Election Post-Mortem
Here are the statewide returns on the race to replace. With 97.9% of the precincts counted, I think we can safely say that Arnold won, and with a lot more than 15% of the vote. Even the bogus argument about Davis winning “the popular vote” didn’t pan out. Early reports indicate that Davis himself has been handling this news better many of his supporters have.
Here are the real bombshells. First, out of only 135 candates on the ballot, five managed to do worse than Bill “Total Retard” Tsangares. Second, the fact that there were 135 candidates on the ballot seems to have had no measurable impact on the vote, except maybe to further splinter the usual splinter vote. Third, the past minute puke campaign does not appear to have had a measurable impact on the outcome of the vote, although Daniel Weintraub points out that it may have had an effect on the undecideds. Fourth and last, but definitely not least, Arianna Huffington received 0.6% of the vote, which is slightly more than she was expected to receive at the time she dropped out of the race. I guess that absence does make the heart grow fonder.
October 8th, 2003 at 7:27 am
Note the few green counties.
Everyone from elsewhere in the state thinks that I’m just some insane wingnut. What they need to remember is that I’m from the best area of the state, where I am comfortably in the mainstream.
Not even Orange County can boast this kind of return.
October 8th, 2003 at 7:53 am
Both propositions went down in flames because neither had a campaign of their own to speak of. Having Arnold on the wrong side of one of them probably didn’t help, but I doubt it hurt that much, either (witness Prop 227).
A lot of voters reflexively vote “no” on everything - even non-substantive cleanup bills - just to be difficult. Looking ahead to the referendum on driver licenses, that’s a good thing.
October 8th, 2003 at 8:48 am
Sometimes there is comfort in decisiveness; we will (I presume) be spared vicious and divisive lawsuits. Now comes the governing; I await Arnold’s transition team with great interest.
And I say again, though you may think it virtually irrelevant, John C. Burton finished 13th. That there are some 6000 of us throughout the state (more than attend most Clippers games) fills me with comfort.
Thanks for your great commentary; you have my respect, XRLQ, even as I disagree with all but a light sprinkling of your comments and views.
Cheers
Hugo
October 8th, 2003 at 12:46 pm
The really scary thing was how many voted for Flynt & Coleman.
And then there were the 9000 Arnold voters who can’t read and spell, and voted for Scwartzman.:-)
October 8th, 2003 at 3:07 pm
The big news of the election, from my standpoint:
I’m extremely frustrated that the response i’m seeing from Democrats suggests that they don’t understand any of these points.
October 11th, 2003 at 12:19 pm
the big news is that people were pissed by the governing establishment and of course on fiscal questions people tend to be conservative in the event of a crisis…this will not translate into votes for bush in 2004 however–in fact due to the mounting trade and budget deficits this culd be a double edged sword in fact