Total recall: Arnie grabs victory
08Oct03
CALIFORNIANS today banished Governor Gray Davis just 11 months into his second term and overwhelmingly elected action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace him - a Hollywood ending to one of the most extraordinary political melodramas in the nation's history.
"I will not fail you, I will not disappoint you, and I will not let you down,'' the victorious actor vowed today.
Voters traded a career Democratic politician who became one of the state's most despised chief executives for a moderate Republican megastar who had never before run for office. Davis became the first California governor pried from office and only the second nationwide to be recalled.
"Tonight, the voters did decide it's time for someone else to serve, and I accept their judgment,'' Davis said in conceding. He pledged to work for a smooth transition. `
"I'm calling on everyone ... to put the chaos and division of the recall behind us and do what's right for this great state of California.'' Schwarzenegger appeared before a delirious crowd at his campaign headquarters.
"Everything I have is because of California,'' Schwarzenegger said, in claiming victory.
"I came here with absolutely nothing, and California has given me absolutely everything. And today, California has given me the greatest gift of all, you have given me your trust by voting for me.''
To the victor goes a spoiled American paradise - a state mired in economic troubles, awash with deficits, now governed by a Republican chief executive with no political experience and a Democratic legislature.
Partial returns showed the recall favored by 1,718,105 voters, or 54.2 percent, and opposed by 1,454,488, or 45.9 percent.
Other returns had Schwarzenegger ahead with 1,439,374 votes; Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante with 924,423; Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock with 376,068; and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo with 70,554.
Schwarzenegger prevailed despite a flurry of negative publicity in the campaign's final days, surviving allegations that he had groped women and accusations that as a young man he expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.
The 56-year-old Austrian immigrant - husband of television journalist Maria Shriver, niece of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy - finds himself in charge of the nation's most populated state with an economy surpassed by only five countries. He takes office as soon as the election results are certified, no later than Nov. 15.
Schwarzenegger promised to return the shine to a state beset by massive budget problems and riven by deep political divisions.
Voters faced two questions - whether to recall Davis, and who among the other candidates should replace him if he was removed. They chose to get rid of the incumbent and put Schwarzenegger in his place.
Exit polling explained why: Many Hispanics and union members - two key groups in Davis' past electoral successes - deserted him as he suffered extraordinarily low job approval ratings amid widespread voter discontent about the state's economy.
Seven in 10 voters disapproved of how Davis was handling his job. Nearly half of all voters strongly disapproved, and among them, nine in 10 voted for the recall and seven in 10 voted for Schwarzenegger, according to recent voter surveys.
Long lines were reported at polling places through the day. By late afternoon, Terri Carbaugh, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State, said a turnout of 60 percent appeared likely, higher than the 50.7 percent who voted in last November's gubernatorial election. It would be the highest percentage to vote in a gubernatorial election since 1982.
Re-elected last year with less than 50 percent of the vote, Davis fell victim to a groundswell of discontent in a state that has struggled with its perilous financial condition.
As colorless as his name, Davis was also known as a canny politician. He rose through the political ranks as a state assemblyman, controller and lieutenant governor before becoming governor in 1999.
By contrast, Schwarzenegger's political inexperience seemed a virtue to many voters.
The campaign included a parade of bit players among the 135 candidates, including Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, former child actor Gary Coleman, a publicity-hungry porn actress who wanted to tax breast implants and an artist who dressed in all blue and described his candidacy as the ultimate piece of performance art.
The cast of characters and outsized ballot gave the campaign a carnival-like atmosphere and provided late-night comics with a stream of material.
Though Schwarzenegger held a commanding lead going into the final week, his campaign was shaken by allegations published in the Los Angeles Times days before the election from six women who said he groped them or made unwanted sexual advances. By election day, a total of 16 women had come forward.
Schwarzenegger also was confronted with reports that he had praised Hitler as a young man - accusations he disputed.
Responding to the sexual misconduct charges, Schwarzenegger acknowledged he had "behaved badly sometimes.'' But he attacked the newspaper and some of his accusers for what he called a last-minute effort to derail his candidacy.
Davis' plight reverberated across the nation, to the 18 other states that have initiative, referendum or recall provisions. If California is pioneer, perpetual campaigns could become common.
The last governor to be recalled in the United States was North Dakota's Lynn Frazier in 1921. The cost of the election to California taxpayers was estimated at $67 million.
The recall movement was launched in February by grass-roots activists angered over a tripling of the state vehicle license fee and an increase in student college and university fees - measures taken to try to close a whopping $38 billion deficit. Democrats portrayed the recall as part of a nationwide Republican power grab.
Schwarzenegger cast himself as an outsider - he showed up at the Capitol on Sunday holding a broom to ``clean house'' - and claimed to be beholden to no special interests, even though he accepted large campaign contributions from developers and major business interests.
Tracked by national and international media, the Austrian immigrant found frenzied crowds wherever he went; flashing an iridescent smile, he tossed campaign T-shirts into adoring throngs. He raised at least $21.5 million for the race, some $10 million of which came from his own pocket - a sum that represented about a third of his salary for the movie ``Terminator 3.''
All together, the candidates and the pro- and anti-recall campaigns raised at least $75 million.
Voters also rejected Proposition 54, a contentious initiative that would have banned state and local governments from tracking race in everything from preschools to police work.
They also rejected another proposition dedicating money to public works projects.
