California Recall Daily Thread (10/7/2003) ELECTION DAY! Be sure to vote.

Local (Texas) Company Assisting In California Elections

kxan36 news ^ | 09/15/03
Posted on 10/07/2003 10:24 AM PDT by NathanR

One Austin company is in close contact with some California election officials. Hart Intercivic has a contract with the second largest county in California to replace punch card ballots with electronic voting.

The company is supplying e-slate machines similar to what Travis County has to Orange County, California.

The plan's been to have them running by next year's March primaries. In someway the Austin company will help with the recall election, whenever it happens.

Hart Intercivic is sending 9,000 electronic voting machines to Orange County. In contrast, Travis County uses about 1,800 of these now.

The unplanned recall election did not change the timeline for a spring rollout in California.

"We felt, and so did Orange County that trying to install these voting systems and have the voters look at it of the first time during a recall election or something of that nature would be difficult," Michelle Shafer with Hart Intercivic said.

The California bound machines have five languages, English and Spanish also Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese.

Until their debut, Hart Intercivic is helping Orange County to replace their punch card ballots for the governor recall election.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996791/posts

Bush Says He Is Ready to Work With Arnold

Newsday ^ | 10/7/03
Posted on 10/07/2003 10:38 AM PDT by areafiftyone

WASHINGTON -- President Bush says he is ready to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger if Californians elect him as their next governor, but he stopped short Tuesday of the praise he had previously offered the actor-turned-candidate.

In August, Bush declared that "I think he'd be a good governor." On Tuesday, as Californians went to the polls, the president sidestepped questions about whether he still maintained that view following disclosures that Schwarzenegger groped more than a dozen women....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996803/posts

Davis Tactics Mirror Hitler's Methods, Veteran's Family Outraged at Attacks & Methods of Democrats

EWORLDWIRE ^ | Oct. 7, 2003 | G. McGrew
Posted on 10/07/2003 10:54 AM PDT by joinedafterattack

My father, James Martin McGrew, was shot down over France during the second world war, fought with the French underground, and was captured, abused, and starved by the Nazi SS.

Were my father alive today he would be absolutely furious...at Gray Davis and the Democrats for twisting Arnold's comments....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996811/posts

How Gropegate might help Arnold

Dan Weintraub Weblog ^ | October 07, 2003 | Dan Weintraub
Posted on 10/07/2003 10:59 AM PDT by John Jorsett

For all the venom hurled the LA Times’ way over the groping allegations, if Schwarzenegger still wins, he might want to thank the paper for doing him a big favor. With that many women out there making these charges, it was inevitable that the issue would surface in volume at some point.

If The Times had waited until after a Schwarzenegger victory, should it come, the stories would have created a huge problem for the new governor and cast into doubt the legitimacy of his election. The “Recall Arnold” movement would have started with the groping charges as the foundation of their effort, claiming that voters never would have elected him had they known about his wandering hands.

His opponents will still make that argument if he is elected, but now, because of his acknowledgement of bad behavior and his apology, he could credibly argue that the voters knew of his past when they voted and chose him anyway. That is, as long as nothing more serious emerges in the days and weeks ahead....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996814/posts

All about California (Buffet worries CA can lead US into recession)

CNN Money.com ^ | Oct. 7, 2003 | Mark Gongloff
Posted on 10/07/2003 11:04 AM PDT by FairOpinion

Buffett worries that the Golden State could lead the U.S. back into recession. But is he wrong?

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - As Californians go to the polls Tuesday to pick a governor, it might be easy to dismiss the entire process as a political sideshow with few implications for the national economy.

Warren Buffett, for one, would disagree.

"If California has troubles, the country has troubles," Buffett said in August. "If California prospers, the country prospers." The billionaire investor is acting as an economic adviser to the campaign of Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger.

According to recent polls, current Governor Gray Davis, a Democrat, appears on the verge of being recalled, and Schwarzenegger has a slim lead over the state's Democratic Lieutenant Governor, Cruz Bustamante, in the race to succeed Davis if he is recalled.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996819/posts

Assuming that Chris Matthews on MSNBC did not mean to be funny, he just made the worst forecast of his life. No way will Bustamante overtake Arnold with two million absentee ballots already in the can out of a potential 9.2 million total vote if that is what it turns out to be.

We should have a better idea of what is happening around 1 PM Pacific Time. That is usually the time the Drudge Report will break the embargo on exit polls.

The Times Leaks on Arnold (Now he's totally peed off!!)

