Kalif. recall - Bustamante leads

[rick_reno]

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0803/24recall.html

I was sure the Republicans would blow the opportunity to put a Republican (even if only in name) in the governors office, looks like it'll be Gov. Crud on Oct. 8th. He's what Kalif. deserves...it'll be interesting to see what appointment "Red" Davis gets from the new governor.

By MARK Z. BARABAK
Los Angeles Times

California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante holds a wide lead over Arnold Schwarzenegger in the race to succeed Gov. Gray Davis, according to a new Los Angeles Times Poll.

As the sole major Democrat running to replace Davis -- should the incumbent be ousted on Oct. 7 -- Bustamante enjoys the support of 35 percent of likely voters.

Schwarzenegger received 22 percent support, followed by three fellow Republicans: state Sen. Tom McClintock with 12 percent, businessman Peter Ueberroth with 7 percent and Bill Simon -- the GOP's 2002 gubernatorial nominee -- with 6 percent.

Simon abruptly quit the race Saturday, after the poll was completed. He said "there are too many Republicans" running and expressing concern his candidacy would undercut GOP efforts to oust Davis and replace the Democrat with one of their own.

Three other gubernatorial contenders who have won prominent mention lag far behind the major-party hopefuls, according to the Times Poll. Independent Arianna Huffington received just 3 percent support from likely voters and the Green Party's Peter Camejo drew 1 percent, tying him with Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.

Under the idiosyncratic rules that govern the recall vote, all 135 candidates from assorted parties are listed on the same ballot. The candidate who gets the most votes will become governor -- if Davis is kicked out of office, which is the first matter to be decided in the Oct. 7 election.

The Times Poll, completed Thursday night, found that 50 percent of likely voters favored the recall of Davis and 45 percent were opposed, with 5 percent undecided.

Likely voters do not appear happy about their options. Of the leading contenders to replace Davis, only Bustamante and Ueberroth are seen in a largely positive light, though only half of likely voters indicated they knew enough about Ueberroth to make a decision. Others are even lesser known or, in the case of Flynt, Huffington and Simon, are seen in mostly negative terms.

Schwarzenegger has a mixed image among likely voters, with 46 percent saying they have a favorable impression of the movie star and 44 percent saying they have a negative impression.

 

[redhead]

Those of us who live in occupied territory don't feel that we deserve Booze Crustamonte. He was a member of a radical student group that believes the SW United States should be returned to Mexico. I believe he is also a racist. He was speaking before a group of black business people a couple of years ago, and actually used the "n" word. Now, I don't know about any of you, but that word has never fallen from my lips. If it just "slipped out", as Bustamonte claims, then that is a word he uses in his everyday private conversations. He also believes taxes should be raised. Great.

But, I'm not feeling really optimistic about this election. Abortion and gun control seem to be two driving issues in California, which gives the advantage to the Dems. Even though Arnold is making his campaign about the economy, gun control is an issue that is coming to the forefront. Oh goody. We don't have enough gun control, we need more!

 

[BenW]

I think the LA Times poll will prove to be innaccurate and skewed. My local paper is one of the most liberal in the state, and they've been very negative about Bustamante and his "tough love" program. I'm not a big Arnold fan for the governorship, but I think if the upcoming "scandal revelation" doesn't knock him out, he'll have higher numbers than Bustamante.

 

[AZTOY]

Racial Correctness

California's highest-ranking Hispanic elected official is being slammed for accidentally uttering the 'N-word.' The backlash is not only paranoid, it's dangerous for interracial relations.

by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Feb. 16, 2001

California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante is in the midst of one of the worst scandals of his career. No, the state's second-highest-ranking elected official was not accused of child molestation, adultery, or influence peddling; he was accused of using the dreaded "N-word."

On February 13, 2001 in a speech to a group of black trade unionists, Bustamante was reciting a list of African-American labor organizations established in the early 1900s, many of which included the word "Negro" in their titles. While uttering one of those names, Bustamante let slip the word "******" instead of 'negro.' A handful of blacks in the audience stormed out in protest, and Bustamante has been apologizing up and down the state ever since.

