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CNN Live Saturday
Do Republicans Need To Focus On Frontrunner Bustamante?
Aired September 13, 2003 - 14:05 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.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well the question now, do Republicans have to come out of this convention united to hold off Cruz Bustamante since he's the leading candidate now if there is indeed a recall of Governor Gray Davis. Let's bring in CNN's Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider for a closer look at this.
Bill, let's closely examine this possible back room meeting or struggle that's taking place between the Schwarzenegger camp and the McClintock camp, do they have to do something like this at least in order for the party to maintain some sort of support from the voters, the potential voters out there on October 7?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the poll news has been very bad for the Republicans because, number one, the polls show that Gray Davis, the recall election may be too close to call. And that's got to be very troubling. Especially with Bill Clinton coming here to California tomorrow because Clinton is still a rock star in California, very popular figure.
But number two, Cruz Bustamante, the sole credible serious Democrat has not been showing much momentum, in fact he's slipping in the polls, but he's still running first because McClintock and Schwarzenegger, the two credible Republicans, are splitting the Republican vote and McClintock is doing better, not worse.
So it's going to be very hard to say to a guy who is doing better you should get out of the race.
WHITFIELD: Well it is interesting Bill, because Cruz Bustamante was first saying and trying to encourage the voters vote no for the recall. But now we're hearing a lot more of vote yes for me, so which is it?
SCHNEIDER: Cruz Bustamante has not been saying much of the about the recall election. He and Gray Davis are known for not being on very close terms. Bustamante essentially has been running his own campaign. Vote for Bustamante. If asked, he says, yes, you should vote no on the recall. But, you know, it's a very strange thing, there are two votes, one on the recall, one on the replacement. And Bustamante, you know, the official Democratic position is to do both. To vote to keep Gray Davis and as an insurance policy to vote for Cruz Bustamante.
But bottom line, only one of them can win. If the recall fails, it doesn't matter how many votes Bustamante wins, he cannot be elected because Davis will still be governor. The two of them have a real conflict of interest and that's beginning to show up in the campaign. WHITFIELD: All right, Bill Schneider, thanks very much from L.A., only 23 days away. We'll be talking a lot about this in the coming days.
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 13, 2003 - 14:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well the question now, do Republicans have to come out of this convention united to hold off Cruz Bustamante since he's the leading candidate now if there is indeed a recall of Governor Gray Davis. Let's bring in CNN's Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider for a closer look at this.
Bill, let's closely examine this possible back room meeting or struggle that's taking place between the Schwarzenegger camp and the McClintock camp, do they have to do something like this at least in order for the party to maintain some sort of support from the voters, the potential voters out there on October 7?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the poll news has been very bad for the Republicans because, number one, the polls show that Gray Davis, the recall election may be too close to call. And that's got to be very troubling. Especially with Bill Clinton coming here to California tomorrow because Clinton is still a rock star in California, very popular figure.
But number two, Cruz Bustamante, the sole credible serious Democrat has not been showing much momentum, in fact he's slipping in the polls, but he's still running first because McClintock and Schwarzenegger, the two credible Republicans, are splitting the Republican vote and McClintock is doing better, not worse.
So it's going to be very hard to say to a guy who is doing better you should get out of the race.
WHITFIELD: Well it is interesting Bill, because Cruz Bustamante was first saying and trying to encourage the voters vote no for the recall. But now we're hearing a lot more of vote yes for me, so which is it?
SCHNEIDER: Cruz Bustamante has not been saying much of the about the recall election. He and Gray Davis are known for not being on very close terms. Bustamante essentially has been running his own campaign. Vote for Bustamante. If asked, he says, yes, you should vote no on the recall. But, you know, it's a very strange thing, there are two votes, one on the recall, one on the replacement. And Bustamante, you know, the official Democratic position is to do both. To vote to keep Gray Davis and as an insurance policy to vote for Cruz Bustamante.
But bottom line, only one of them can win. If the recall fails, it doesn't matter how many votes Bustamante wins, he cannot be elected because Davis will still be governor. The two of them have a real conflict of interest and that's beginning to show up in the campaign. WHITFIELD: All right, Bill Schneider, thanks very much from L.A., only 23 days away. We'll be talking a lot about this in the coming days.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