The LA Weekly ^ | Oct 3 - 9 , 03 | by Bill Bradley
Posted on 10/07/2003 11:42 AM PDT by .cnI redruM

Senior Democratic strategists knew the particulars of last Thursday’s L.A. Times exposé on Arnold Schwarzenegger well in advance of the story’s publication, the Weekly has learned from well-informed sources. This knowledge came not only in advance of publication but also before anyone outside a close circle at the Times knew of the story’s timing and particulars.

While the Times insists that its reporting uncovered the allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of Schwarzenegger, there can be no doubt that advance knowledge of the story was very helpful to Governor Gray Davis’ efforts to retain his office in the recall election.

Meanwhile, Sunday-night tracking polls seem to show the recall and Schwarzenegger running well ahead. Schwarzenegger strategists say their tracking poll shows the recall with a lead in the low double digits, and Schwarzenegger nearly 10 points ahead of Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante on the replacement portion of the ballot....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996844/posts

Davis' fate in voters' hands - Influx of young, occasional voters favors Schwarzenegger

SFgate.com ^ | 10/7/03 | Mark Simon
Posted on 10/07/2003 11:49 AM PDT by finnman69

POLL CRUSH: Influx of young, occasional voters favors Schwarzenegger, election experts say
Mark Simon, Chronicle Political Writer Tuesday, October 7, 2003
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/07/VOTERS.TMP

California's historic and frenzied recall campaign reaches the finish line today with an estimated 10 million voters expected to determine if Gov. Gray Davis will serve out the rest of his second term or be replaced by one of 135 other candidates.

The estimated turnout -- including 2.1 million absentee voters who already have cast their ballots -- would be 30 percent higher than the 7.7 million who voted 11 months ago in the 2002 election, when Davis was re-elected, said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll. Field issued the projection Monday.

The boost in participation is likely to come from younger, occasional voters drawn to the polls by Republican actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and that could mean trouble for Davis, said DiCamillo.

Historically, a high voter turnout favors Democrats, but in this election, with 400,000 new registered voters, many of the participants are "occasional voters, those voters who have been aroused by this election," DiCamillo said....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996847/posts

California is counting on Spokane, WA

The Spokesman-Review | 10-07-2003 | Jim Camden
Posted on 10/07/2003 12:25 PM PDT by lilylangtree

The world may be focused on California today as its voters decide whether to keep or dump their governor. But most people will find out from Spokane whether Gray Davis is retained or who his replacement is.

Tonight's tabulating of the votes for all 135 gubernatorial candidates from all 58 California counties will be done in downtown Spokane, at the Associated Press Data Center.

About every five minutes, a system of computers in Spokane will update the results for the front-runners, allowing the networks to flash the most current numbers across the bottom of television screens....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996874/posts

Calif Gov Davis Votes; Says He Trusts Voters :)

AP Wire via Dow Jones | 10/7/03 | AP Staff
Posted on 10/07/2003 12:48 PM PDT by BunnySlippers

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--California Gov. Gray Davis, who could be voted out of office later Tuesday, said after casting his ballot that he feels "absolutely terrific; I have always trusted the voters."

Davis said he thinks people see the contrast between him and Arnold Schwarzenegger and is confident in the choice they will make.

When asked if he would support a recall election of Schwarzenegger should the actor be elected to replace him, Davis said he didn't want to discuss that.

Davis urged people to go out and vote. "The more people who participate, the more legitimate the results," the governor said.

Davis's comments were aired by various cable news outlets.

There are two parts to the recall ballot Tuesday. One asks voters whether they think Davis should be recalled. The second part, on which Davis isn't listed, asks voters to choose a replacement. If voters agree Davis should be recalled, then the candidate who gets the most votes on the second part of the ballot would be the new governor....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996885/posts

Preparing for the American Political Priesthood

American Digest ^ | Oct 7, 2003 | Van der Leun
Posted on 10/07/2003 9:30 AM PDT by vanderleun

The California Recall Fornication Festival currently climaxing in minute-by-minute updates throughout the nation instructs us yet again in what our media expects of candidates: pseudo moral celibacy in thought, word, and deed stretching from the cradle to the grave.

It is of passing interest that while the "profession" of "Journalism" requires no moral celibacy on the part of scribes ( pride, envy, wrath, sloth, lust, avarice, and gluttony being required activities for advancement -- Current Champion: Courtesy Roger Simon), the position of the industry en masse is that none of the seven deadly sins are allowed to be present in a candidate for office. But since all this is well know, we will let this interest pass for the moment.

