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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (471188)	10/5/2003 8:50:14 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

The latest Field Poll, released Friday, found those surveyed mixed on whether the recall is good or bad for the state, with 51 percent saying good and 44 percent saying bad. But asked whether electing a new governor would get the state moving in a new direction, 60 percent said yes and 33 percent said no. "I think voters are thinking it's gotten to such a bad state, we've got to do something," Schwarzenegger said. If Schwarzenegger wins, he will feel conflicting pressures to respond to the forces that put him in office: partisan Republican desires to regain power in Sacramento and citizen demands for an end to politics as usual. Democrats see that as a potentially serious problem if Republicans win. "The truth is, if they get into power, they're going to have to wield it, and that's going to be a lot more difficult than they're letting on," Democratic strategist Gale Kaufman said. State GOP chairman Duf Sundheim said voters see Schwarzenegger as a vehicle for change. "What Schwarzenegger has tapped into, and will be his real challenge, is that the people of California expect him to do the right thing. That means balancing those different interests and moving the state forward together." Former state GOP chairman Mike Schroeder predicted that, if Davis is recalled and Schwarzenegger voted in as his replacement, the actor will clash with party conservatives. "If he wins, you're going to see ideological warfare begin to break out," he said. "He was adamant about not making concessions about policy in order to get support. A lot of conservatives may not have endorsed Schwarzenegger. That's an indication that unless he can figure out a way to reach an accommodation with conservatives, the warfare may break out sooner rather than later." That could depend on the relationship Schwarzenegger develops with the other principal Republican on the ballot Tuesday, conservative state Rep. Tom McClintock. The stakes for Republicans here on Tuesday are sizable. "California Republicans have had such a difficult time since [governor] Pete Wilson left office [in 1999] that an opportunity like the one presented by the recall can't be overstated," GOP strategist Dan Schnur said. "If Schwarzenegger wins, it jump-starts the party's comeback, it grows the Republican base and gives a tremendous boost to the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign. If Davis survives, it's hard to imagine how things could get much worse." But the risks for Democrats may be equally great. Losing the governor's office, particularly to a Republican who has the potential to draw new voters to the GOP, could threaten the party's grip on power over time. "We've blown it completely," lamented one Democratic strategist. "Democrats will have to show some leadership, which they haven't shown." The two-month recall campaign that ends Tuesday -- and the petition drive that made it possible -- has highlighted the depth of voter dissatisfaction in this state. Tuesday's results and how the politicians here respond will help determine how long it continues and how far it spreads. washingtonpost.com