by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 22, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

lummeting in the polls, embattled California Gov. Gray Davis must step aside before Oct. 7 and give Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and the Democratic Party the best shot at hanging on to office. With Davis' numbers unraveling, it's not rocket science to see him getting tossed on Election Day. Davis—and his party—must accept that there are no more rabbits to pull out of the hat. When Davis upped the vehicle license fee 300% that was the last straw. Voters on both sides of the aisle made up their minds that Davis must go. Continuing to fantasize about a miraculous reversal of fortune defies common sense, ignores the polls and endangers the California Democratic Party. All the talk about right wing conspiracies, hijacking elections and, more recently, clever strategies for feigning party unity can't ignore the inescapable fact that without resigning Davis faces eviction from office on Oct. 7.

      California Teachers Assn. settled its longstanding feud with Davis throwing support to Bustamante, despite continuing to urge its members to vote “no” on the recall. Unknown to the public, the dispute with CTA centered on Davis' impetuous demand, well before his 2002 reelection, for a million dollar campaign contribution, giving teachers more authority in the classroom. “Cruz Busatamante is a good and decent person, and I believe his involvement in the race will bring out more voters who will vote against the recall,” said Davis, apparently changing his tune about other Democrats jumping into the recall race. Both the CTA and Bustamante must stop kidding themselves about voting against the recall, and, at the same time, endorsing other candidates. Davis may be the last person—voters or elected officials—to see what's coming on Oct. 7. It serves no one to pretend about “no” votes on the recall.

      Throwing support to Bustamante, the California congressional delegation pulled the plug on Davis, yet still opposes the recall. Opposing the recall on philosophical grounds is one thing, but the last legal hurdle was removed Aug. 20 when a U.S. District Court judge dismissed a frivolous lawsuit by the Los Angeles American Civil Liberties Union, alleging that “punch card” voting disenfranchised California voters. “We strongly oppose the recall,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), head of the California delegation, still in denial that a growing majority of voters intend to eject Davis on Oct. 7. “But if Calfiornia voters make a different choice, then Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante is the appropriate person to assume the office,” said Lofgren, expressing the same ambivalence likely to hand the election to GOP frontrunner Arnold Schwarzenegger. California Dems must stop playing around and pressure Davis to step down.

      U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, campaigning with Davis at LAPD headquarters in Los Angeles, still hasn't accepted that Davis' days are numbered. “I'm not going to vote on the second part of the ballot,” said Feinstein, pretending that her “no” vote on the recall will somehow influence voters. Unlike her colleague Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Feinstein hurts the California Democratic Party by stubbornly ignoring polls showing Davis on his way out. Boxer has already endorsed Bustamante as the best hope for holding on to the statehouse. Skating on a razor's edge, Bustamante can't yet admit he's running against Davis, insisting that he's only bringing more Democrats to the polls to vote against the recall. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) warned that failing to vote on the second part of the ballot risked handing the election over to the GOP.

      Davis' anemic endorsement of Bustamante mirrors growing pressure for his resignation. “It's in no body's interest right no to be fighting over this,” said an unnamed aide to Davis, facing the ever-growing list of endorsements for Bustamante. In yet another blow, popular Los Angeles City Councilman and former Speaker of the California Assembly Antonio Villaraigosa threw his support to his old roommate, Bustamante. “The risk is clearly that the state could end up with a candidate with absolutely no experience in governance,” said Villaraigosa, in a veiled slap of Schwarzenegger, who's trying to establish his credentials, satisfy GOP conservatives and strike a realistic balance with liberal voters. While Davis' finds himself running against “the recall,” Bustamante finds himself in a dogfight with formidable GOP opponent striking some fresh themes.

      Feinstein and the California Democratic Party must stop equivocating, give unconditional support to Cruz Bustamante or face almost certain defeat on Oct. 7. Railing against the recall or pretending to show party unity, when the best polls show Davis going down to defeat, complicates an already difficult campaign. Democrats must accept that the winds of change have finally reached Sacramento. One way or another, California cannot afford business as usual, especially the partisan bickering pushing the state to the economic precipice. While Bustamante and Schwarzenegger are running neck-and-neck, Democrats must not forget the vast unaccounted for numbers of Reagan Democrats waiting for a breath of fresh air. Bustamante will have to do more than rehash old ideas, promising more taxes and the same fixes. Before Davis takes down the party, he should read the polls and get out of the way.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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