Schwarzenegger Plans Transfer of Power

Yahoo News ^ | 10/8/03 | Erica Werner - AP

[NormsRevenge]

LOS ANGELES - Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) scheduled an afternoon press conference Wednesday to discuss his transition to the governor's office after voters, seething over taxes and red ink, dumped the unpopular Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites).

· Election Results · News, photos, video

With 98.8 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday morning, the recall was favored by 4,217,411 voters, or 54.8 percent, and opposed by 3,488,465 voters, or 45.2 percent. Among the replacement candidates, Schwarzenegger was ahead with 3,577,278 votes, or 48.2 percent of the vote; Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (news - web sites) had 2,388,314 votes, or 32.2 percent; Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock (news - web sites) had 985,394 votes, or 13.3 percent; and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo (news - web sites) had 207,845 votes, or 2.8 percent.

Davis, the Democrat who presided over California's economy as it careened from boom to bust, was recalled Tuesday less than a year into his second term. According to partial returns, more than 54 percent of voters called for his ouster.

Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican with tons of charisma but virtually no political experience, was easily elected among candidates to replace Davis just two months after shocking even his closest aides when he declared his candidacy on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (news - Y! TV)."

The action hero may find that the hardest part is yet to come. He will need to quickly assemble an administration and work with a Democrat-controlled Legislature to close a projected $8 billion shortfall for next fiscal year.

"We have tough choices ahead," Schwarzenegger said in declaring victory. "The first choice that we must make is the one that will determine our success. Shall we rebuild our state together or shall we fight amongst ourselves, create even deeper divisions and fail the people of California? Well, let me tell you something — the answer is clear. For the people to win, politics as usual must lose."

"Tonight, the voters did decide it's time for someone else to serve, and I accept their judgment," said Davis, the career public servant who became the first California governor and the second in the nation ever to be recalled.

"I'm calling on everyone ... to put the chaos and division of the recall behind us and do what's right for this great state of California," Davis said.

Barring a legal challenge, Schwarzenegger will be sworn in no later than Nov. 16 to serve out the remaining three years of Davis' term. First the vote must be certified, a process that can take more than a month. He would then be up for re-election in 2006.

Schwarzenegger prevailed despite a flurry of negative publicity in the campaign's final days, including allegations of inappropriate conduct toward women.

"Call him the governator or the gropenator, we're going to see some action now," voter Jim Hall, 62, said early Wednesday as he passed through the weight room at 24 Hour Fitness Sport in Camarillo. Hall voted for the recall and for Schwarzenegger.

The new governor will need to turn in a budget plan by Jan. 10, giving him just a few months to deliver on campaign-trail promises not to raise taxes or cut education spending, which consumes roughly 40 percent of California's budget. Throughout the campaign, Schwarzenegger refused to say what he would cut and promised to repeal this year's tripling of the state vehicle license fee, although he has not said how he would make up the $4 billion that would cost.

Schwarzenegger must work with Democrats, who are a majority of both houses in the Legislature and hold all statewide offices except his newly won governorship.

He dismissed the problem on the campaign trail, saying he knew how to work with Democrats because he's married to one — Maria Shriver, a niece of former President John F. Kennedy.

Despite the rancorous recall, Bustamante and other Democrats quickly pledged to put partisanship behind them and work with the new governor.

"As I see it, we campaign as partisans but we govern as Californians," said Bustamante, whose term expires in 2006. "I know how to balance a budget and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work."

Schwarzenegger, 56, weathered last-minute allegations from 16 women who said he groped them or made unwanted sexual advances, and accusations that as a young man he spoke admiringly of Adolf Hitler.

He denied the Hitler claims and dismissed some of the groping allegations as lies while admitting he "behaved badly sometimes."

By the time those charges surfaced, voters' desire to oust the deeply unpopular Davis was too sharp to curb.

Exit polling showed that many Hispanics and union members — two key groups in Davis' past electoral successes — deserted him as he suffered extraordinarily low job approval ratings amid widespread discontent about the state's economy, according to voter surveys conducted for The Associated Press and other news organizations by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International.

But the recall was more than a message to Davis, said former Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta, who called it a warning shot to all officeholders.

"It's a revolt of people who are increasingly angry at the crises that face them, and at the failure of leadership," Panetta said. "If I were a Republican, I wouldn't get too cocky about what happened."

Schwarzenegger's improbable rise to political power played out before a rapt international audience. He campaigned as an outsider, borrowing a line from the movie "Network" to tell charged-up supporters, "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!"

The 135 candidates included a parade of bit players, including Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, former child actor Gary Coleman and a porn actress who wanted to tax breast implants. But to many Californians, it was serious business.

"I'm horrified at the thought that Schwarzenegger can be our governor," said Gretchen Purser, 25, of Berkeley, who voted against recall. "I'm sick of Republicans trying to take over the state."

