Jeff Koopersmith

Huffington Goes for the Jugular
Don Imus: "The shrill bitch should just go away [or some such similar bluster]"
by Jeff Koopersmith

Sept. 25, 2003 -- NEW YORK (apj.us) -- The debate this evening between five "serious" candidates seeking to replace Governor Gray Davis of California will go down in history as the most watched statewide office debate in history.

There is a single reason for this -- and his name is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Without the "Terminator" having been present, it's doubtful whether more than a few thousand people would have tuned it. Without Arnold it is doubtful that Gray Davis would lose the governor's mansion in Sacramento. Without Arnold there would be little of national or even statewide interest.

Without Arnold, California would cease to be amusing.

Anyone who reads my columns knows that I like Arianna Huffington very much. In fact, some of you will be surprised to learn that I think she would make a great governor of California. She's bright, articulate, and knows how to push buttons. Even mine.

Yet Arianna is lagging in the polls, and she had to go for Arnold's throat during this debate in order to make a last ditch attempt at moving her numbers a few points at least.

She may have succeeded, although Schwarzenegger did not take her bait -- except once when he suggested he had "a part for her in 'Terminator Four.'" In the spin room, after the debate, Ms. Huffington seized on this statement as another example of Mr. Schwarzenegger's unfortunate attitude toward women.

Whether her point has legs is another issue.

Ms. Huffington, if nothing else, could be a kingmaker here. With so many candidates in the race (135 at last count), she needs only to poll in the higher single digits to deny at least somebody, the governor's seat.

The Green Party candidate, Peter Camejo, was all too Green last night, but well spoken and calm until be began to spew some socialista commentary which hurt him rather than helped him -- specifically his rant about the rich. He lost the majority of the audience at that point.

In America today, it's not popular to target the successful, although a growing portion of the electorate has just about had it with laissez-faire capitalism. Camejo could steal some points, albeit few, from Cruz Bustamante -- California's reigning Lieutenant Governor, and the man who made the poorest showing tonight as he engaged Schwarzenegger as if Arnold was a child.

Bustamante, who certainly shares the blame for current economic conditions in California -- mainly from allowing corporate schemers to control the state -- seemed a like paternal lightweight. His remarks which singled out Mexican Americans or what it "illegal" aliens as the "indigenous" people of California did him little good except to pander to that voter bloc. His taking millions from American Indian gaming interests will in the end finish him. Mr. Bustamante has also been caught, twice, using the word "N!gger" to refer to black Americans, and his troublesome explanations for these public utterances serve to discredit him further.

Tom McClintock, whose role is unclear here in that he is only a potential spoiler for Schwarzenegger's hopes, was articulate but so far-right-of-center that even Schwarzenegger looks like a socialist next to him. Some pundits believe that McClintock will withdraw this week or next. If the Republican Party of California and President Bush's hack, Karl Rove, have their druthers, he will.

I'm betting on Rove.

One important thing to keep in mind is that McClintock did not attack Schwarzenegger in any way last night. To me, this is almost an underlinable sign that McClintock will withdraw, leaving Republicans with only Arnold on the ballot.

In retrospect, the debate was definitely a successful for Huffington in some ways, but it was Arnold Schwarzenegger who came out the victor. Huffington got tons of coverage nationally -- including a despicable remark by Don Imus early this morning on MSNBC. The "I-man" suggested on the air that "the shrill bitch" should just go away.

What Huffington will do about this is up in the air -- but she should say something.

What the body-builder-turned-businessman-cum-action-movie-star had to prove last evening was that he wasn't a muscle-bound moron. He proved it, and the other "contestants" did little to tear him down or belittle him. As Charlie LeDuff of the New York Times reported this morning, "[H]e also demonstrated knowledge of many of the issues facing the state."

Even Huffington, who earnestly did everything in her power to tear Schwarzenegger to bits, failed. Arnold had done a masterful job memorizing his lines. More than once he had the audience laughing out loud.

• "Arianna. Your personal income tax is the biggest loophole. I could drive my Hummer through it."
• On Arianna's effort to paint Schwarzenegger as part of the Bush Administration's attack on working : "Arianna if you want to campaign against Bush, then go to New Hampshire." More laughter. Schwarzenegger added, "You need a little more decaf."
• Speaking on the subject of Arianna's almost shameless appearance on the steps where Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, announced his candidacy: "...when you were waiting an hour and a half to do a photo op with me."

These are the statements that stood out last night. These are the sound bites that will be aired over and over again during the next two weeks leading up to the California election.

These are the statements; whether you like it or not, that will put Schwarzenegger in the governor's mansion should Governor Gray Davis be ejected from office by a well-financed attack on the electoral system in the United States.

Yet this is what you should concentrate on.

The voters in California elected Gray Davis, right or wrong, good or bad, as their governor -- twice. The idea that Davis, or any governor, could have controlled the evil of Enron or the skullduggery of the dot.com scam artists is absurd. The idea that any governor could control an out-of-control legislature that spent taxpayer dollars like tap water is ridiculous as well.

The entire recall movement, financed by one wealthy, egotistical and crybaby congressman is a scam -- a scam on the people of California.

Frankly, I don't care whether Gray Davis or Arnold Schwarzenegger is governor of California. What I do care about is the youth of California who are watching this insane destruction of our democracy out of the corners of their eyes and wondering if anyone takes anything seriously anymore.

If Mr. Davis is ousted, you can be certain of one thing -- another recall is already in the works.

It's a fine example of "democracy" similar to that witnessed by the world in Florida during the 2000 presidential election.

It makes one's stomach churn.

- - - - -

Speaking of the ballot, it may be days before we know who won or lost this special election. In several counties, because of the foolishness of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, thousands of California voters will have to use the Florida-style punch card voting machines and will be presented with a stack of several punch cards covering the one hundred plus candidates -- NOT IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER -- with which they will have to wrestle. In an election like this -- where even a few votes might make the difference -- all hell will break lose at polling places and at the office of the Secretary of State.

Watch for myriad legal challenges here should the count be close.

JEFF KOOPERSMITH is a political consultant, opinion research authority, policy analyst, and self-described "renegade lobbyist."