Total Recall Gives Arnold Victory

By Mark McGuigan
Staff Writer

Oct 7 – As 55,000 voters descended on polling stations across the City of Santa Monica to decide the fate of incumbent Governor Gray Davis, the improbable slowly became the incredible -- actor Arnold Schwarzengger was named new Governor of California.

With 135 potential candidates vying for control of the world’s fifth most powerful economy, it was the former Mr. Universe that stirred voter emotions most ardently. But even as a bemused world media looked on at the spectacle playing out, few here felt it was much of a joke.

“I think people in Santa Monica are energized by this and are going to turn out to vote their opinion in droves,” Mayor Richard Bloom told The Lookout early Tuesday morning. “I think people are worried and they’re angry, that’s the feedback I’m getting in Santa Monica -- they’re angry about the election (and) they’re angry about the Schwarzenegger candidacy.”

“I think the ultimate result of the recall no matter the result has been negative,” he said. “It’s pretty much a frozen state government and it’s had many unintended results and I think  that whoever prevails is going to have a difficult job ahead.”

Perhaps the reason for the apparent anger and ultimate victory, stemmed from the fact that there was just no escaping the face of the man who would be Governor. His visage dominated television screens, posters and fliers in almost equal support and derision. The power of Hollywood descended on Santa Monica -- Schwarzenegger was everywhere.

In Downtown Santa Monica, his campaign headquarters on Fourth Street was in full flight throughout the day. Volunteers wearing tee shirts splashed with the rallying call to “Join Arnold” fielded a steady stream of people who came to volunteer their time pounding the streets on the actor’s behalf.

For those Arnold supporters confused as to just what the hullabaloo was about, a white board in the center of the room offered a helpful reminder: “Sac Town or Bust.”

Surrounded by publicity shots of the erstwhile bodybuilder playing chess with grade schoolers and hugging competitors in the Special Olympics, volunteer Melissa Lang summed up her feelings on the recall frenzy.

“It’s very exciting,” she enthused. “We were calling Arnold’s supporters reminding them to vote but today we’ve pushed everybody out (to canvass).”

Outside the building, banners bearing the cryptic message “Women Joining Arnold,” hung in support of the future Governor, designed to assuage the doubts of female constituents they did nothing but call attention to the candidate’s history of alleged sexual abuse.

Lang was quick to brush aside questions concerning last week’s accusations in the Los Angeles Times accusing the actor of lewd conduct toward women in the past, in her opinion it was all a misunderstanding.

“By and large (the accusations are) untrue,” she said before announcing “he admitted himself he does it on movie sets and that he has a gregarious sense of humor.”

But much like Schwarzenegger’s character in the Terminator movie franchise, questions concerning past behavior just wouldn’t stop coming. In one interview on the street outside, a volunteer named Nick patiently explained to two female Political Science majors from the University of Southern California that the actor’s behavior was merely a throwback to more liberal times.

“That was the way we dated back then,” he declared earnestly before adding that the term “groping” was nothing but a derogatory modern-day euphemism for the timeworn phrase: “Russian hands and Roman fingers” once used to describe such playful behavior.

“Now it’s an entirely different generation,” he said wistfully. The stunned silence that greeted his comments passed him by.

Across the road and oblivious to the morning’s scoop, members of the world’s media gathered outside the Washington Mutual bank, transforming the pavement into a makeshift soundstage from which to beam election updates across the globe.

“People are fascinated by it, it’s all over the papers and the television,” said Sarah, a political reporter with British news network ITN. “There’s massive coverage mostly because they can’t believe that Arnold Schwarzengger might become Governor of the largest State.”

Looking around, a person would be forgiven for thinking he already was the Governor of California before the votes had been tallied. Cars and trucks beeped their horns in support as they sped past campaign headquarters and minivans circled the block plastered in campaign literature. Even the King himself, Elvis Presley, made an appearance.

Hefting a “Join Arnold” sign, Elvis impersonator Al Munko offered his thoughts on the election.

“Davis had the energy crisis,” Elvis began. “Thousands of jobs fled to other states and other cities, it’s caused a domino effect, we have a homeless problem…” and on it went this diatribe on the failings of Gray Davis and the Democratic Party. It would be a telling sign -- with Elvis as an Arnold acolyte, how could Schwarzenegger fail?