As the results of Tuesday's election settled in, the traditional post-election finger pointing took place across the state.
Mark Barabak
looks into the campaign missteps and consequences of the governor: "A GOP consultant familiar with Schwarzenegger's operation said the governor and his team erred in promoting the four ballot initiatives, which offended such groups as nurses, teachers and firefighters."
"'
Part of it was he took on too much. He took on everybody in sight,' the consultant said. 'And part of it is if you're going to do initiatives, you want a group that fits together and presents a common theme and presents a picture of Arnold that would be positive with voters. They just didn't do that.'"
And, there's more talk of a big shake-up in the governor's administration.
"Schwarzenegger conferred privately with close associates the day after his debacle, plotting his next steps with Rep.
David Dreier (R-San Dimas). Dreier said the two did not talk explicitly about a housecleaning. But he added: 'Obviously, when you're looking ahead and moving ahead, things can happen. But I don't think there's a final decision made on any changes.'"
One often asked question is whether strategist
Mike Murphy will stay on for the reelection campaign.
"'Asked if Murphy would remain with the governor,
Todd Harris, an official at his consulting firm, said: 'We serve at the governor's pleasure.' Harris then called The Times back to say: '
The governor has asked us to continue working for him.'"
But, despite Murphy's future, a lot of people believe the governor is being pulled in too many directions by consultants.
"'
There's too many people on the political team,' said a Republican strategist. '
Too many people making too much money.'"
Tony Quinn
says "In this special election, the four horsemen of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's apocalypse were
incompetence, arrogance, greed and stupidity."
Capitol Weekly looks at some of the
problems that marked the governor's campaign from the beginning, including the decision to start a political fight with their hands tied behind their back by the FPPC. " His redistricting-reform initiative was rife with drafting problems, got rewritten, and then got rewritten again. He was slammed as a special-interest fund-raiser--and, indeed, he was taking in far more money than his ousted predecessor
Gray Davis ever had.
In the meantime, because of a recent ruling by the Fair Political Practices Commission,
the Schwarzenegger political team was barred from taking control of the campaign operation, and the rush to meet tight signature-gathering deadlines led to a harried attempt to get solid ballot initiatives written.
"
We did not have the ability to be in absolute control," said Schwarzenegger communications director
Rob Stutzman, referring to the FPPC ruling. Stutzman was careful not to lay blame, but acknowledged that some of the initiatives had drafting errors,
calling the initiative writing process a "disjointed process."
Andy Furillo finds GOP strategists
willing to go on the record criticizing the governor's campaign team.
"'I think the governor would want to audit how the money was spent,' said longtime Republican political strategist
Ken Khachigian. '
Was anybody raising their hand and saying, 'Maybe we shouldn't be doing this?''"
"'These people are making enormous amounts of money, and they're never been held accountable,' [GOP consultant
Arnie] Steinberg said in an interview with The Bee. 'This should be distinguished from giving it the good, old college try.'"
"Said University of California, Berkeley political science Professor
Bruce Cain: 'It seems to be that Arnold, unintentionally or not, has created a whole set of innovative ways where people can make money off him being governor, and a lot of it seems to be around the consultants ... making money off the special election.'"
"[Schwarzenegger spokesman
Rob] Stutzman, who participated in the decision-making process that led to the special election, denied money was a factor."
"'I sat at the table at those meetings, and never did I see anyone that works on the outside on a political contract give any type of advice out of motivations to enrich themselves,' he said. He noted that consultants on the other side made their share of money, too."
But, fortunately for the governor,
Californians are forgiving, write Mark Barabak and Michael Finnegan.
"As he sifts through the rubble of his special election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger can take solace in one thing: Californians tend to give their governors a second chance."
"'That's what he's got to work with,' said
Mark Baldassare, a pollster for the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. 'He's a sitting governor. He can use that stage. He can try to accomplish things.'"
George Skelton writes that the governor
should take 10 lessons from Tuesday.
Robert Salladay gets the job of assembling the
winners and losers of this election.
