In the poll this week of Fedsmith.com readers, by a margin of 56% to 44%, readers said they would vote to remove Gray Davis from the office of governor of California. The survey was very close to the actual results of the election. According to the official statistics from California, approximately 54% voted to recall Davis and 46% voted against it.
From the 135 candidates on the ballot, 35% of readers said they would vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger. (He got about 48% of the votes in the election.) Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamente came in second with 24% of the votes. (He got about 33% in the election.) State Senator Tom McClintock received 14% of the votes in our survey. (He got 13% in the California election.) Other candidates, (including “adult film actress Mary Carey who got 2% of the votes) received the remaining votes. “I would not vote” received 15% which, of course, was not an option on the actual ballot.
Readers had strong views on the election. Here are a few of the comments.
An information technology specialist with the Corps of Engineers from Louisiana expressed the feeling of several readers when he commented: “Is there anyone in CA. that did not run for governor?”
One reader from Arlington, VA liked the recall election option and said (the capital letters are his): “I AM GLAD IT IS HAPPENING. I HOPE THIS WOULD OCCUR IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA.”
A safety specialist from Boise, Idaho thought the recall process was not beneficial: “Completely absurd!! A huge waste of money!”
A human resources specialist from the Treasury Department predicted what some Democrats in California were promising after the election results started to come in last night: “If Gov. Davis is recalled, I would not be surprised for him to start a campaign to recall the new governor. The cycle could be endless, for in California, the losing candidate will almost always have enough supporters to meet the minimum requirements for another recall. What a joke!”
And a computer programmer from the Air Force said California should have to live with the man they elected last year: “CA should honor the elected 4 year contract with Mr Davis. Their election to elect Mr Davis appeared to be fair and without the mess that Florida caused in 2000, they should live with it.”
A Dept. of Education employee from Washington, DC wants to eliminate California from the union: “If the voters of CA are stupid enough elect Arnold Schwarzenegger into the governor’s seat, CA is unworthy of being a part of these United States and should have the dubious honor of being cast out of the Union of the United States and designated a territory.”
Election winner Arnold Schwarzenegger also had support from readers both with the votes and with this comment from a reader who is an engineer with the Corps of Engineers in Oregon:
“I feel that Mr. schwartzenegger (sic) has been the most honest and least demeaning of the group and has the best qualifications and knows how to be honest others in the group seem to lack this quality. ”
Another supporter who describes herself as a female in Tennessee was angry with the media coverage of the campaign that saw Schwarzenegger attacked in a Los Angeles Times article late last week: “Leave Arnold alone! Where were these women when he was making money in the Terminator movies? They are just trying to attach themselves to his celebrity status now… Why? Because they are media hungry. I say all this and I am a female, with a wonderful husband and two great kids!”
Thanks to all of our readers who took the time to vote and send in your opinion for all to read.
