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CNN Live At Daybreak

Daily Dose of California Politics Now

Aired October 02, 2003 - 05:22   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for your daily dose of California politics now. By this time next week, the California recall election will be history.
Our Kelly Wallace looks at the campaigning and the maneuvering in the home stretch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I stand with Governor Gray Davis.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you are in a fight for your political life, it's no surprise you turn to a former military commander, who also happens to be the current darling of the Democratic Party.

CLARK: I'm here to support all of you who agree with me that you must vote no on this recall.

WALLACE: What Democrats must do if Governor Davis is to pull off an upset is vote in large numbers to defeat the recall. But the latest polls show some troubling signs for Davis, with three key targets -- women, moderate Democrats and union members. Their support for the recall went up, not down, in the "Los Angeles Times" poll of likely voters. So Davis tries a new tactic.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: If we don't unite as voters, then we are looking at the real prospect of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and...

WALLACE: The Davis strategy? Call it the fear factor.

DAVIS: The apparent choice now is between Mr. Schwarzenegger and myself.

WALLACE: Trying to convince recall supporters who don't want a Schwarzenegger administration to reconsider ousting the embattled governor. And bringing along the now former gubernatorial candidate to convey that same message.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Now, the only way to stop Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Pete Wilson/George Bush Republican forces from taking over the state is to vote no on the recall.

DAVIS: But Schwarzenegger's looking the part of a confident front runner, focusing not on his rival, but on what he would do in his first 100 days as governor.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: We are ready to return California to the people. Thank you very much and god bless all of you.

WALLACE (on camera): Analysts say it will all come down to turnout. So this weekend, Davis will be on a plane, Schwarzenegger on a bus, both trying to woo supporters in a state where Democrats start off with an eight percentage point advantage over Republicans in registered voters.

Kelly Wallace, 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 October 2, 2003 - 05:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for your daily dose of California politics now. By this time next week, the California recall election will be history.
Our Kelly Wallace looks at the campaigning and the maneuvering in the home stretch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I stand with Governor Gray Davis.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you are in a fight for your political life, it's no surprise you turn to a former military commander, who also happens to be the current darling of the Democratic Party.

CLARK: I'm here to support all of you who agree with me that you must vote no on this recall.

WALLACE: What Democrats must do if Governor Davis is to pull off an upset is vote in large numbers to defeat the recall. But the latest polls show some troubling signs for Davis, with three key targets -- women, moderate Democrats and union members. Their support for the recall went up, not down, in the "Los Angeles Times" poll of likely voters. So Davis tries a new tactic.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: If we don't unite as voters, then we are looking at the real prospect of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and...

WALLACE: The Davis strategy? Call it the fear factor.

DAVIS: The apparent choice now is between Mr. Schwarzenegger and myself.

WALLACE: Trying to convince recall supporters who don't want a Schwarzenegger administration to reconsider ousting the embattled governor. And bringing along the now former gubernatorial candidate to convey that same message.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Now, the only way to stop Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Pete Wilson/George Bush Republican forces from taking over the state is to vote no on the recall.

DAVIS: But Schwarzenegger's looking the part of a confident front runner, focusing not on his rival, but on what he would do in his first 100 days as governor.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: We are ready to return California to the people. Thank you very much and god bless all of you.

WALLACE (on camera): Analysts say it will all come down to turnout. So this weekend, Davis will be on a plane, Schwarzenegger on a bus, both trying to woo supporters in a state where Democrats start off with an eight percentage point advantage over Republicans in registered voters.

Kelly Wallace, 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