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CNN Live At Daybreak
Latest Numbers Out of California
Aired October 08, 2003 - 05:29 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 to take a look at the latest numbers out of California. As you know, they're still technically counting the votes there. On the recall, this is how the voters voted. They voted yes to recall Davis by 54 percent. Forty-six percent voted no. As it stands right now, Governor Gray Davis is no more.
On to the Arnold Schwarzenegger numbers. This is the race to replace Governor Gray Davis. Of course, you can see, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the winner with 93 percent of the precincts reporting. He has more than three million votes to Cruz Bustamante's 2.2 million votes.
Our Thelma Gutierrez takes a look at how it all played out with the winners and the losers. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the victor, it was a sweet moment.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Ladies and gentlemen, the governor of the great state of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
GUTIERREZ: For the recalled governor, Gray Davis, the night was somber.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Tonight the people did decide it is time for someone else to serve and I accept their judgment.
GUTIERREZ: And for the others, defeat was swift.
TOM MCCLINTOCK, (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: I have just spoken to Governor Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and pledged to him my whole-hearted support in undertaking the great responsibilities which the people have entrusted him with.
LT. GOV. CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA: Let me offer some words of welcome to the man who will soon be our new governor.
GUTIERREZ: With his wife Maria at his side and the entire Kennedy-Shriver clan behind him, Arnold Schwarzenegger claimed victory.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR-ELECT: There are so many people that I want to thank. But I want to start first with my wife, Maria.
GUTIERREZ: It was the end of a historic whirlwind election that began two months ago. Schwarzenegger rose to the state's top job amidst many allegations of sexual misconduct. SCHWARZENEGGER: I know how many votes I got today because of you.
GUTIERREZ: His wife Maria Shriver was his strongest ally.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Tonight, we are all here celebrating and we all have all reasons to celebrate. But tomorrow the hard work will begin.
GUTIERREZ: And at the end of the day, Bustamante holds onto his job as lieutenant governor. But he'll have to report to a new boss, the man who beat him.
BUSTAMANTE: I may not be moving across the hall to the governor's office, but I'm not going anywhere.
GUTIERREZ: Gray Davis will remain governor until the election is certified and Schwarzenegger is sworn in. Then, he'll bow out.
DAVIS: And I pledged to Mr. Schwarzenegger tonight the full cooperation of my administration during the transition.
GUTIERREZ: Schwarzenegger's new role will perhaps be his most challenging, as governor of California.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: So, what happened to Gray Davis? Reelected less than a year ago, recalled on Tuesday, a look at our statewide spatial map of California helps tell the tale. The darker, more intense the color, the larger the vote, red for recall, blue against. As you can see, the only region in the state opposing the recall was the San Francisco Bay Area and the northern coast of California. And, of course, those areas very heavily Democrat.
Many voters were seeing red, though, when thinking about the job Gray Davis had done as governor, illustrated by his dismal approval ratings.
Our political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look inside the numbers that led to the end of Davis and the beginning for Governor Schwarzenegger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Angry Californians fired their governor on Tuesday. Why? Start with this. In 1998, when Gray Davis first got elected, only 20 percent of the voters said the state's economy was in bad shape. When he got reelected in 2002, by a sharply diminished margin, a majority of the voters said things were bad. This year, that number reached an overwhelming 83 percent. Times are tough. Voters wanted change. You want change, vote for the outsider. That was Arnold Schwarzenegger.
How did Schwarzenegger, a Republican, break the Democratic stronghold on California? With the "M" word. Not movie star, moderate. Two thirds of California voters support abortion rights and Schwarzenegger was competitive with the leading Democrat, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, among pro-choice voters.
Schwarzenegger carried moderates and independents, young and old, rich and poor. What about women? Did the charges of unwanted sexual advances turn women voters against the former Mr. Universe? No. Women still voted for Schwarzenegger. The fact that the charges were late breaking limited their impact. Voters who made up their minds more than a week ago, before the charges broke, voted for Schwarzenegger by a 12 point margin. The race was closer among voters who decided in the final week. But Schwarzenegger still carried them.
(on camera): Only 15 percent of voters made up their minds in the last week. The charges of sexual misconduct came too late to do much damage.
