McClintock Gains Have Calif. Republicans Wary

Reuters ^ | 09-12-03

[Brian S]

Fri September 12, 2003 09:16 PM ET By Gina Keating

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A poll on Friday showed that Arnold Schwarzenegger is facing increasing competition from state Sen. Tom McClintock in the California governor's race, heightening tension ahead of a convention at which the actor must win support from conservative Republicans.

Schwarzenegger began the day with an on-air scrum during a Sacramento talk radio show with his only major remaining Republican rival, McClintock, who repeatedly challenged the actor-businessman to a debate. Schwarzenegger handled the encounter with humor, but declined.

At an afternoon tour of a Los Angeles plastics plant whose owner is moving the firm to Nevada to escape California taxes, energy woes, and workers compensation premiums, Schwarzenegger described the encounter as "wonderful."

"I had a chance to talk to him for a minute. I never met him before," he told reporters. "There was no surprise."

The "Terminator" actor and multi-millionaire businessman reiterated his decision to appear in only one debate before the Oct. 7 recall election.

"We've gotten many many offers to do debates -- 13 offers -- and we picked one," he told reporters after his 10-minute tour of the Coast Converters Inc. warehouse. "We feel very happy with that. I am on course. I have a plan of how to get there, of how to win."

Schwarzenegger, who pledged to roll back regulations on business, check costly civil litigation and reform the workers compensation system, won an endorsement on Friday from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, architects of the state's landmark property tax cap.

NARROWING THE GAP

A Los Angeles Times poll released on Friday showed that Schwarzenegger has halved the distance between himself and California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, a Democrat, and now trails by 5 points.

But the poll showed McClintock gaining ground as well, with 18 percent of likely voters listing the conservative Republican as their choice to replace Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, should he lose on the recall portion of the ballot.

Some Republicans are pressing McClintock to clear the field for Schwarzenegger, a moderate who supports gun control, legal abortion and gay rights and is perceived to have a better chance of drawing votes from the state's Democratic majority.

McClintock has repeatedly refused to drop out, and Schwarzenegger declined on Friday to join the chorus.

"No matter what anyone tries to do I will not do or say anything bad about Tom McClintock," Schwarzenegger said. "I respect him. He is a terrific man. He has to come up with his own decision."

Schwarzenegger is scheduled to deliver a lunchtime address at the GOP convention on Saturday. McClintock will speak to the party at dinner.

The Times poll, conducted Sept. 6-10, also showed that Gov. Davis, an unpopular Democrat who stands to lose his job in the Republican-led recall, has gained ground with voters since August.

The polls showed 63 percent of likely voters disapproved of Davis' job performance, down from 72 percent in a Times poll conducted last month.

But 50 percent of voters still say Davis should go, compared to 47 percent who want him to remain in office, a statistic nearly unchanged from last month's poll.

[Parley Baer]

As soon as I saw it was an L A Times poll that was all I needed to know. Time to move on nothing here. Parley

[truthkeeper]

"No matter what anyone tries to do I will not do or say anything bad about Tom McClintock," Schwarzenegger said. "I respect him. He is a terrific man. He has to come up with his own decision."

Nice statement. It deserves a bttt.

[ElkGroveDan]

As soon as I saw it was an L A Times poll that was all I needed to know. Time to move on nothing here. Parley

A professional poll commisioned by the Orange County Lincoln Club last week had McClintock at 19%

[Poohbah]

A professional poll commisioned by the Orange County Lincoln Club last week had McClintock at 19%

Has the Orange County Lincoln Club already endorsed McClintock?

[poet]

"At an afternoon tour of a Los Angeles plastics plant whose owner is moving the firm to Nevada to escape California taxes, energy woes, and workers compensation premiums, Schwarzenegger described the encounter as "wonderful."

You mean to say that Arnold the political savior of many on this forum couldn't convince the businessman to re-consider? It's nice that it was a "wonderful" experience for Arnold. All style, no substance!

[Pubbie]

Do you have a link to that poll?

