Davis still hanging in there

Longer-time readers should know I harbor no good will for Gray Davis. And his recent mocking of Schwarzenegger's accent (who was actually pronouncing "California" correctly) has done nothing for my distaste for the man.

But I oppose the recall as a sleazy power grab by Republicans who can't stomach losing a fair election. In that regards, I have always maintained Davis would survive. Not because anyonme likes Davis (few do), but because there were higher principles at stake.

So this latest poll is further fuel to my relatively bold prediction:

California voters are almost evenly split on whether to recall Gov. Gray Davis, and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante retains a narrow lead over Arnold Schwarzenegger in the tightening race for a successor, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll.

Likely voters in the Oct. 7 election support the ouster of Davis by 50% to 47%, with just 3% undecided, the poll found. The result, a statistical tossup, is virtually unchanged from an August Times poll.

The Democratic governor remains highly unpopular, but by at least one measure, his standing has improved: 63% of likely voters disapprove of his job performance, down from 72% in last month's poll.

In the successor portion of the ballot, Bustamante has a 30-25 lead over Schwarzenneger, which is a smaller margin than the last LAT poll, but more in line with recent Field Polls (which I maintain is the only poll that matters this race).

This race is a tossup in both parts of the ballot, and will ultimately come down to turnout. But we knew that from day one.

Posted September 12, 2003 10:49 AM | Comments (55)