California Recall Was All About Davis
Oct. 8, 2003 -- Arnold Schwarzenegger gave the victory speech Tuesday night, but the California recall ended up being about one man: California Gov. Gray Davis.
Despite a tough campaign, a tough-love listening tour and a host of Democratic superstars campaigning on his behalf even as a scandal broke in the Schwarzenegger campaign, Davis simply proved too unpopular with California voters to beat the recall effort that began just a few months after he won re-election in 2002.
As problems piled up in the state — from energy shortages to a massive budget deficit, voters lost confidence in Davis' ability to solve them. Exit surveys Tuesday found 72 percent of voters expressing disapproval of Davis' job as governor, and even 25 percent of Democrats casting their ballots in favor of the recall.
The days immediately preceding the vote were filled with unseemly accusations of Schwarzenegger's alleged sexual misconduct — or as he termed it, "rowdy" behavior — toward women. In all, 16 women came forward with claims that Schwarzenegger had harassed them.
Schwarzenegger called the accusations "dirty politics" from his enemies. His opponents, including Davis and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, called them "serious" and said they should be investigated. In the end, voters decided the stories didn't matter.
Exit polls showed 42 percent of women who voted in the election cast their ballots for the actor. What's more, 67 percent of voters said that they had made up their minds over which way they would vote more than a month before.
Last week, Schwarzenegger presented a list of things he would accomplish during the first 100 days of his administration — including repealing the car tax. He echoed that theme to supporters on Tuesday night.
"We have tough choices ahead," he told the screaming crowd. "Shall we rebuild our state together?"
But what he can accomplish with a Democrat-dominated legislature will remain to be seen — as will the fine print of governing. Sixty-three percent of those who voted for Schwarzenegger said in exit polls that they did not think he had addressed the issues facing California in enough detail during his campaign.
"Tomorrow the hard work will begin," Schwarzenegger said in his victory speech. And he's right. The governor-elect will walk in the door facing a host of the same problems that Davis could not fix — from the budget deficit to a run-down energy infrastructure to an unpopular car tax that particularly resonated with voters.
Meanwhile, Davis exits stage left, promising to accept the decision of the voters and support the new governor.
"We have had many good nights together, we have had many good fights together," he told the assembled crowd at his campaign gathering. "I am grateful to all of you for all your hard work today, over the last two decades, and I am proud. And I am secure in the knowledge that California is the greatest place in America."