A legion of black and Latino officials rushed to the defense of Bustamante, the state's first Latino lieutenant governor, citing his excellent record on affirmative action and relations with the African American community. Still, that hasn't saved the man from being momentarily shoved into the ignominious ranks of such notables as Cincinnati owner Marge Schott, Dodger executive Al Campanis, and a parade of other prominent whites who speared themselves with their mouths.

The difference, however, is that most of them deliberately uttered racist epithets that pandered to the most vile stereotypes about blacks. Bustamante, it seems clear, is guilty of nothing but an especially ill-timed slip of the tongue.

The colossal danger in lumping someone like him in with bigots is that it deepens racial resentments and heightens tensions. It forces many non-blacks to walk in mortal fear that if they say anything about blacks, no matter how trivial, they will be swiftly called on the carpet. That fear is already too well-founded: a Washington, DC city official briefly lost his job in 1999 because he used the word "niggardly" -- a term meaning miserly that has nothing to do with African Americans.


All of this also leaves blacks open to the charge that they propagate double standards on race. Black rappers, comedians and writers have made a virtual fetish out of using the word ******, to no angry outcry from other blacks. Some black writers go through tortuous gyrations to justify using the word. They claim that they are cleansing the word of its negative connotations so that racists can no longer use it to hurt blacks. Comedian- turned-activist Dick Gregory had this in mind years ago when he titled his autobiography "******."

Many blacks say they use the word endearingly or affectionately, as in "You're my ******." Comedian Russell Simmons went to the outer limits of this racial self-flagellation when he said: "Twenty years ago '******' was self-defeating. When we say '******' now it's very positive."

Blacks' hypersensitivity to the same word in non-black mouths can in part be traced to the notion that everything that happens to African-Americans, from racially motivated hate attacks to police abuse, is part of an on-going orchestrated assault on blacks. Racial paranoia theories have been rampant since the urban riots of the 1960s. The conspiracy buffs claim that the ghettos were flooded with drugs, alcohol, gangs and guns, and that AIDS was deliberately imported during the 1980s. The "white establishment," the argument went, wanted to stop blacks from developing unity or strong political organizations and to self-destruct instead.

There is no evidence that any of this is true. However, an endless line of black politicians, ministers and sports icons know the drill well. Whenever they are accused of sexual hijinks, bribery, corruption, drug dealing, and even murder they reflexively shout that they are victims of a racist conspiracy. It's a well-worn but sure-fire crowd pleaser, because many blacks are conditioned to believe that anything whites, and now Latinos, do or say is evil and malicious. It's also another example of double standards, considering that the victims of the misdeeds of black miscreants are almost always other blacks.

The well-intentioned but naive Bustamante was the latest to get whacked hard by racial correctness. And as long as many blacks see racists behind every errant word uttered by a prominent figure, he won't be the last.


http://www.motherjones.com/reality_check/?F22.html


Also..................

Martha and the Latino caucus responded with a press conference to offer a moderate plan to stem immigration. But it ended in chaos when Cruz Bustamante, a farm-country Fresno Democrat, said, "We could not conduct business without the immigrant."
Dumbfounded reporters asked if he supported illegal immigration. "My district requires it," he answered.


CRUZ BUSTAMANTE

 

[longeyes]

Bustamante, if elected, will be the coup de grace for California.
Once a MeCHAista, always a MeCHAista. B. has yet to disavow his
earlier ties with that repatriation group, no doubt because in his
heart he hasn't really changed his views. What, from his record, I would
expect if he's elected is a vast Mexican-American and Mexican patronage
system for California. We will see racist politics at its baldest.
We will also likely see a huge exodus on non-Latinos from the state,
not because they are racists but because they will fear becoming the
de facto object of racism.

The article by Hutchinson is absurd. There is no reason to give Bustamante]
a pass on something so patently invidious. As for Schott, Campanis, et
al., if memory serves they were quickly driven into darkness; Bustamante
is still Lt. Gov. of this state, remarkably enough. All of this
smacks of anti-black racism to this observor, not just the remark but
the policies. If anyone has been the loser because of illegal
immigration it has been African-Americans, who seen job possibilities
dry up wholesale in the last decade of massive illegal influx from
south of the border.

