- LOS ANGELES (Reuters)
- Californians rose up in political revolution on Tuesday, storming the
polls in record numbers to throw their governor out of office and elect
in his place Arnold Schwarzenegger -- an Austrian-born action film star
who tapped a deep vein of voter anger.
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- Gov. Gray Davis was swept out of office in stunning defeat
as Californians vented their fury over the state's sputtering economy and
the career politician leading them, a man who once dreamed of winning the
White House.
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- "We've had a lot of good nights over the last 20
years but tonight the people decided it was time for someone else to serve
and I accept their judgment," Davis said in conceding the election
to Schwarzenegger in an emotional speech in Los Angeles, before supporters
who booed the results.
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- "I am calling on everyone in this state to put the
chaos and division behind us and do what is right for this great state
of California," Davis said. "He will have the full cooperation
of my administration in the transition."
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- The recall vote means that the nation's most populous
state will be ruled by a Republican governor heading into a presidential
election year -- a possible boost for President Bush.
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- With nearly 30 percent of precincts reporting, 56 percent
of voters wanted Davis out while 44 favored him. Schwarzenegger led his
nearest rival, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, in the replacement section of
the ballot by a nearly 2 to 1 margin, 50 to 31 percent, with Republican
Tom McClintock third with about 13 percent.
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- If the numbers hold, it would mean that the two Republican
candidates together polled about two-thirds of the vote.
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- FIRST CONCESSION SPEECH
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- McClintock conceded gracefully, saying "This is
a great day for California. History will record that on this day in response
to a common danger, the people of California rose to their duties as citizens
and ordered a new direction for our state." His was the first concession
speech of the evening by a major candidate.
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- Davis had called the recall a "right-wing power
grab" and boasted that he would survive, but the political veteran
with 30 years of climbing the statehouse ladder was beaten by a man who
never spent a day in government service.
-
- The historic recall election that only months ago was
written off as a circus with 135 candidates -- including a porn star, smut
peddler, sumo wrestler and a muscleman with the foreign accent -- became
a watershed political moment.
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- Davis, reelected only in November, became the first governor
of California ever essentially fired by the people who put him in office
and Republicans gained a critical bully pulpit in a heavily Democratic
state with the 2004 presidential election looming.
-
- Schwarzenegger also appeared headed for a commanding
victory from voters, who embraced his lack of political experience and
outsider status and shrugged off a blizzard of last-minute sexual harassment
allegations by 15 women. The newspaper that printed the allegations, the
Los Angeles Times, said it received a barrage of criticism and 1,000 subscription
cancellations.
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- An estimated 10 million California voters cast ballots
in the special election, 30 percent more than voted in the governor's race
that reelected Davis last year and the biggest turnout for any nonpresidential
contest in state history, according to the Field Research Corp.
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- RECALL THEM ALL?
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- Political analysts said the lion's share of the higher
turnout was coming from disaffected voters galvanized by Schwarzenegger.
-
- Experts said the "Terminator" star took advantage
of the political landscape in California, where voters felt ignored by
their leaders in Sacramento and cut off from their government amid a worsening
state economy that politicians failed to fix because of fierce partisan
squabbling.
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- "If Californians had the constitutional right to
recall all 120 members of the state legislature they probably would have
done that too," Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican political consultant,
said.
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- Analysts said that despite the news media's fixation
on Schwarzenegger, the key to the election was not so much the action film
star as it was Davis -- a profoundly uncharismatic man who seemed passionate
only about raising campaign funds and was estranged from many state leaders.
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- "He was all but marginalized and ineffectual and
the voters knew it and they were fed up with it," Hoffenblum said.
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- While some pundits ascribed Schwarzenegger's success
on the replacement ballot to his movie star status and Populist rhetoric,
analysts said much of the actor's strength came from his centrist message.
The Republican staked out socially liberal and fiscally conservative positions
that appealed to most Californians.
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- "You had Cruz Bustamante on the left talking about
$8 billion in new taxes and more rights for illegal immigrants and Tom
McClintock on the right and they gave the entire middle to Arnold Schwarzenegger,"
Hoffenblum said.
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- Schwarzenegger's ascendance was seen as a victory for
Republicans -- who hold few statewide offices and saw the state vote for
Democrat Al Gore in the last presidential election -- and devastating to
Democrats who control both houses of the legislature but now must work
with the new governor to solve the state's problems or face voter rage
themselves.
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- Although results seemed clear Tuesday night after polls
closed it could be weeks until the state certifies the official result
and some observers held out the prospect of a recount or court challenge.
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