In the first and perhaps only time before the Oct. 7 recall
election, all five major candidates vying to replace Gov. Gray
Davis, including actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, squared off in a
heated debate that attempted to deal with serious issues facing
California but at times dissolved into a series of personal
spats.
The event, which was broadcast worldwide, featured questions
from voters concerning the economy, education and the concept of a
colorblind society, although the candidates often stretched their
responses to call into question each other’s priorities and
personal values.
Schwarzenegger, who is running on the Republican ticket and has
drawn repeated criticism in the past for dodging debates, portrayed
himself as the political everyman who would help champion small
businesses and not adhere to the “politics-as-usual”
path that he says Davis follows.
“The governor is supposed to represent the people of
California and not special interests,” he said.
State Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, sought to
distinguish himself as the leading conservative to replace Davis,
saying he was the only one at the table who had pledged not to
raise taxes, to repeal a bill that allows illegal immigrants to
obtain a driver’s license, and who was anti-abortion.
The other three participants included Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante,
the only prominent democrat seeking to replace Davis, Green Party
candidate Peter Camejo and Independent Arianna Huffington.
All candidates said one of their top campaign priorities is to
turn around California’s beleaguered economy, which landed in
a $38.2 billion hole last year and will roll over an almost $8
billion deficit into next year.
Both Schwarzenegger and McClintock said they would push for more
business-friendly practices, including lowering taxes and reforming
worker’s compensation. McClintock also called for a
reorganization of the state’s bureaucracy, which he said
could save $6 billion.
Bustamante meanwhile said he could close the budget gap by
hiking alcohol and tobacco taxes and raising the income tax
bracket, a plan he said might be unpopular but would fully fund
programs like education.
“We’ve done all the easy things, and now it’s
time to do the tough things,” he said.
A question concerning Proposition 54 drew a clear divide between
the five candidates, with all but McClintock voicing their
opposition to the initiative. Proposition 54, which was authored by
University of California Regent Ward Connerly, would prohibit the
state from collecting racial data for public education or public
employment.
Bustamante, Huffington and Camejo all stood firm against the
initiative, voicing the concern that if it was passed, Proposition
54 would prevent the collection of critical data that helps promote
racial equality, a concern echoed by education and healthcare
officials around the state.
McClintock, the only gubernatorial candidate to publicly support
the initiative, argued that putting a racial label on social
problems missed the larger picture.
“Disadvantaged children come in all colors. It is their
condition and their disadvantage we seek to compensate,” he
said. “It is not a question of race.”
McClintock made the occasional veiled attack against
Schwarzenegger by criticizing the tax plans and bureaucratic
policies of former California governor Pete Wilson, who is one of
Schwarzenegger’s key advisors. In doing so, McClintock
probably hoped to distance himself from his fellow Republican, as
some conservatives fear that having two viable candidates on the
recall ballot could split the Republican vote.
At the beginning, the debate did little to dispel the
circus-like atmosphere that has pervaded the recall, as candidates
routinely engaged in shouting matches and fired off charged
one-liners that drew roars of laughter from the audience.
At one point, after Huffington had spoken about closing
corporate tax loopholes, Schwarzenegger referred to allegations
that Huffington herself had not paid all her taxes, saying,
“Your income tax loophole is so big, I think I could drive my
Hummer though it.”
“You should focus on the huge loopholes that the Bush
administration and Republicans around the country have
allowed,” Huffington shot back.
As time whittled down, the candidates became more focused on
state issues and less on each other, but occasionally the
candidates became so disorderly that moderator Stan Statham,
president of the California Broadcasters Association, seemed at a
loss as to what to do.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is not Comedy Central, I
swear,” he said.