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CNN Live Sunday

Republican Political Landscape Changes After Simon's Dropping Out

Aired August 24, 2003 - 16:31   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.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Things are heating up, politically that is, in California. Some gubernatorial candidates are hoping to gain momentum now that Bill Simon is out of the recall race. CNN's Miguel Marquez is live from Los Angeles with the latest on this -- Miguel.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you there, Renay? When aren't things heating up here in California these days? With one in four major Republican candidates dropping out yesterday, today there was a new political landscape. Looming large in that landscape is the latest "L.A. Times" poll showing Cruz Bustamante with 35 percent support among likely voters, and Schwarzenegger at 22 percent. Quite a reversal. Keep in mind, thoough, these polls are kind of a slice and a look at time, a very specific bit of time.

Now, Schwarzenegger's camp says the poll was taken before Mr. Schwarzenegger's television ads came out this week and before he met with his economic advisers. His spokesperson also said the poll was taken before Cruz Bustamante, the most prominent Democrat in the race, released his economic plan, which called for some new taxes.

One thing that seems to be shaping up in all of this, that it appears Cruz Bustamante, not Gray Davis, is Arnold Schwarzenegger's No. 1 target.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAVID DREIER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Bustamante is still strong, and I happen to believe that this is a race that will really come down to Arnold Schwarzenegger versus Cruz Bustamante, assuming that we recall Gray Davis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: But now Mr. Schwarzenegger has to defend himself on his right flank as well. That same "L.A. Times" poll shows Republican Tom McClintock climbing into double digits for the first time, something the Schwarzenegger camp would like to see go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREIER: I think Tom McClintock is a fine individual. I hope that at the end of the day, and I hope as soon as possible, that we can in fact rally around one candidate.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MARQUEZ: Now, one more thing to keep in mind if you can. Just what sort of factor is former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth going to play in all this? He's at 7 percent in the "L.A. Times" poll. He hasn't even done a lot of campaigning yet, but he has radio ads coming out this week and a town hall meeting starting this week as well, and he's raised lots and lots of money.

I spoke to some of his people today, and they believe his support will be coming from the political center, taking votes away both from Mr. Schwarzenegger on the right and Mr. Bustamante on the left. Interesting stuff -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: It is. I mean, it's turning into quite a circus out there. I'm wondering, though. You talked about where the political support might be coming from, the moderate or the liberal parts of the wings of these various parties. What about the financial support? What are we hearing about where the money's coming from? It seems like some of these folks are going to be dipping into the same well sooner or later.

SAN MIGUEl: At some point they will. That was one point the candidates made yesterday with Mr. Simon dropping out of the race, that that frees up all those dollars that would go to Mr. Simon to go to Mr. McClintock or Mr. Schwarzenegger's camp.

But right now Schwarzenegger seems to be raising the most money mainly because he's written himself two checks for a million dollars apiece. But a lot of the candidates, Peter Ueberroth is one, who has raised a lot of money. He's raised more money outside of giving it himself than any other candidate. So we're waiting to see, I think, where a lot of these -- a lot of the money goes.

The other thing to keep in mind that a lot of the labor unions, the gaming tribes out here, the Indian tribes that do a ought of gambling out here, they have yet to put a lot of their money down. They're still looking at the political field figuring out where do we spend our money and where is it best spent -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. And the weeks just keep ticking away here to October 7. Miguel Marquez in California. Thanks so much.

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




Dropping Out>


Aired August 24, 2003 - 16:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Things are heating up, politically that is, in California. Some gubernatorial candidates are hoping to gain momentum now that Bill Simon is out of the recall race. CNN's Miguel Marquez is live from Los Angeles with the latest on this -- Miguel.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you there, Renay? When aren't things heating up here in California these days? With one in four major Republican candidates dropping out yesterday, today there was a new political landscape. Looming large in that landscape is the latest "L.A. Times" poll showing Cruz Bustamante with 35 percent support among likely voters, and Schwarzenegger at 22 percent. Quite a reversal. Keep in mind, thoough, these polls are kind of a slice and a look at time, a very specific bit of time.

Now, Schwarzenegger's camp says the poll was taken before Mr. Schwarzenegger's television ads came out this week and before he met with his economic advisers. His spokesperson also said the poll was taken before Cruz Bustamante, the most prominent Democrat in the race, released his economic plan, which called for some new taxes.

One thing that seems to be shaping up in all of this, that it appears Cruz Bustamante, not Gray Davis, is Arnold Schwarzenegger's No. 1 target.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAVID DREIER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Bustamante is still strong, and I happen to believe that this is a race that will really come down to Arnold Schwarzenegger versus Cruz Bustamante, assuming that we recall Gray Davis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: But now Mr. Schwarzenegger has to defend himself on his right flank as well. That same "L.A. Times" poll shows Republican Tom McClintock climbing into double digits for the first time, something the Schwarzenegger camp would like to see go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREIER: I think Tom McClintock is a fine individual. I hope that at the end of the day, and I hope as soon as possible, that we can in fact rally around one candidate.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MARQUEZ: Now, one more thing to keep in mind if you can. Just what sort of factor is former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth going to play in all this? He's at 7 percent in the "L.A. Times" poll. He hasn't even done a lot of campaigning yet, but he has radio ads coming out this week and a town hall meeting starting this week as well, and he's raised lots and lots of money.

I spoke to some of his people today, and they believe his support will be coming from the political center, taking votes away both from Mr. Schwarzenegger on the right and Mr. Bustamante on the left. Interesting stuff -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: It is. I mean, it's turning into quite a circus out there. I'm wondering, though. You talked about where the political support might be coming from, the moderate or the liberal parts of the wings of these various parties. What about the financial support? What are we hearing about where the money's coming from? It seems like some of these folks are going to be dipping into the same well sooner or later.

SAN MIGUEl: At some point they will. That was one point the candidates made yesterday with Mr. Simon dropping out of the race, that that frees up all those dollars that would go to Mr. Simon to go to Mr. McClintock or Mr. Schwarzenegger's camp.

But right now Schwarzenegger seems to be raising the most money mainly because he's written himself two checks for a million dollars apiece. But a lot of the candidates, Peter Ueberroth is one, who has raised a lot of money. He's raised more money outside of giving it himself than any other candidate. So we're waiting to see, I think, where a lot of these -- a lot of the money goes.

The other thing to keep in mind that a lot of the labor unions, the gaming tribes out here, the Indian tribes that do a ought of gambling out here, they have yet to put a lot of their money down. They're still looking at the political field figuring out where do we spend our money and where is it best spent -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Exactly. And the weeks just keep ticking away here to October 7. Miguel Marquez in California. Thanks so much.

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




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