CA: Recall Debate Live Thread

September 24, 2003

[lainie]

Got popcorn?

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TV:

• Fox News Channel
• KCOP-13 (UPN) (follows the Ricki Lake show, perhaps appropriately, we'll see)
• KCET-28 (PBS)
• KABC-7

LIVE AUDIO STREAMS OF THE DEBATE:

• KABC 790 AM Los Angeles
• KFI 640 AM Los Angeles
• KOGO 600 AM San Diego

[Dan from Michigan]

My take on it.

The Green Party guy Peter Verejo or whatever his name is, is a Commie that wants to raise taxes. He's out of this anyway.

Cruz was annoying and arrogant. I think he hurt himself with his sarcasm there. He's a big spender and part of the problem.

As for Arianna, damn she's annoying. I think I know why Michael Huffington ended up turning gay. That voice!

As for Arnold, he did better than I thought, but still too much 'for the children stuff'. I like what he said about business, and he didn't answer the race data question.

I'm still backing McClintock. He's the ONLY one that mentioned the 2nd amendment. He was the only one that mentioned he was pro-life. He's the only one that answered each question specifically.

So in order IMO for who would be the best to worst governor.
1. McClintock
2. Arnold
3. The ones that wern't at the debate
approx 80. Green Party
approx 81. Cruz
approx 82. Arianna
DEAD LAST - Red Davis.

[ambrose]

A Cruz Bustamante "NO ON PROP 54" ad just aired on channel 9 in Los Angeles! A judge ordered him to give that money back immediately!

[novacation]

I was referring to the voters that will be pulled one way or the other be charm and looks and not issues. Not attacking anyone's candidate. At least not in this thread.Arnold will get some votes because he makes movies. Those are the dim wits I meant.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Yawn. Begone fool!

[FreeReign]

McClintock in still young. He has a bright future.

Where? He would have to move to Montana... or something.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

He may be right...but being right doesn't necessarily win votes (or in this case prevent giving your opponent "red meat" to drive up their turnout). I'm not calling it fatal, just an unnecessary tactical error. He'd have been better advised never to mention Texas -- remember all those "Texas" companies that were vilified by Democrats in California over the energy debacle. That came from unions -- unions are extremely powerful, still, on the west coast.

It was, fortunately, the only thing I saw Arnold do that could provide any ammunition to the RATS -- everything else was squeaky clean. But it was unnecessary.

[Partisan Hack]

Tom who?

The guy that's going to get Bustamante elected. That Tom.

[SteveH]

Steve, I would hope Schwarzenegger got in, did some good things and few bad things. Then in 2006, 2010 he could support Tom for Governor. Perhaps he could support him for Senate or something before that. It needn't necessarily have to be a bad setting that ushered Tom in.

Sure, good points.

Btw did you see "Da Mayor's" after-debate comments? He thought Arnold did "exactly what he needed to do": continue to be vague on policy issues, and keep entertaining the crowd with one-liners.

Things get crazy when even the ultra-liberals start rooting for Arnold :-(

;-)

[Greg Packer]

"I did NOT, repeat did NOT mean YOU guys, the 'Admin Moderators of FR'!!!

It's your story. Tell it any way you want. The rest of us know better.

[Kevin Curry]

He may be right...but being right doesn't necessarily win votes

It wins mine.

[Chantal]

If only Arnold had walked over to Ariana and given her one of these.

I don't think so...remember Lazio? It costs him big time.

[jmstein7]

No doubt. I'm just predicting how far the L.A. Crimes will go to keep the Dems in office.

You will certainly see glowing GLOWING stories about McClintock tomorrow. While the are probably factually accurate, they will puff a LOT to drive the McClintock voters crazy (like throwing dogs raw meat). Sometimes, they will latch on to baiting stories and Push-Polls because they are being told what they want to hear.

I'm saying this now in the hope that we will try to keep some perspective -- such as WHO is putting out these stories and polls and WHY; remember... the LA TIMES HATES CONSERVATIVES in CA. If they are showcasing McClintock or publishing certain polls... there is a reason and agenda behind it.

[lainie]

Thanks Doughty :)

[EternalVigilance]

Someone that's been at the public trough most of their life?.....

At the public trough? Just because a legislator gets a wage for doing the job they were elected to do doesn't mean they are 'at the public trough'.

If you didn't pay elected officials, the only people who could serve would be a) the wealthy b) those on welfare c) those on someone's $pecial interest payroll.

People like Ross Perot, who made his billion$ from government contracts, can be catagorized as 'feeding at the public trough'; but to classify Tom McClintock that way is highly unfair.

[WOSG]

Tom didnt need to center himself, as Cruz and the rest are total Leftists.

Arnold already has staked out the center; Tom pretending to be a centrist would make his candidacy irrelevent.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

McClintock was winning, but stumbled at the very end.

He had a great chance to pin the failure to adequatefully funding CA infrastructure on the true culprits (the Dims) when he framed it as a thirty year problem. Blown opportunity!

[Will_Zurmacht]

Whats this aah, whats this I say?
A Democrat a-campaignin' in a most illegal manner?
Well, I never!
-Foghorn Leghorn, viewing Bustamove ads

[CyberAnt]

Okay, okay - pretty puhleeeeeeeze with sugar on it!!

[kingu]

I was watching the debate with a bunch of Democrats, two of which I would describe as being radical lesbian feminists. They listened to Huffington, who has been their darling in the race, then they listened to Bustamante. "She's a [female dog]," commented one. "And that fat slug next to her wouldn't be fit for her dinner bowl," commented the other. At the end of the debate, the general consensus of the room was:

Tom won the debate, hands down. Most wished he was just a tad less conservative. They all agreed with the suggestion from KFI's John and Ken that Arnold and Tom would make a great team, and then sighed, shruged their shoulders and said that they were going to vote for a Republican for the first time in their lives. "I just can't afford to have more of my money taken away, and just wasted by idiots like Bustamante and Davis."

So, at the end, the straw poll was: 1 for Camejo (She has a poster of a computerized Hummer burning), 8 for Arnold, and one for no on recall with no candidate selected for the second part (Her comment was: Well, we have elections every four years for a reason, I don't want to have to re-vote every time someone feels they have an issue to bring...)

[BlueNgold]

McClintock came across as a knee deep been here forever poltician / policy wonk ... it plays well within the pundit circles, but I don't think it plays well in the 'burbs.