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American Morning

Recall Campaign

Aired June 17, 2003 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Very interesting political story in California, has not happened in America in more than 80 years, and it has never happened before in California. The governor, Gray Davis, re-elected only seven months ago, may be in serious danger right now of losing his job. There's a recall campaign is being mounted with money from a Republican congressman. It could become a strange political circus. Where else but California?
Jeff Greenfield here to sort it out.

Good morning to you.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: Good morning.

HEMMER: How about some history, some background? How did we get to this point already?

GREENFIELD: Well, go back about a century, when I was a little boy. California under its crusading reform governor, Heirom Johnson (ph), gave its citizens the power to use the ballot to enact new laws and also to remove officials.

Now, in the past, California has made some political history here. In 1978, it enacted prop 13, proposition 13, that put strict limits on property taxes increases, in 1986, it voted to oust three Supreme Court justices, including the chief justice, Rose Bird (ph), for being soft on crime and the death penalty.

But in 31 prior tries, no governor of California has ever been subjected to a recall vote. But Gray Davis has suffered a series of political wounds, many self-inflicted. A lot of Democrats has long through he's concerned only with his own political prospects, not with any greater political goals.

Last year, California was hit by the energy crisis, rolling blackouts, high prices, and then, after Davis was narrowly elected against one of the most incompetent opponents in memory, Californians wanted to make $38 billion, with a 'b,' billion dollar budget deficit, a mix of tax hikes, but in services, from schools on down, so he got in trouble.

HEMMER: So you got a governor here who Republicans would say is right for the picking. Wait for '04 and give it your best go to try and knock him off of his throne. However, who stepped in in the meantime?

GREENFIELD: His term actually goes through the end of '06, but they were hoping to have Davis there in '04 when Bush is up for re- election. Maybe take that biggest state.

But here's what happened, Congressman Darrell Issa (ph). He's a wealthy congressman. He's got some gubernatorial ambitions of his own, and he threw some $700,000 of his money into the effort to pay people to gather the 900,000 signatures they needed. Now you plug that into Davis' 24 percent approval rating, as low as you can get, I've heard, and that really started the ball rolling.

HEMMER: So if they get the votes, if they get 900,000 signatures, let's say that, things get kind of dicey?

GREENFIELD: Now you're talking circus, because voters, not just a recall. You have to understand. Oh no, not in California. They've got a two-part ballot. First, do you want to recall the governor. If no wins, he stays. But if yes wins, Davis is out. He can't run again, as in most other states.

Instead, on that same ballot, voters are then asked, OK, who or whom do you want? Anyone with 10,000 signatures, or $3,500 and 65 signatures can be on that ballot. And there is no primary, no runoff. Whoever, or whomever, gets the most votes is governor for the next three years. This means that anyone with gubernatorial dreams can take a shot, ranging from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. She ran for that job in 1990. Every statewide official, Democrats all, wanted to run in '06. There are Republicans, and there are politically inclined show business folks. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who successfully led one of those fights on the ballot for after-school money.

And on the other side the spectrum, Schwarzenegger's a Republican, Director Rob Reiner. He successfully led a program for early childhood development programs. And even if 10 percent vote for you, and that's more than the other 400 people, you're the governor.

In other words, if 48 percent the people want Davis to stay, but he's out in the first part of the ballot, and then 10 percent pick, I don't know, Schwarzenegger, Rob Reiner, you know, whoever, he or she is the governor. It this is on the ballot this fall, and I'm right now telling the CNN executives, I am moving out to California for two months, because this is going to make the 2000 presidential runoff look a croquet match.

HEMMER: Wait, another order of crow. You know, I think your headquarters would look very nice in Santa Barbara.

GREENFIELD: I'm glad you said that, because That happens to be the key city in this whole state where intend to base my intense political coverage.

And one quick thing, there really is an issue here that I don't think the Californians figured out when they put this system. Because in most states, you recall the governor, and the governor has a chance to say, OK, you recalled me, but I want another shot. Or you vote for somebody who gets 50 percent of the vote. Here, 40 people on the ballot, 10 percent of the people vote for Schwarzenegger, Rob Reiner, Dianne Feinstein.

HEMMER: Or Jeff Greenfield.

GREENFIELD: I'm not a citizen.

Too bad, right. Hell of a job. More job security than on television.

HEMMER: I would say.

GREENFIELD: But it is going to be the best. If you like political circuses, if you like strange things, this is going to be one of best political stories in years.

HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff. Good to talk with you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 17, 2003 - 09:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Very interesting political story in California, has not happened in America in more than 80 years, and it has never happened before in California. The governor, Gray Davis, re-elected only seven months ago, may be in serious danger right now of losing his job. There's a recall campaign is being mounted with money from a Republican congressman. It could become a strange political circus. Where else but California?
Jeff Greenfield here to sort it out.

Good morning to you.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: Good morning.

HEMMER: How about some history, some background? How did we get to this point already?

GREENFIELD: Well, go back about a century, when I was a little boy. California under its crusading reform governor, Heirom Johnson (ph), gave its citizens the power to use the ballot to enact new laws and also to remove officials.

Now, in the past, California has made some political history here. In 1978, it enacted prop 13, proposition 13, that put strict limits on property taxes increases, in 1986, it voted to oust three Supreme Court justices, including the chief justice, Rose Bird (ph), for being soft on crime and the death penalty.

But in 31 prior tries, no governor of California has ever been subjected to a recall vote. But Gray Davis has suffered a series of political wounds, many self-inflicted. A lot of Democrats has long through he's concerned only with his own political prospects, not with any greater political goals.

Last year, California was hit by the energy crisis, rolling blackouts, high prices, and then, after Davis was narrowly elected against one of the most incompetent opponents in memory, Californians wanted to make $38 billion, with a 'b,' billion dollar budget deficit, a mix of tax hikes, but in services, from schools on down, so he got in trouble.

HEMMER: So you got a governor here who Republicans would say is right for the picking. Wait for '04 and give it your best go to try and knock him off of his throne. However, who stepped in in the meantime?

GREENFIELD: His term actually goes through the end of '06, but they were hoping to have Davis there in '04 when Bush is up for re- election. Maybe take that biggest state.

But here's what happened, Congressman Darrell Issa (ph). He's a wealthy congressman. He's got some gubernatorial ambitions of his own, and he threw some $700,000 of his money into the effort to pay people to gather the 900,000 signatures they needed. Now you plug that into Davis' 24 percent approval rating, as low as you can get, I've heard, and that really started the ball rolling.

HEMMER: So if they get the votes, if they get 900,000 signatures, let's say that, things get kind of dicey?

GREENFIELD: Now you're talking circus, because voters, not just a recall. You have to understand. Oh no, not in California. They've got a two-part ballot. First, do you want to recall the governor. If no wins, he stays. But if yes wins, Davis is out. He can't run again, as in most other states.

Instead, on that same ballot, voters are then asked, OK, who or whom do you want? Anyone with 10,000 signatures, or $3,500 and 65 signatures can be on that ballot. And there is no primary, no runoff. Whoever, or whomever, gets the most votes is governor for the next three years. This means that anyone with gubernatorial dreams can take a shot, ranging from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. She ran for that job in 1990. Every statewide official, Democrats all, wanted to run in '06. There are Republicans, and there are politically inclined show business folks. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who successfully led one of those fights on the ballot for after-school money.

And on the other side the spectrum, Schwarzenegger's a Republican, Director Rob Reiner. He successfully led a program for early childhood development programs. And even if 10 percent vote for you, and that's more than the other 400 people, you're the governor.

In other words, if 48 percent the people want Davis to stay, but he's out in the first part of the ballot, and then 10 percent pick, I don't know, Schwarzenegger, Rob Reiner, you know, whoever, he or she is the governor. It this is on the ballot this fall, and I'm right now telling the CNN executives, I am moving out to California for two months, because this is going to make the 2000 presidential runoff look a croquet match.

HEMMER: Wait, another order of crow. You know, I think your headquarters would look very nice in Santa Barbara.

GREENFIELD: I'm glad you said that, because That happens to be the key city in this whole state where intend to base my intense political coverage.

And one quick thing, there really is an issue here that I don't think the Californians figured out when they put this system. Because in most states, you recall the governor, and the governor has a chance to say, OK, you recalled me, but I want another shot. Or you vote for somebody who gets 50 percent of the vote. Here, 40 people on the ballot, 10 percent of the people vote for Schwarzenegger, Rob Reiner, Dianne Feinstein.

HEMMER: Or Jeff Greenfield.

GREENFIELD: I'm not a citizen.

Too bad, right. Hell of a job. More job security than on television.

HEMMER: I would say.

GREENFIELD: But it is going to be the best. If you like political circuses, if you like strange things, this is going to be one of best political stories in years.

HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff. Good to talk with you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com