At the gym in Camarillo, Hall said Schwarzenegger will be a welcome change. "For the first time, we'll have somebody who will probably listen to the people and figure out what it is that has to be done, not the same old thing the way politics goes."

Voters also rejected Proposition 54, a contentious initiative that would have banned state and local governments from tracking race in everything from preschools to police work. Californians also said no to Proposition 53, which would have set aside up to 3 percent of the state budget every year to build and rebuild infrastructure.

[NormsRevenge]

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[NormsRevenge]

Shall GRAY DAVIS be recalled (removed) from the office of Governor?

99.0 % ( 15084 of 15235 ) precincts reporting as of Oct 8, 2003 at 8:44 am

                       Votes            Percent

Yes         4,246,844             54.9 
No          3,499,320             45.1    

County Returns

Leading Candidates to succeed GRAY DAVIS as Governor if he is recalled:
99.0 % ( 15084 of 15235 ) precincts reporting as of Oct 8, 2003 at 8:44 am
Candidate Party Votes Percent
Arnold Schwarzenegger Rep 3,601,797 48.2 Cruz M. Bustamante Dem 2,395,237 32.1 Tom McClintock Rep 991,468 13.3 Peter Miguel Camejo Grn 208,526 2.8 Arianna Huffington Ind 42,227 0.6 Peter V. Ueberroth Rep 21,561 0.3 Larry Flynt Dem 15,112 0.3 Gary Coleman Ind 12,514 0.2 George B. Schwartzman Ind 10,758 0.2 Mary Cook Ind 9,812 0.2
Leader Order	Alphabetical Order

State Ballot Measures

99.0 % ( 15084 of 15235 ) precincts reporting as of Oct 8, 2003 at 8:44 am

Proposition 53 Infrastructure: Finance.
	Total Votes	Percent
Yes	2,593,940	35.9
No	4,613,910	64.1

Proposition 54 Classification by Race, ... Color or Origin.
	Total Votes	Percent
Yes	2,695,816	35.9
No	4,805,895	64.1

County Returns

[NYC Republican]

Would love to see Arnold top 50% when all absentee ballots are counted.

[NavyCaptain]

So, I guess that meansthat there are about 207,845 communists/socialists in California! I wonder if that number includes most of the Hollywood elite?

[strela]

"I'm horrified at the thought that Schwarzenegger can be our governor," said Gretchen Purser, 25, of Berkeley, who voted against recall. "I'm sick of Republicans trying to take over the state."

More confirmation of the old adage "No shirt is too young to be stuffed."

[1L]

"I'm sick of Republicans trying to take over the state."

More proof that idiot liberals truly do not believe that conservatives have the right to do what they think they have the right to do.

[theDentist]

"I'm horrified at the thought that Schwarzenegger can be our governor," said Gretchen Purser, 25, of Berkeley, who voted against recall. "I'm sick of Republicans trying to take over the state."

Welcome to hell Gretchen. Hope you enjoy our stay.

[Redbob]

"Schwarzenegger must work with Democrats, who are a majority of both houses in the Legislature and hold all statewide offices except his newly won governorship.

He dismissed the problem on the campaign trail, saying he knew how to work with Democrats because he's married to one — Maria Shriver, a niece of former President John F. Kennedy."

So that's what you're supposed to do with Dimocrats - F@#k 'em!

[Chameleon]

I'm convinced that pointing out that Davis actually got more votes than Arnold was the cornerstone argument of the Dems in their plans to recall the recall.

They were waiting to say, "The recall is a sham because Davis actually ganered more support than Arnold. 3.8 million voted to keep Davis in office, but only 3.4 million voted to put Arnold in. Davis actually beat Arnold by 400,000 votes, blah blah blah...."

The fact that Arnold got more votes in a crowded replacement field than Davis did on the binary recall question has really caught them off guard, IMO.

[.cnI redruM]

Being the generous font of all goodness and light that I am, I have a few ideas to help out with Gray's transitional period.

1) Rent him two or three U-Hauls to load all the swag.

2) Give him lemonade and lots of foldable cardboard boxes.

3) Let Cruz and Nao Bustamonte load the trucks so that Gray can condescend to and insult his Mexican quota one more time.

4) Gently remind him not to let the screen door tag his @$$ on the way out.

[GraniteStateConservative]

[ArrogantBustard]

Don't forget to buy a few burritos for Nao...

[.cnI redruM]

munchy, munchy.

Waiter, why does my burrito have pubes in it?

[tallhappy]

The fact that Arnold got more votes in a crowded replacement field than Davis did on the binary recall question has really caught them off guard, IMO.

Yes. That was their whole basis for their bogus argument that the recall was "undemocratic".