 

[rick_reno]

Crud Bustamonte

Yow! This fellow sounds like my kind of guy.

I support returning most of the South West to Mexico - that'd be a quality of life improvement for the rest of the US, IMHO.

I also support raising taxes in paradise. Can't make 'em high enough.

I also support an increased Latino patronage system for Kalif. Why not?

Lastly, black people use the "N" word all the time - no reason Crud can't do it too.

I'd vote for this guy in a minute. He's DA MAN.

 

[redhead]

Gee, thanks Rick. You want to doom those of us who still live behind enemy lines?

 

[mussi]

It's been time to run from the Demokratische Volksrepublik Kalifornien for quite some time now.

You should have taken heed before. But you still have a way to escape the iron curtain.

 

[Standing Wolf]

...it'll be interesting to see what appointment "Red" Davis gets from the new governor.

I hadn't even thought about that! Yuch!

 

[BigC]

"Los Angeles Times Poll." Nuff said.

 

[Bruce H]

As in Blazing Saddles, the gov. saying we have to protect our phony balony jobs. LA times poll. Trying to say that the Lt.gov. has it in the bag hoping that voters won't go to the polls.

 

[bountyhunter]

As predicted, Schwarzenegger peaked when he announced his candidacy and has been nose diving ever since. His down spiral accelerates every time he opens his mouth. He's basically turning into a joke out here.

The bad news is that Gray Dufus' refusal to support Bustamonte could be a disaster because it splits the demo vote. Many demos will vote no on the recall (a vote for Davis) and many will vote yes on the recall and vote for Bustamonte. In the end, if the recall passes, it could mean the demo's split ticket will leave their candidates equal, but well behind the repub candidate. Davis is a moron, and he is sacrificing the state just to have his temper tantrum. Bustamonte is screwed and can't do anything to stop him.

 

[Al in Md]

Please clarify the voting options for me. Lets assume a hardline Democrat wants to vote against the recall, that is actually a vote for Davis. Can that person also select from the field canadates, such as Bustomontie? Would that count as a vote for two Democrats? I think if you vote no on part one( no recall) then part two should be null and void. Does anyone agree with my logic on this? AL

 

[Art Eatman]

Yeah, Bustamente leads if you imagine the other Republicans' share of the percentages. I think I read that it's Busty 35%, Arnie 27%, something like that. However, the two major Republicans who have dropped out combined for something like 32%.

Ergo, Busty 35%, Republicans 59%. The fat lady ain't sung, yet.

Art

 

[hops]

First, Davis has to be recalled. So the Fat lady is not even standing, yet.
And if the Clinton PR playbook pays off, the PRK republicans will be stuck with him for a while longer.

 

[redhead]

Please clarify the voting options for me. Lets assume a hardline Democrat wants to vote against the recall, that is actually a vote for Davis. Can that person also select from the field canadates, such as Bustomontie? Would that count as a vote for two Democrats? I think if you vote no on part one( no recall) then part two should be null and void. Does anyone agree with my logic on this? AL

The recall statute is such that a person can vote on a replacement candidate if they vote yes OR no on the recall portion of the vote. So, say you vote "no" to recall Doofus, you can still go ahead and vote on a replacement, which will come into play if the "yes" votes outnumber the "no's". The first question isn't quite the same as a vote for Davis, just a vote to recall or not. So if the yeses prevail, Doofus is gone, and the candidate in part 2 who receives the most votes wins.

 

[Gary H]

More static... This state is a far left socialist state and will reap the rewards. The Hispanic voter will determine the future of the state. Until they move to the right, this state will continue on its course to the left. When the people feel the pain, then things will change and not before. I believe that the majority of Californians continue to believe that the other guy will foot the bill.

The campaign has yet to begin. Polls in this state are notoriously political in nature. Let the thing play out, but don't expect a major move to the right.