's distortions of the governor's record on spending, health care and the environment. The governor himself stay out of it Sunday, signing several bills dealing with HMO reform and patients' rights. Asked about the ads Monday, Torres said that "compared to what conservative talk radio has done and Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson and all the others folks that are behind this recall effort have done to this governor for the last four months, this is snow white." Aside from Schwarzenegger, all the other major candidates gathered for a public forum in Sacramento, where Bustamante, the leading Democrat among the potential Davis replacements, endorsed a proposal for public funding of campaigns. Bustamante's campaign has been criticized for accepting almost $4 million from Indian tribes and labor unions, but he said the current system of campaign financing gives the wealthy an unfair advantage. Meanwhile, several California newspapers made their endorsements Sunday. The Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News and Sacramento Bee each called for a "no" vote on the recall, but made no candidate recommendations for the second part of the ballot. The San Diego Union-Tribune recommended the governor be replaced with Schwarzenegger, while the Oakland Tribune urged readers to vote "no" on the recall but endorsed Schwarzenegger for the second half of the ballot.
Unfortunately I did watch. His idea for everything is raise taxes. Raise taxes on the rich, and increase the tobacco and alcohol tax.
The first time I ever saw anything from all the candidates (except Arnie, of course) was in that TV debate...and I found Bustamante repulsive. Slimy professional politician who sees raising taxes as the solution to all problems. Of course, that was only a short impression, but it stuck.
If being a democratic state is enough to get Bustamante elected then why is Davis trailing in all the polls?
I find this whole situation hilarious. California is obviously a failing state, Davis is largely responsible for its failings (to an extent), and it is perfectly legal for the people in that state to recall their governor, but... I just can't help but think that the Republicans are stealing the governorship there. And giving it to Arnold Friggen Schwarznegger! I just love the way he says "Kalifaunia"... Hilarious! Oh, and No Worries: Centrifuge. Please explain that to me. I keep asking, and you keep disappearing...
Derailing the thread a little bit...in one of my first lectures at UH, I had to say something and this girl that was sitting in front of me kind of blurted out..."Oh my God...Arnold Schwarzenegger is sitting behind me"...of course I proudly flexed my non-existing muscles until I realized that she meant my accent!!!
My sister and I just experienced our first Ahnold for Governor commercial. This state will officially be a joke on October 7.
If a monkey can be appointed President of the United States, a bodybuilding actor can be governor of California.
You have a very short memory, so I will remember to bookmark this response so I give it to you every time your memory fails. A centrifuge burried in some scientist's backyard for over 10 years does not constitute an ongoing nukulur program. If I am not mistaken, the centrifuge in question was a small prototype, more for proof of concept than for actual use. See wasn't that easy. BTW, weren't you supposed to go away or at least apologize profusely as part of our bet? Back tp Arnold. Does anyone know if Arnold (or the recall winner) will get a full term or just fill out the remainder of Davis' term?
He gets to finish the term, I'm pretty sure. However, we will attempt to recall him before he finishes that. (I wish I was kidding. The campaign is starting already, and why not?)
I was only kidding about the Arnold recall What do you bet the first thing Arnold does if elected is to change the recall law.
Ha ha. Can you cite any information that shows that California is worse off in any significant way that the average state? I gave a link yesterday to an interesting SF Chronicle article comparing the state under Davis to the national averages, and we're run of the mill. So, he has the personality of a slug, but if mediocrity is worthy of recall, we need to get rid of half of the state governors and everyone in Washington DC (dims and repubes alike).
From what I have read, they have reduced the budget mainly through accounting tricks, and that there is still a lot of "cutting" to be done. The budget is far from fixed. Also, other states didn't have that electricity blackout problem either. You will be hardpressed to find a governor with the disapproval ratings of Gray. Last I read, he was in the 20's or so. Worse than mediocre. I don't like the idea of a recall, don't get me wrong there...I doubt the dims and 'pubes of other states will follow suit with recalls.
You also forget that 30 billion-with-a-B deficit that Davis and his ilk ran up as the Dems controlled all branches of govt in the People's Republic of California. He is at the least incompetent and at the worst destructive and should be removed. Now as for the issue of all this direct "democracy" horsepuckey ballot iniatives in Cali, I think that is a part of the problem, just to be fair.
