Recall, Schwarzenegger ahead in new LA Times poll [Schwarzenegger 40, Bustamante 32]

SF Chronicle ^ | Sep 30, 2003

[george wythe]

Voters favored recalling Gov. Gray Davis by a large margin in a Los Angeles Times poll released Tuesday and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger was ahead of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, a Democrat.

It was the second recent statewide survey to show Davis badly behind and Schwarzenegger in the lead. There is a week to go until the Oct. 7 election.

[jmc813]

Well, if only Clinton hadn't run, then GHWB would have gotten more votes.

Clinton wasn't a spoiler for the base of his party.

[BibChr]

Pingomai

So, maybe the LAT is starting a bit of course-correction so that, when the election results come out, they won't be knee-slappingly, wheezingly, laugh-till-you-cryingly off.

McClintock seems to be experiencing what the military might call a "negative surge."

Dan

[george wythe]

I suspect a large percentage of McClintock voters will join the winning team at the end; that's why I will avoid any further antagonizing of fellow Republicans.

Despite the few malcontents who claim that they'd rather live through another three years of Democratic rule, the majority of McClintock voters are sick and tired of the Democratic monopoly in California. . . the graft, the corruption, the ultra-liberal policies, etc

[The Old Hoosier]

What's really amazing is that Arnold has gained so much without Tom losing much ground at all. You would have thought the one would come at the expense of the other, but it hasn't happened that way.

[onyx]

LAT's debut into the real world? I don't like or trust their polls regardless of this one's apparent accuracy.

It' ain't over yet, but it's looking good!

[jmc813]

Don't be silly. If Arnold had not entered the race Simon would still be in it and probably several others.

And McClintock would have dropped out of the race for Simon.

[Tempest]

I guess the Times fired the lady that did the whitewash for the last poll.

[jmc813]

You're not psychic.

Sure I am. You're wearing a gray shirt right now, right?

[JoeSchem]

Maybe if both our candidates pull out the maximum support of their supporters, we can come close to 60% for the two Republicans. Talk about a repudiation of Davis.

I believe that's what the vote on the recall itself is for. Also, most people are intelligent enough to add Schwarzenegger's and McClintock's vote totals together. I realize it may be a stretch for some Schwarzenegger voters, but I have confidence in them!

As for now, maybe what Schwarzenegger needs is fewer votes, just to keep him humble and remind him that he needs to pay attention to the right.

[Tempest]

Maybe if Arnold walks in with 50+% of the vote he walks in with a resounding mandate that will bring the legislature to attention.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Tom should get allot more votes with Huffie dropping out.

[Southack]

So the two liberal polls (CNN and LA Times) independently agree that Arnold is at 40% and that the recall passes either by 63% (CNN) or 56% (LA Times).

But here's where it gets really interesting. With the exception of the San Diego Tribune, all of California's major newspapers have endorsed voting "no" on the recall.

In other words, California's liberal newspapers are clearly outed as being out of touch with mainstream Californian voters.

To be blunt, these newspapers have been caught trying to steer public opinion rather than just reporting it.

Better yet, their efforts seem to have failed.

Life is good.

[Incorrigible]

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I see 28, don't you?

[CheneyChick]

Polls indicate that had Arnold not entered, McClintock would have handily won over Cruz and California would have ended up with a conservative governor.

Oh really? If Arnold hadn't entered the race, then chances are, Issa or Simon would still be in the race and ahead of McClintock. Many Californians had never heard of McC.

[CFC__VRWC]

Polls indicate that had Arnold not entered, McClintock would have handily won over Cruz and California would have ended up with a conservative governor. Please see my tagline.

Sorry, but that won't fly. The dynamics of the entire recall election would have been radically changed if Arnold had not entered the race. For one thing I doubt there would have bene quite as much interest as there is (don't get me wrong, there still would have been LOTS of it) - the celebrity factor, like it or not, carries lots of weight. It's impossible to predict how the race would have turned out - it would be like trying to predict what the culture and climate of the state of California would have been like if it wasn't sitting next to the Pacific Ocean.

[Nonstatist]

With Arnold out, Davis would not be recalled. Thats the problem.

[claudiustg]

"I for one am tired of losing in California and being screwed by the Democrats."

Now you can win and be screwed by Republicans!

[george wythe]

This is due to the debate. Arnold, for all intents and purposes "won" the debate. It looks like, as I expected, expectations for Arnold were so low in the debate, that he ended up smelling like a rose

Absolutely.

Did you see the press conference of Schwarzenegger after the debate?

I only saw a few moments, but he looked confident, mature, and in control.

Many people who had doubted his abilities were surprised at his performance at the debate and after the debate. . . not as polished as McClintock's but acceptable for a person who had been running for only a few weeks. He certainly did his homework.

His momentum took off from there.