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American Morning
Ballot Follies
Aired August 12, 2003 - 08:37 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: Does Arnold Schwarzenegger stand a chance of winning this recall election? And will the vote become a replay of the infamous presidential vote in Florida back in November and December of 2000? Let's talk about it. Down in D.C., Victor Kamber, the Kamber Group, Democratic consultant.
Vic, good morning to you.
VICTOR KAMBER, THE KAMBER GROUP: Good morning.
HEMMER: We have you on the West Coast, which is good for your wake-up time, anyway.
Columnist Betsy Hart of Scripps Howard News Service is with us as well.
Betsy, good morning to you.
BETSY HART, COLUMNIST, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE: Good morning.
HEMMER: Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING.
You had great line, Betsy. The field of candidates is like the bar scene out of "Star Wars."
HART: Yes, and it's gotten worse since said that a few days ago as now it could be close 200 candidates on that ballot. Obviously, everybody's looking at Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But I'm beginning to think that Gray Davis might take an out here. I wouldn't be surprised if the Democrats got to him say in another month, if his numbers continued to drop and said, look, withdraw from the race. Cruz Bustamante would become governor, and I think you would then have a question as to whether or not the recall could continue. You can at least send it into legal limbo land.
HEMMER: So, Besty, that's your hunch, right?
HART: Yes, I just cannot believe that if Gray Davis continues to see his numbers plummet and Arnold's rise that the Democrats won't be able to make a real good case for him, get out now, we'll give you something else.
HEMMER: OK, I got your point.
Vic, what about it? Do you buy that? Is it possible? KAMBER: I don't think it's possible. I think he had to withdraw before the 8th of August if it was to create a new election.
I think what's so outrageous here, and I really do think it's outrageous, is the Republican Party can't stand the fact they lost in the election and they're trying to subvert democracy. Five months after an election, five months, nothing happened in the legislation, nothing happened to this governor after the election. They went out and started collecting signatures for a recall.
Now we just had an election. The Republicans nominated a bozo, so maybe that's yet bozo lost. But the fact, is the electorate of California elected somebody. That's what elections are about. If they want to throw him out for energy, or incompetence or lack of leadership, they had a chance, and they didn't throw him out. They kept him.
HEMMER: Let me just interject. I think Betsy's point that was Gray Davis withdraws and says, I put all my support behind Bustamante.
KAMBER: No, I know what she's saying. I'm saying, I don't think it can happen today. It could have happened by August 8th. I was going back to the same premise of the ridiculousness of this whole process.
HART: If the governor withdraws for any reason, Cruz Bustamante becomes governor, and I think there would be a good case to be made that you could obviate the entire recall election that way.
KAMBER: I know what you're saying, but I think the courts have already that there would have to be an election after it was called and qualified for.
HART: Moving to the larger issue of what's going on and how did we get into this mess in the first place, keep in mind that over the last hundred years or so, this attempt to recall the governor of California has been tried close to 40 times, and it's never actually happened. This is the first time there's been this much of a ground swell of popular support for a recall, because you had such a problem with the governor, such fiscal irresponsibility, and of course, it turned out that he lied, that you know, the big issue is that he lied about the deficit, covered it up, and when that information came out, because he lied about it.
KAMBER: Oh, come on, Betsy.
HART: The truth of the size of the deficit was $38 billion, and then the people of California said, wait a minute, we didn't have that information when he was elected.
KAMBER: They had equal money for gray Davis.
HART: I don't disagree with you that this is an entirely chaotic process, but I'd also argue...
HEMMER: Hey, guys, we're about out of time. 30 seconds left. Back to the "Star Wars" analogy. Who's Luke Skywalker in all of this?
Vic, your shot first.
KAMBER: Probably Cruz Bustamante.
HEMMER: You think he wins?
KAMBER: No, oh, I think who wins in the end. Today, if I was betting with my money, I'd have to say probably Arnold. I think that Gray is defeated and Arnold wins. I just hope that over a 60-day period the California voters will understand what they're buying and will not buy into Arnold Schwarzenegger.
HEMMER: If that's the case can Arnold Schwarzenegger save that state, Betsy?
HART: I think it would take a lot more than the Terminator to save California.
KAMBER: And I think he'll also be terminated by other people. There will probably be another recall that will recall him.
HEMMER: Let's go do it again. I think we'll have a chance. We've got two months to go. Betsy Hart, Victor Campbell, thanks to both of you. Be safe.
