<p>The morning host on KERN-AM (1410), Cox began plugging the actor's candidacy the morning after Schwarzenegger announced his campaign on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."</p>
<p>The payback has been handsome. Cox, who looks like a lot of 39-year-old guys around here — tall, husky and with a tricked-out truck — now is easily recognized around town, a rarity for a voice on the radio. His show has soared in popularity, beaten in the morning commute hours only by KUZZ-AM (550), a country radio station owned by Buck Owens.</p>