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CNN Sunday Morning

A Look at Second-Tier California Gubernatorial Candidates

Aired August 17, 2003 - 07:09   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: There's a new field poll on the California recall and Arnold Schwarzenegger is not in the lead. Prospective voters gave their vote of confidence to Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante. He garnered 25 percent to 22 percent, for Schwarzenegger, and 14 percent were undecided. The rest of the field lagged far behind as conservative state Senator Tom McClintock leading them with 9 percent. The large amount of Republicans in the race may be sapping support from Schwarzenegger campaign, but none have indicated that they are looking to drop out. And 5 percent of those polled choose, none of the above.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: And what about all those others that continually pop up in the myriad of California polls? Bob Franken takes a look at what we'll call the second tier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Even the everybody- else-list of candidates has a pecking order. In the top tier of those who are still given the proverbial snowball's chance, we find the likes of the man beaten by Gray Davis the last time around, Bill Simon, making another stab at it.

BILL SIMON (R), CA. GOV. CANDIDATE: Our state is on the verge of fiscal meltdown. It's nothing short of an impending disaster.

FRANKEN: Simon is duking it out with state Senator Tom McClintock for the hearts and minds of the conservative Republican vote.

SIMON: I was the top Republican vote getter in last year's election, so I'm very confident I'm bringing a very solid core base of support to this election.

FRANKEN: Then there's Peter Ueberroth, the former baseball commissioner, and Los Angeles Olympics organizer, now considered such a long shot that he intends to run a campaign based on substance.

And then there's Arianna Huffington, the well-known columnist and very rich person.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON (I), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: I have pledged that I'm not going to spend more than $10 million. I believe there is way too much money being spent.

FRANKEN: She is now getting free publicity, but it's coverage of the fact that for all her millions, she paid no federal taxes last year and $771 to California. She cited business losses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a loyal member of the Green Party.

FRANKEN: Now she has agreed to run a cooperative campaign with the chief Green Party candidate, Peter Camejo. That's right, in California the Green Party has become a part of the political establishment.

(on camera): All together, there are 135 on the ballot. And there's always the possibility, with more than six weeks to go, that some surprise might catapult one of them into the real chance category, but most agree it would have to be a huge surprise.

Bob Franken, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 17, 2003 - 07:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: There's a new field poll on the California recall and Arnold Schwarzenegger is not in the lead. Prospective voters gave their vote of confidence to Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante. He garnered 25 percent to 22 percent, for Schwarzenegger, and 14 percent were undecided. The rest of the field lagged far behind as conservative state Senator Tom McClintock leading them with 9 percent. The large amount of Republicans in the race may be sapping support from Schwarzenegger campaign, but none have indicated that they are looking to drop out. And 5 percent of those polled choose, none of the above.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: And what about all those others that continually pop up in the myriad of California polls? Bob Franken takes a look at what we'll call the second tier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Even the everybody- else-list of candidates has a pecking order. In the top tier of those who are still given the proverbial snowball's chance, we find the likes of the man beaten by Gray Davis the last time around, Bill Simon, making another stab at it.

BILL SIMON (R), CA. GOV. CANDIDATE: Our state is on the verge of fiscal meltdown. It's nothing short of an impending disaster.

FRANKEN: Simon is duking it out with state Senator Tom McClintock for the hearts and minds of the conservative Republican vote.

SIMON: I was the top Republican vote getter in last year's election, so I'm very confident I'm bringing a very solid core base of support to this election.

FRANKEN: Then there's Peter Ueberroth, the former baseball commissioner, and Los Angeles Olympics organizer, now considered such a long shot that he intends to run a campaign based on substance.

And then there's Arianna Huffington, the well-known columnist and very rich person.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON (I), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: I have pledged that I'm not going to spend more than $10 million. I believe there is way too much money being spent.

FRANKEN: She is now getting free publicity, but it's coverage of the fact that for all her millions, she paid no federal taxes last year and $771 to California. She cited business losses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a loyal member of the Green Party.

FRANKEN: Now she has agreed to run a cooperative campaign with the chief Green Party candidate, Peter Camejo. That's right, in California the Green Party has become a part of the political establishment.

(on camera): All together, there are 135 on the ballot. And there's always the possibility, with more than six weeks to go, that some surprise might catapult one of them into the real chance category, but most agree it would have to be a huge surprise.

Bob Franken, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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