Mullings: An American Cyber-column By Rich Galen

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What'd I Tell You?

Friday August 8, 2003

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NOW you know why I didn't write about the California recall earlier in the week.

Shortly after it became known that Arnold Schwarzenegger would join the race for California Governor, I was asked to appear on the Joe Scarborough program on MSNBC. I was on with former candidate Bill Simon, California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres, and former Democratic House Judiciary Staff Director Julian Epstein.

Simon has said he will file papers to appear on the recall ballot on Saturday which is the final day to qualify.

Chairman Torres was quoted as saying, "It's one thing to see a movie or to see a bodybuilding exhibition, but to have this guy as your governor, I think people are going to think more than twice about it."

He was absolutely correct.

While we were on the air at least two people thought twice about it: Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante and State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi both announced they would be joining the race.

The often-stated Democratic strategy has been to convince California voters that this recall election was nothing more than a "Gray Davis versus the Right Wing Nuts" campaign. Obviously, no one in their Right (or Left) mind thinks Davis can beat Schwarzenegger one-on-one, and the cracks in the Dems' strategy became as obvious as the earthquake reference which will not be written here.

All day long, yesterday, Washington Democrats were trying to find some way to derail the Schwarzenegger bandwagon. But the news only got worse. Darryl Issa, the Congressman who largely funded the recount petition drive did the right thing and dropped out, former LA Mayor Dick Riordan also said he would not enter the race, and the California Supreme Court ruled against Davis' petition to delay the recall election until next spring (when it would be held in conjunction with the Democratic Presidential Primary, thus ensuring an enormous Democratic turnout).

It is not at all clear that the field is set - on either side. We'll know the final line-up, probably, Sunday.

Schwarzenegger will not be a shoo-in. Remember that the state Attorney General warned Davis last week that he would not sit still for the kind of negative campaign that Davis ran against Riordan and Simon last Fall. I'm not sure what the AG has in mind for an "or else" but it was a public acknowledgement that Davis is one of the dirtiest fighters since Tyson nipped a piece of Holyfield's ear.

California Conservatives were the driving force behind the recall; but if the idea was to take control of the Governor's office - and state spending - then putting aside the traditional Right v. Centrist battles which have become the trademark of California Republican politics for the greater good will be vital.

I have several pieces of advice for Arnold:

Stay away from semi-colons and subsections. The Democrats and the media notwithstanding, you are not expected - by the voters - to be an expert in the state budgeting process. The people who created the $38 Billion deficit are the experts. Look where it got them.
When someone suggests you don't have the background or training to be Governor, refer to suggestion 1.
Democrats - and the media - will attempt to trap you into details of solving the budget crisis. They will present you with a daily dose of a "Hobson's Choice" - options which will disappoint, offend, or anger one group or another no matter what you say.
There are difficult choices to me made, but you don't have to make them in the first 36 hours of your campaign.
Nevertheless, Californians want to be assured you are taking this seriously. You must talk about the future in real terms. Build a team of sophisticated experts - from academia, business, and labor - to flesh out details of your "Bring Business Back" campaign.
The people of the State of California are not looking for a CPA. They are looking for a leader.

On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Bios of all the major players, a Mullphoto, and a pretty good Catchy Caption of the Day

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