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 August 12, 2003 - 08:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Does Arnold Schwarzenegger stand a chance of winning this recall election? And will the vote become a replay of the infamous presidential vote in Florida back in November and December of 2000? Let's talk about it. Down in D.C., Victor Kamber, the Kamber Group, Democratic consultant.
Vic, good morning to you.
VICTOR KAMBER, THE KAMBER GROUP: Good morning.
HEMMER: We have you on the West Coast, which is good for your wake-up time, anyway.
Columnist Betsy Hart of Scripps Howard News Service is with us as well.
Betsy, good morning to you.
BETSY HART, COLUMNIST, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE: Good morning.
HEMMER: Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING.
You had great line, Betsy. The field of candidates is like the bar scene out of "Star Wars."
HART: Yes, and it's gotten worse since said that a few days ago as now it could be close 200 candidates on that ballot. Obviously, everybody's looking at Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But I'm beginning to think that Gray Davis might take an out here. I wouldn't be surprised if the Democrats got to him say in another month, if his numbers continued to drop and said, look, withdraw from the race. Cruz Bustamante would become governor, and I think you would then have a question as to whether or not the recall could continue. You can at least send it into legal limbo land.
HEMMER: So, Besty, that's your hunch, right?
HART: Yes, I just cannot believe that if Gray Davis continues to see his numbers plummet and Arnold's rise that the Democrats won't be able to make a real good case for him, get out now, we'll give you something else.
HEMMER: OK, I got your point.
Vic, what about it? Do you buy that? Is it possible? KAMBER: I don't think it's possible. I think he had to withdraw before the 8th of August if it was to create a new election.
I think what's so outrageous here, and I really do think it's outrageous, is the Republican Party can't stand the fact they lost in the election and they're trying to subvert democracy. Five months after an election, five months, nothing happened in the legislation, nothing happened to this governor after the election. They went out and started collecting signatures for a recall.
Now we just had an election. The Republicans nominated a bozo, so maybe that's yet bozo lost. But the fact, is the electorate of California elected somebody. That's what elections are about. If they want to throw him out for energy, or incompetence or lack of leadership, they had a chance, and they didn't throw him out. They kept him.
HEMMER: Let me just interject. I think Betsy's point that was Gray Davis withdraws and says, I put all my support behind Bustamante.
KAMBER: No, I know what she's saying. I'm saying, I don't think it can happen today. It could have happened by August 8th. I was going back to the same premise of the ridiculousness of this whole process.
HART: If the governor withdraws for any reason, Cruz Bustamante becomes governor, and I think there would be a good case to be made that you could obviate the entire recall election that way.
KAMBER: I know what you're saying, but I think the courts have already that there would have to be an election after it was called and qualified for.
HART: Moving to the larger issue of what's going on and how did we get into this mess in the first place, keep in mind that over the last hundred years or so, this attempt to recall the governor of California has been tried close to 40 times, and it's never actually happened. This is the first time there's been this much of a ground swell of popular support for a recall, because you had such a problem with the governor, such fiscal irresponsibility, and of course, it turned out that he lied, that you know, the big issue is that he lied about the deficit, covered it up, and when that information came out, because he lied about it.
KAMBER: Oh, come on, Betsy.
HART: The truth of the size of the deficit was $38 billion, and then the people of California said, wait a minute, we didn't have that information when he was elected.
KAMBER: They had equal money for gray Davis.
HART: I don't disagree with you that this is an entirely chaotic process, but I'd also argue...
HEMMER: Hey, guys, we're about out of time. 30 seconds left. Back to the "Star Wars" analogy. Who's Luke Skywalker in all of this?
Vic, your shot first.
KAMBER: Probably Cruz Bustamante.
HEMMER: You think he wins?
KAMBER: No, oh, I think who wins in the end. Today, if I was betting with my money, I'd have to say probably Arnold. I think that Gray is defeated and Arnold wins. I just hope that over a 60-day period the California voters will understand what they're buying and will not buy into Arnold Schwarzenegger.
HEMMER: If that's the case can Arnold Schwarzenegger save that state, Betsy?
HART: I think it would take a lot more than the Terminator to save California.
KAMBER: And I think he'll also be terminated by other people. There will probably be another recall that will recall him.
HEMMER: Let's go do it again. I think we'll have a chance. We've got two months to go. Betsy Hart, Victor Campbell, thanks to both of you. Be safe.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
