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California Recall

Aired September 24, 2003 - 13:04   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's now a two-week sprint to the vote in California. It begins tonight with the megadebate, among five top opponents to Governor Davis. Like the other four hopefuls, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger knows the scripted questions already. We all know the questions. And for lots of voters, the biggest question of all is whether Arnold will have any good answers.
CNN's Bob Franken, still out there in La-La Land, to tell us about it.

Hello, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An even bigger question than that, Miles, is how he will do in the unscripted part. The format has is that the questions -- many are describing as puffball questions, will have been provided in advance, and of course the answers prepared.

But the candidates are encouraged to then make comments to each other, translate, try and rip each other to shreds. Now the Republican, in particular, are going to be watching to see who well Schwarzenegger does with this, because with what are considered low expectations, than he probably maintains the mantle of the party's leading candidate. But Tom McClintock, who is the other Republican, the state senator, the conservative, has a strong interest in Schwarzenegger faltering. Because if that occurs, then McClintock can more easily resist the pressure to step aside.

Party leaders are concerned the Republicans are splitting their vote and making things easier for the Democrats, particularly Cruz Bustamante, the Democrat lieutenant governor, who is in the debate, and in the race, in case the other Democrat, Governor Gray Davis, falters. The other candidates include the Green Party Candidate Peter Camejo, and Arianna Huffington, the independent, who are really low in the polls, but had enough of a poll to get into this. But still, their song could be the old song by Janis Joplin, that freedom is knowing you got nothing left to lose.

As far as Gray Davis, the governor, is concerned, he's not participating. He is going to be watching somewhere, hoping that all the candidates do badly and that he looks good by comparison and survives the recall -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bob Franken. Let's talk for just a moment here about what people will be watching. I suppose in the GOP ranks, they'll be watching Mr. McClintock and Mr. Schwarzenegger very closely. If Schwarzenegger puts on a good performance, there's apt to be a tremendous amount of pressure on McClintock to bow out tomorrow.

FRANKEN: Already there. As a matter of fact on the next date, there's going to be a meeting of state party chairman. They're going to be discussing whether to endorse -- which is something that they usually avoid like the plague. But there is a bit of pressure now that building quite a bit for McClintock to pull back. If he does well and Schwarzenegger does badly, of course he can say, you got the wrong guy, maybe Schwarzenegger should pull out.

O'BRIEN: All right, well, we'll watch it unfold. Bob Franken, thank you very much. I guess you're happy we know it's going to be at least two weeks, at least until the next lawsuits drops.

FRANKEN: As opposed to several months.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. All right, take care. We appreciate it.

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 24, 2003 - 13:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's now a two-week sprint to the vote in California. It begins tonight with the megadebate, among five top opponents to Governor Davis. Like the other four hopefuls, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger knows the scripted questions already. We all know the questions. And for lots of voters, the biggest question of all is whether Arnold will have any good answers.
CNN's Bob Franken, still out there in La-La Land, to tell us about it.

Hello, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An even bigger question than that, Miles, is how he will do in the unscripted part. The format has is that the questions -- many are describing as puffball questions, will have been provided in advance, and of course the answers prepared.

But the candidates are encouraged to then make comments to each other, translate, try and rip each other to shreds. Now the Republican, in particular, are going to be watching to see who well Schwarzenegger does with this, because with what are considered low expectations, than he probably maintains the mantle of the party's leading candidate. But Tom McClintock, who is the other Republican, the state senator, the conservative, has a strong interest in Schwarzenegger faltering. Because if that occurs, then McClintock can more easily resist the pressure to step aside.

Party leaders are concerned the Republicans are splitting their vote and making things easier for the Democrats, particularly Cruz Bustamante, the Democrat lieutenant governor, who is in the debate, and in the race, in case the other Democrat, Governor Gray Davis, falters. The other candidates include the Green Party Candidate Peter Camejo, and Arianna Huffington, the independent, who are really low in the polls, but had enough of a poll to get into this. But still, their song could be the old song by Janis Joplin, that freedom is knowing you got nothing left to lose.

As far as Gray Davis, the governor, is concerned, he's not participating. He is going to be watching somewhere, hoping that all the candidates do badly and that he looks good by comparison and survives the recall -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bob Franken. Let's talk for just a moment here about what people will be watching. I suppose in the GOP ranks, they'll be watching Mr. McClintock and Mr. Schwarzenegger very closely. If Schwarzenegger puts on a good performance, there's apt to be a tremendous amount of pressure on McClintock to bow out tomorrow.

FRANKEN: Already there. As a matter of fact on the next date, there's going to be a meeting of state party chairman. They're going to be discussing whether to endorse -- which is something that they usually avoid like the plague. But there is a bit of pressure now that building quite a bit for McClintock to pull back. If he does well and Schwarzenegger does badly, of course he can say, you got the wrong guy, maybe Schwarzenegger should pull out.

O'BRIEN: All right, well, we'll watch it unfold. Bob Franken, thank you very much. I guess you're happy we know it's going to be at least two weeks, at least until the next lawsuits drops.

FRANKEN: As opposed to several months.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. All right, take care. We appreciate it.

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