by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright September 29, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

inning his case with the people, Hollywood action star Arnold Swarzenegger is all but certain to become California's next governor on Oct. 7. A recent CNN/Gallup-USA Today poll confirms an inexorable trend begun June 20 when Davis announced that he would hike vehicle license fees 300%, to close an $8 billion hole in California's $71.1 billion budget. Showing the recall succeeding by 63% to 35%, the poll revealed Arnold's unstoppable momentum, leaping over his closest rival, Democratic state Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante 40% to 25%. With or without GOP Sen. Tom McClintock dropping out, Arnold is poised for a stunning victory. Though stuck at 18%, McClintock vowed to fight on, rankling Republicans expecting him to call it quits. With an air of inevitability, Arnold has become a magnet for Republican purists, disgruntled Democrats and wayward independents.

      Contrary to the flurry of press reports that Davis was gaining ground, the latest poll indicates rank-and-file Democrats are abandoning ship. Going down ugly, Davis trained both barrels on Arnold, running a series negative ads, painting the liberal Republican as a right wing fanatic threatening his progressive agenda. Getting that sinking feeling, Davis challenged Schwarzenegger to a head-to-head debate, shifting attention away from the bad news. With nothing to gain, Arnold dismissed the offer as 11th hour antics. “This is boiling down to a very direct choice between retaining the governor or choosing Schwarzenegger as the alternative,” said Larry Grisolano, chief of the anti-recall campaign, perpetuating the myth that Davis might survive. Taking out all the big guns in the Democratic Party, including former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore, hasn't helped.

      Opposing the recall, California's most prestigious newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee and San Jose Mercury, urged “no” votes on the recall, having little positive to say about Davis. Despite opposing the recall, the Bee took a swipe at Davis, declaring that Californians “have come to understand that the candidate in 1998 offered ‘experience that money can't buy' has proved to be a governor who can at least be occasionally rented,” referring to Davis' pay-as-you-go, shakedown policies. It was, after all, Davis' unwillingness to take action against major campaign contributors, namely, out-of-state power companies, that cost the state untold billions. During the state's 2000-2001 power crisis, Davis allowed the major utilities to hemorrhage into insolvency, before giving Loretta Lynch and the Public Utilities Commission the green light to sock-it-to ratepayers.

      California's major newspapers have been far more forgiving than voters still reeling from whopping rate hikes. When Davis decided to balance the state's budget on the backs of motorists, he wrote his own obituary. Though Davis committed no “high crimes or misdemeanors,” he threw motorists and ratepayers to the wolves. Suggesting that he's still the “best qualified” doesn't acknowledge Davis betrayed that precious commodity known as public trust. Regardless of the recall's legitimacy, Davis showed cosmic self-centeredness, placing his own agenda above all else. Suggesting that three-quarters of Democrats oppose the recall distorts the fact that all voters pay utility and vehicle license fees. Though conservative Republican Darrell Issa footed the bill, a sizable portion of petitioners were registered Democrats. In the final analysis, Davis—not right wing Republicans—sabotaged his own job.

      Davis' deathbed liberal conversion, granting drivers licenses to illegal aliens, reveals a failed attempt to coax Hispanics to vote against the recall. Before announcing his candidacy, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer knew Davis was fighting an uphill battle to save his job. Recent polls show the extent to which Davis is skating on thin ice. At this stage of the game, no smear campaign or bombshell will reverse an electorate fed up with the status quo. Before the election, it's “absolutely critical” that recall opponents win back at least 10% more votes, observed Democratic consultant Bob Mulholland, raising concerns about negative trends. To do so, Davis must relentlessly attack Schwarzenegger, whose momentum appears to be peaking. At this stage, going negative might boomerang, causing more voters to jump ship and vote Republican.

      Lighting up the race with inspired leadership, Schwarzenegger has resonated with voters, fed up with self-fulfilling prophecies of doom and gloom. Striking a cord with disenfranchised voters, Arnold connected with hard working Californians still believing in promises of the Golden State. Major newspapers around the state—except the San Diego Union Tribune—got it wrong, opposing the recall and maintaining the status quo. On more than one occasion, Davis betrayed the public trust, showing the kind of pathological selfishness fueling the recall. “Desperate Davis is going to do all kinds of tricks,” said Schwarzenegger, warning supporters to be on the look out for last-ditch dirty campaigning. For the man with “all the experience money can't buy,” Davis forgot to put the peoples' needs first. Watching him go down should remind all politicians that it could happen to them.

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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