Bill Schneider, 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 8, 2003 - 05:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time to take a look at the latest numbers out of California. As you know, they're still technically counting the votes there. On the recall, this is how the voters voted. They voted yes to recall Davis by 54 percent. Forty-six percent voted no. As it stands right now, Governor Gray Davis is no more.
On to the Arnold Schwarzenegger numbers. This is the race to replace Governor Gray Davis. Of course, you can see, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the winner with 93 percent of the precincts reporting. He has more than three million votes to Cruz Bustamante's 2.2 million votes.
Our Thelma Gutierrez takes a look at how it all played out with the winners and the losers. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the victor, it was a sweet moment.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Ladies and gentlemen, the governor of the great state of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
GUTIERREZ: For the recalled governor, Gray Davis, the night was somber.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Tonight the people did decide it is time for someone else to serve and I accept their judgment.
GUTIERREZ: And for the others, defeat was swift.
TOM MCCLINTOCK, (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: I have just spoken to Governor Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and pledged to him my whole-hearted support in undertaking the great responsibilities which the people have entrusted him with.
LT. GOV. CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA: Let me offer some words of welcome to the man who will soon be our new governor.
GUTIERREZ: With his wife Maria at his side and the entire Kennedy-Shriver clan behind him, Arnold Schwarzenegger claimed victory.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR-ELECT: There are so many people that I want to thank. But I want to start first with my wife, Maria.
GUTIERREZ: It was the end of a historic whirlwind election that began two months ago. Schwarzenegger rose to the state's top job amidst many allegations of sexual misconduct. SCHWARZENEGGER: I know how many votes I got today because of you.
GUTIERREZ: His wife Maria Shriver was his strongest ally.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Tonight, we are all here celebrating and we all have all reasons to celebrate. But tomorrow the hard work will begin.
GUTIERREZ: And at the end of the day, Bustamante holds onto his job as lieutenant governor. But he'll have to report to a new boss, the man who beat him.
BUSTAMANTE: I may not be moving across the hall to the governor's office, but I'm not going anywhere.
GUTIERREZ: Gray Davis will remain governor until the election is certified and Schwarzenegger is sworn in. Then, he'll bow out.
DAVIS: And I pledged to Mr. Schwarzenegger tonight the full cooperation of my administration during the transition.
GUTIERREZ: Schwarzenegger's new role will perhaps be his most challenging, as governor of California.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: So, what happened to Gray Davis? Reelected less than a year ago, recalled on Tuesday, a look at our statewide spatial map of California helps tell the tale. The darker, more intense the color, the larger the vote, red for recall, blue against. As you can see, the only region in the state opposing the recall was the San Francisco Bay Area and the northern coast of California. And, of course, those areas very heavily Democrat.
Many voters were seeing red, though, when thinking about the job Gray Davis had done as governor, illustrated by his dismal approval ratings.
Our political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look inside the numbers that led to the end of Davis and the beginning for Governor Schwarzenegger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Angry Californians fired their governor on Tuesday. Why? Start with this. In 1998, when Gray Davis first got elected, only 20 percent of the voters said the state's economy was in bad shape. When he got reelected in 2002, by a sharply diminished margin, a majority of the voters said things were bad. This year, that number reached an overwhelming 83 percent. Times are tough. Voters wanted change. You want change, vote for the outsider. That was Arnold Schwarzenegger.
How did Schwarzenegger, a Republican, break the Democratic stronghold on California? With the "M" word. Not movie star, moderate. Two thirds of California voters support abortion rights and Schwarzenegger was competitive with the leading Democrat, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, among pro-choice voters.
Schwarzenegger carried moderates and independents, young and old, rich and poor. What about women? Did the charges of unwanted sexual advances turn women voters against the former Mr. Universe? No. Women still voted for Schwarzenegger. The fact that the charges were late breaking limited their impact. Voters who made up their minds more than a week ago, before the charges broke, voted for Schwarzenegger by a 12 point margin. The race was closer among voters who decided in the final week. But Schwarzenegger still carried them.
(on camera): Only 15 percent of voters made up their minds in the last week. The charges of sexual misconduct came too late to do much damage.
Bill Schneider, 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
