by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright October 8, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

ll the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again,” said Mother Goose, as embattled Gov. Gray Davis went down on California's historic Oct. 7 recall election. Choosing to boot Davis out of office by 54.8 to 45.2 percent, voters expressed colossal dissatisfaction over the state's financial woes, giving Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger a stunning victory, beating his Democratic rival Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante 48.2 to 32.2 percent. Schwarzenegger cashed in on a set of fortuitous events, leaving voters disgusted with Davis, desperately seeking new leadership. Surviving a last-ditch smear campaign, Schwarzenegger rose to the occasion offering voters change and reason for hope. “I will not fail you. I will not disappoint you, and I will not let you down,” Gov.-elect Schwarzenegger told cheering supporters in the ballroom of the Century Plaza Hotel.

      Accepting defeat, Davis showed uncharacteristic warmth with dispirited supporters, realizing his 30-year run in public service had come to an end. “Tonight the voters decided it's time for someone else to serve,” Davis conceded, something his pollsters had been telling him for months. Despite frenetically campaigning up and down the state, Davis knew he was fighting a losing battle. Once he hiked vehicle license fees 300% back in June, Davis had no chance of saving his job. Back then, he should have stepped aside for the good of the party but instead chose to drag down the entire Democratic Party. Ignoring the will of voters, Davis embarrassed Party leaders, including California's U.S. Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, and a slew of Democratic hopefuls, wasting precious credibility on a lost cause, begging voters to reject the recall.

      Despite an unrelenting smear campaign before Oct. 7, Schwarzenegger reached across party lines, pulling in Reagan Democrats, independents and Republicans unwilling to waste votes on conservative GOP candidate state Sen. Tom McClintock. Though many Republicans criticized McClintock for playing the spoiler, his presence in the race lent great legitimacy to Schwarzenegger's victory. Even with McClintock's 13.3 percent of the vote, Arnold still beat Bustamante by 16 percent, a remarkable feat considering California's left-leaning tendencies. McClintock always said that Republicans knew what to do on Election Day. Bustamante's candidacy fell apart after an anemic performance in the Sept. 24 debate. When Arnold went toe-to-toe with syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington, he silenced critics, proved he was up to the task and showed that he was ready for Sacramento.

      Minutes after the polls closed, all major networks called the election for Schwarzenegger, confirming that Davis was indeed tossed out of office. Reviewing exit polls and 2 million absentee ballots, the suspense was over, blowing all predictions about an election night nail-biter. Reverberating around the country, Democrats tried to assess damage on the prospects for 2004 now that a Republican occupies the California statehouse. “Come next November, that anger might be directed at a different incumbent . . . in the White House,” said Democratic former Vermont Gov. and presidential hopeful Howard Dean, finding a silver lining to Schwarzenegger's booming success. Anyway you spin it, Arnold's presence is good news for the White House and bad news for Democrats. “For the people to win, politics as usual must lose,” said Arnold, signaling a new beginning in Sacramento.

      At his first news conference, Gov.-elect Schwarzenegger reiterated his pledge to be “the peoples' governor.” Though offering few details, he expressed his intent to talk business with President Bush, who's planning a short stop in Los Angeles en route to China. If nothing else, it signals a new relationship—and possibly new clout—with the White House, something bound to yield good news. From the get-go, Davis burnt his bridges with President Bush, blaming the White House for the state's energy problems. Schwarazenegger said he plans to ask Bush “a lot of favors,” thought it's uncertain what Washington can do to clean up the state's dysfunctional bureaucracy. “We have to open the books,” said Arnold, signaling he has no intention of raising taxes, though promising to squeeze California's Indian gaming tribes. Arnold promised details when Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) announces his transition team Oct. 9.

      Promising to serve the peoples' needs, Gov.-elect Schwarzenegger already showed the charisma needed to mend fences and fix the horrendous problems in Sacramento. Unlike other Republicans, Arnold comes to Sacramento with his Democratic wife, NBC broadcast journalist Maria Shriver, steeped in the Kennedy tradition of progressive politics. Arnold shows the kind of warmth and approachability necessary to develop meaningful relationships with California's Democratic legislature. “I am very optimistic about working together with the Democratic leaders in Sacramento,” said Arnold, setting the right tone before taking on the biggest mess in the continental United States. Moving from the Pacific Palisades to Sacramento should prove to almost everyone that the former Hollywood superstar and champion body builder means business when it comes to rescuing the state.

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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