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CNN Live Today
California Recall One Week Away
Aired September 30, 2003 - 10:12 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well one week from today, California will hold its statewide election on the recall of Governor Gray Davis. The latest polls shows the governor's mansion could soon see a moving truck pulling up and a movie muscle man Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be in the driver's seat right now. He has got a key GOP endorsement riding shotgun with him.
For the latest on that, let's go to now our national correspondent Bob Franken, who's covering all of this for us, as he has from the start -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATL. CORRESPONDENT: Just a week. Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?
The fact is that this has been such a wild ride so far, but it's turning now into really more of a traditional kind of a campaign, which is to say that two candidates are the ones where really most of the focus is. One of them, Governor Gray Davis. He is the man who is trying to avoid the recall. The latest polls, particularly the CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, say he is going to lose. 63 percent of those considered probable voters said they would vote for the recall. But one of the rules in politics is you must put on a happy face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Are you kidding? We're going to win this race. This race is coming down to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis. And in the end, people will do the right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger is saying, yes, that's true. It is a race between Schwarzenegger and Davis and, no, he won't debate Gray Davis as the governor is demanding. And Tom McClintock says, wait just a minute here, I'm still around, I'll debate Gray Davis. Tom McClintock the more conservative Republican. He comes in at about 18 percent on the polls. Nobody is taking him up on his offer to debate.
As far as Arianna Huffington is concerned with her 2 percent, she is meeting with advisers, trying to decide whether to stay in the race and what to do with her support, probably less endorsing a candidate than opposing the recall.
So it's going down to the last week, bumps and grinds and all kind of surprises, and we'll probably have more before that week is over. HARRIS: Of course, there's plenty of time left. We have plenty of time for another controversy or two, we'll see.
Thanks, Bob. We'll see you in a little bit, Bob Franken.
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 September 30, 2003 - 10:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well one week from today, California will hold its statewide election on the recall of Governor Gray Davis. The latest polls shows the governor's mansion could soon see a moving truck pulling up and a movie muscle man Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be in the driver's seat right now. He has got a key GOP endorsement riding shotgun with him.
For the latest on that, let's go to now our national correspondent Bob Franken, who's covering all of this for us, as he has from the start -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATL. CORRESPONDENT: Just a week. Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?
The fact is that this has been such a wild ride so far, but it's turning now into really more of a traditional kind of a campaign, which is to say that two candidates are the ones where really most of the focus is. One of them, Governor Gray Davis. He is the man who is trying to avoid the recall. The latest polls, particularly the CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, say he is going to lose. 63 percent of those considered probable voters said they would vote for the recall. But one of the rules in politics is you must put on a happy face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Are you kidding? We're going to win this race. This race is coming down to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis. And in the end, people will do the right thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger is saying, yes, that's true. It is a race between Schwarzenegger and Davis and, no, he won't debate Gray Davis as the governor is demanding. And Tom McClintock says, wait just a minute here, I'm still around, I'll debate Gray Davis. Tom McClintock the more conservative Republican. He comes in at about 18 percent on the polls. Nobody is taking him up on his offer to debate.
As far as Arianna Huffington is concerned with her 2 percent, she is meeting with advisers, trying to decide whether to stay in the race and what to do with her support, probably less endorsing a candidate than opposing the recall.
So it's going down to the last week, bumps and grinds and all kind of surprises, and we'll probably have more before that week is over. HARRIS: Of course, there's plenty of time left. We have plenty of time for another controversy or two, we'll see.
Thanks, Bob. We'll see you in a little bit, Bob Franken.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