As I posted on another thread:

If the LA Times is underestimating the strength of support for Recall, then that means they are underweighting the number of Conservative Republicans that will show up.

And if they are underestimating the strength of Conservative turnout then the Times is ALSO underestimating the strength for McClintock (And to a lesser extent Arnold).

So McClintock would probably be HIGHER than it is in this poll.

Also ALL polls show McClintock has been gaining support, and Bustamante falling and Arnold flat.

The Trend is clearly on Tom's side.

[deport]

Has the Orange County Lincoln Club already endorsed McClintock?

---

Were they supposed to? Looks like they got mixed up and got that fellar Schwarzenegger instead.....

California Chamber of Commerce
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Association
California Farm Bureau Federation
Western Growers Association
California Republican League
California Young Republicans
Republican Leadership Council
The New Majority Committee
Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS)
Citizens for Law & Order
Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau
Memory of Victims Everywhere (MOVE)
Northern California Lincoln Club
Orange County Lincoln Club
Santa Barbara Lincoln Club
Ventura County Lincoln Club

[onyx]

There you go again, posting FACTS!

[Poohbah]

I'm checking the obvious things first.

Second question: did the poll cover Orange County, or the entire state?

Third question: what were the specific questions, and what options did respondents have to choose from?

These are all kind of important, and when I see a "professional poll" being conducted that mirrors a VERY suspect poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times (aka "The Voice of the Aztlan Proletariat"), I start asking the obvious questions.

[Jabba the Nutt]

You mean to say that Arnold the political savior of many on this forum couldn't convince the businessman to re-consider? It's nice that it was a "wonderful" experience for Arnold. All style, no substance!

Actually, I think the reference was to his encounter with McClintock on the radio. Just an example of poor writing by a professional journalist.

[South40]

TomBots know the Times is a useless liberal rag. But ain't it funny how they're drawn to it when it favors their boy?

They also shunned the credibility of the Lincoln Club when it endorsed Arnold. Apparently, that's all changed now that it supposedly commishioned a poll that meets with their approval.

Such hypocrisy is better left the the like of democrats. But TomBots are desperate to promote the man who would elect bustamante.

[deport]

I havent' seen an Orange County Lincoln Club poll... It hasn't been made public that I've seen.

Candidates divide GOP as it heads into convention

``I think practical people understand that we can continue dividing the vote, or we can get behind Schwarzenegger's candidacy and push it through to the end and have a Republican governor,'' said Tracy Price, president of the Orange County Lincoln Club, which is urging McClintock to step aside. ``The issue isn't really ideological purity. The question is do we elect to remain in the wilderness?''

[onyx]

This afternoon on either John & Ken's or Roger Hedgecock's radio program, the GOP US Congressman who McClintock refused to name when he told his tale on Hannity & Lib's show about a midwest Republican Congressman calling him to ask him to drop out but who subsequently changed his mind once Tom told him his various stands on issues, has now come forward and denied ever telling mcClintock not to drop.

That US GOP Congressman is Dan Burton, and he said he made it clear to McClintock that he wanted him to drop.

Have any of ya-all found or read an article about this?

[Poohbah]

OK, so we're down to RUMINT.

BTW, the "Events" page shows one event, slated for May of last year.

[Poohbah]

Clarification: The Events page of the Orange County Lincoln Club shows one event from May of last year.

The site is moribund. How did anyone learn about this alleged poll? Or is this FUD?

[deport]

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/981312/posts?

Burton story

[deport]

As I said I know nothing about a Poll from the Orange County Lincoln Club..... It was ElkGroveDan that talked about it.... you need to ask him to give you the cites/specifics.

[ElkGroveDan]

As I said I know nothing about a Poll from the Orange County Lincoln Club..... It was ElkGroveDan that talked about it.... you need to ask him to give you the cites/specifics.

It was in the Capitol Morning Report, a fax newsletter this morning. They were using their poll to indicate that McClintocks supporters though Arnold had the best chance of winning, but they let it slip that 19% of voters were supporting Tom in their poll.