Our sermon for today is "What doth it profit a man to gain the office of dogcatcher or above, if he must bid adieu to his sexuality in late childhood?" It obviously has profited Gray Davis since he has no discernible sexuality whatsoever. Wrath would seem to be his sin, but wrath well hidden. With no photos of his frothing rage or tape of his highly pungent obscenity streams this sin gets a pass by the media. Besides since they really can't put it on the air in family hour, what good would it do? Indeed, the only sexually charged photo ops for Davis involve being seen with proven sexual predators of the Clintonian persuasion to enhance his prospects of clinging to his job. But since neither knows what the meaning of is is, another hall pass is issued by the media.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996758/posts

From the Gipper to the Groper

Cornell Daily Sun ^ | 10-07-03 | Joe Sabia
Posted on 10/07/2003 9:34 AM PDT by Brian S

By JOE SABIA

Barring a revelation that Arnold Schwarzenegger murdered a girl scout troop during a visit to a veterans' hospital, the voters of California will likely install the Terminator as their next governor today.

Arnold has the momentum of a rock star and has not been slowed by any of the L.A. Times' politically-motivated election eve bombshells. In fact, his approval numbers actually ticked upward after the Times revealed that he had groped women on movie sets. Welcome to the Bill Clinton era of American politics.

According to recent polls, Californians overwhelming believed that state Sen. Tom McClintock (R) won the only major gubernatorial debate. He enunciated specific plans to clean up the state budget mess -- major cuts in spending and tax cuts to spur the economy -- and announced steps to crack down on illegal immigrants. During the debate, McClintock was poised, refined, and professional. He also has a spotless moral history.

Unfortunately, no one cared. Apparently, Californians found that McClintock's ability to get the job done may distract him from more important gubernatorial duties, like yelling "Hasta la vista, baby!" at state assemblymen....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996759/posts

SF Chronicle Looking for "Voting Problem"

SF Chronicle ^ | 10/7/2003 | TheTruthAbides
Posted on 10/07/2003 9:40 AM PDT by TheTruthAbides

When I logged in this morning, I noticed that the San Francisco Chronicle, as a “public service” is encouraging people to report “voting problems” at their website. Of course, we know that the Chronicle is looking for ammo to overturn the forthcoming election of Arnold. Anyway, the link is here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2003/09/25/question_form.txt

This is what I anonymously submitted. Perhaps other might want to offer their opinion?

“Hi SF Chronicle Person-

I had trouble voting in San Francisco. You see, I'm stupid and don't know how to vote using that pointy thingy. Voting is very hard, and bicycle riding is difficult for me as well. I'm hoping you will report my stupidity to the good people of San Francisco, so that we can build distrust in this ultra- democratic action of the people, who in their stupidity will undoubtedly elect the Actor as Governor.

Please report this gross injustice immediately. Until then, I remain stupid.” ....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996763/posts

End of Gray Days [article includes last minute tracking poll info]

National Review ^ | 10-7-03 | Arnold Steinberg
Posted on 10/07/2003 9:48 AM PDT by ambrose

October 07, 2003, 8:17 a.m.

End of Gray Days
Recall Day in California.
By Arnold Steinberg

LOS ANGELES — Two Democrat tracking polls show the California recall winning today; one at 52 percent, one at 54 percent, and both show Democrat Cruz Bustamante competitive. Republican tracking polls show a much greater recall margin, and Bustamante long gone. In fact, after freefall, Cruz hit bottom at the core-Democratic base and started to climb back this weekend.

Bustamante's ubiquitous TV spots still rely on a very strong visual: He removes his glasses. But, he has bought so many TV spots in the last 72 hours that some run back-to-back. Moreover a poorly produced Dianne Feinstein spot (although it has the right message) might cut recall support and help him. McClintock himself remains a wild card. His support is overwhelmingly conservative but Orange County's alternative newspaper endorsed him in a weird editorial ("Why progressives should vote for the most conservative candidate"). R. Scott Moxley wrote: "Don't be frightened. Despite initial appearances, McClintock is the best choice.") Will the Green party's Peter Camejo take enough votes from the Cruzer to assure an Arnold Schwarzenegger win?

Back to election numbers. Last week, news reports prematurely claimed varying amounts of absentee ballots "have been cast." They were looking at absentee applications. Actually, any such number also (wrongly) included "late" absentees arriving Monday and today. Moreover, in each new election, more voters bring their absentee ballots to the polls. Thus, late voter shifts, if they exist, would be reflected partly in these absentee ballots (yesterday/today). More generally, absentee voters are far less Republican than their counterparts two decades ago. But they remain disproportionately older and, in this election, relatively more anti-Davis....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/996771/posts

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