This report appears on news.com.au.
08Oct03
CALIFORNIANS today banished Governor Gray Davis just 11 months into his second term and overwhelmingly elected action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace him - a Hollywood ending to one of the most extraordinary political melodramas in the nation's history.
"I will not fail you, I will not disappoint you, and I will not let you down,'' the victorious actor vowed today.
Voters traded a career Democratic politician who became one of the state's most despised chief executives for a moderate Republican megastar who had never before run for office. Davis became the first California governor pried from office and only the second nationwide to be recalled.
"Tonight, the voters did decide it's time for someone else to serve, and I accept their judgment,'' Davis said in conceding. He pledged to work for a smooth transition. `
"I'm calling on everyone ... to put the chaos and division of the recall behind us and do what's right for this great state of California.'' Schwarzenegger appeared before a delirious crowd at his campaign headquarters.
"Everything I have is because of California,'' Schwarzenegger said, in claiming victory.
"I came here with absolutely nothing, and California has given me absolutely everything. And today, California has given me the greatest gift of all, you have given me your trust by voting for me.''
To the victor goes a spoiled American paradise - a state mired in economic troubles, awash with deficits, now governed by a Republican chief executive with no political experience and a Democratic legislature.
Partial returns showed the recall favored by 1,718,105 voters, or 54.2 percent, and opposed by 1,454,488, or 45.9 percent.
Other returns had Schwarzenegger ahead with 1,439,374 votes; Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante with 924,423; Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock with 376,068; and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo with 70,554.
Schwarzenegger prevailed despite a flurry of negative publicity in the campaign's final days, surviving allegations that he had groped women and accusations that as a young man he expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.
The 56-year-old Austrian immigrant - husband of television journalist Maria Shriver, niece of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy - finds himself in charge of the nation's most populated state with an economy surpassed by only five countries. He takes office as soon as the election results are certified, no later than Nov. 15.
Schwarzenegger promised to return the shine to a state beset by massive budget problems and riven by deep political divisions.
Voters faced two questions - whether to recall Davis, and who among the other candidates should replace him if he was removed. They chose to get rid of the incumbent and put Schwarzenegger in his place.
Exit polling explained why: Many Hispanics and union members - two key groups in Davis' past electoral successes - deserted him as he suffered extraordinarily low job approval ratings amid widespread voter discontent about the state's economy.
Seven in 10 voters disapproved of how Davis was handling his job. Nearly half of all voters strongly disapproved, and among them, nine in 10 voted for the recall and seven in 10 voted for Schwarzenegger, according to recent voter surveys.
Long lines were reported at polling places through the day. By late afternoon, Terri Carbaugh, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State, said a turnout of 60 percent appeared likely, higher than the 50.7 percent who voted in last November's gubernatorial election. It would be the highest percentage to vote in a gubernatorial election since 1982.
Re-elected last year with less than 50 percent of the vote, Davis fell victim to a groundswell of discontent in a state that has struggled with its perilous financial condition.
As colorless as his name, Davis was also known as a canny politician. He rose through the political ranks as a state assemblyman, controller and lieutenant governor before becoming governor in 1999.
By contrast, Schwarzenegger's political inexperience seemed a virtue to many voters.
The campaign included a parade of bit players among the 135 candidates, including Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, former child actor Gary Coleman, a publicity-hungry porn actress who wanted to tax breast implants and an artist who dressed in all blue and described his candidacy as the ultimate piece of performance art.
The cast of characters and outsized ballot gave the campaign a carnival-like atmosphere and provided late-night comics with a stream of material.
Though Schwarzenegger held a commanding lead going into the final week, his campaign was shaken by allegations published in the Los Angeles Times days before the election from six women who said he groped them or made unwanted sexual advances. By election day, a total of 16 women had come forward.
Schwarzenegger also was confronted with reports that he had praised Hitler as a young man - accusations he disputed.
Responding to the sexual misconduct charges, Schwarzenegger acknowledged he had "behaved badly sometimes.'' But he attacked the newspaper and some of his accusers for what he called a last-minute effort to derail his candidacy.
Davis' plight reverberated across the nation, to the 18 other states that have initiative, referendum or recall provisions. If California is pioneer, perpetual campaigns could become common.
The last governor to be recalled in the United States was North Dakota's Lynn Frazier in 1921. The cost of the election to California taxpayers was estimated at $67 million.
The recall movement was launched in February by grass-roots activists angered over a tripling of the state vehicle license fee and an increase in student college and university fees - measures taken to try to close a whopping $38 billion deficit. Democrats portrayed the recall as part of a nationwide Republican power grab.
Schwarzenegger cast himself as an outsider - he showed up at the Capitol on Sunday holding a broom to ``clean house'' - and claimed to be beholden to no special interests, even though he accepted large campaign contributions from developers and major business interests.
Tracked by national and international media, the Austrian immigrant found frenzied crowds wherever he went; flashing an iridescent smile, he tossed campaign T-shirts into adoring throngs. He raised at least $21.5 million for the race, some $10 million of which came from his own pocket - a sum that represented about a third of his salary for the movie ``Terminator 3.''
All together, the candidates and the pro- and anti-recall campaigns raised at least $75 million.
Voters also rejected Proposition 54, a contentious initiative that would have banned state and local governments from tracking race in everything from preschools to police work.
They also rejected another proposition dedicating money to public works projects.
This report appears on news.com.au.