WINNERSPolitical consultants, Television stations, Maria Shriver, Union leaders, "Warren Beatty, R.N.", Proposition 98, Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, Smoking tent, Darrel Ng
LOSERSArnold Schwarzenegger, Team Arnold, Hiram Johnson's legacy, The truth, Talk radio, Conservative churches, Garages and firehouses
Malcolm Maclachlan
takes a look at what's next, and the difference in approach between the Assembly Speaker and Senate President
Don Perata.
"Over in the Legislature, the Senate leader offered an olive branch while the Assembly speaker was primed for combat. And as Perata and Nunez begin jockeying for position, Schwarzenegger appears to be grabbing on to the branch Perata has offered.
"The
governor referenced Perata in his concession speech Tuesday night, and in a press conference Wednesday, Schwarzenegger communications director Rob Stutzman mentioned Perata repeatedly."
"'Senator Perata has certainly indicated that he's
willing to find common ground and solutions to move the state forward,' Stutzman said, while not mentioning the Speaker's name."
"For Perata, working with the governor is
an opportunity to reemerge as the dominant legislative force in the post-election Sacramento. For Schwarzenegger, it's a chance to drive a wedge between the two Democratic legislative leaders."
The Merc also looks at
the differing approach of the two legislative leaders. "Núñez, D-Los Angeles, also said the governor must prove he is sincere about working with Democrats in the Legislature. In stark contrast, Senate leader Don Perata asked the unions to 'please forgive and let's move on.'"
Gary Delsohn also looks at
what happens next. And while unions and the Speaker are asking for an apology, Stutzman says it ain't gunna happen.
"'The governor won't apologize for employing a democratic vote of the people. That would seem a little odd to do that in America.
But he does recognize that clearly people did not want this election.'"
"'I am very deeply disappointed in our governor,' [Assembly Speaker
Fabian] Núñez told reporters. '
And it can't just be one of those things where you make a mistake, you do something and you move on. ... The only way you're going to learn from your mistakes is by looking back at it, by reflecting on it and by making amends with those you have hurt in the process.'"
But, the governor can start with a
discussion on redistricting, which Democrats may be willing to embrace.
"'I've said all along that we're more than open to a redistricting effort which takes the power to draw district boundaries from the legislative and gives it to a truly independent, bipartisan group. We're working on that,' [Speaker Nuñez] said."
The Times asks whether
Warren Beatty is
auditioning for office.
"'I have to give you a stock answer,' Beatty said Wednesday. 'I don't want to run for governor, but I would have no inhibition at all.'"
"'
Let me put it another way: I feel I would have a perfect right to change my mind. Everyone does have that right.'"
Mark Barabak talks about one of the Alliance for Better California's
most successful series of ads featuring former teacher of the year
Liane Cismowski.
"Much of the credit — or blame — goes to the union and the soft-spoken Cismowski, who improbably became one of the most recognized faces of the special election campaign. The union and its allies spent about $20 million on TV ads featuring the high school English teacher, building the "Liane brand," as one strategist put it."
Jenifer Warren looks into the
failure of Proposition 73 for the Times.
"'I think we definitely got an environmental bounce from some of these other factors that had nothing to do with our campaign,' said
Kathy Kneer, president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. 'But the bottom line is, voters decided to put teen safety first and express their respect for the constitutional rights of all California women.'"
"
Dan Schnur, a Republican strategist, said he believed the larger battle over Schwarzenegger's agenda affected the vote on abortion. 'Parental notification is an issue that splits the pro-choice vote right down the middle, so if 73 had been on the ballot by itself, it might have passed,' Schnur said. 'Instead, it got caught in a special election that became a highly charged, highly partisan brawl.'"
Wasn't it supposed to work the other way around?
Peter Hecht writes for the Bee that the blame for Prop. 73 was
concern of a slippery slope that would erode
Roe v. Wade.
Steve Hymon writes in the Times that Tuesday's victories of
Herb Wesson and
Jose Huizar to fill vacant seats on the Los Angeles City Council
make Antonio Villaraigosa the big election night winner.
"'Obviously, I endorsed both early on, and I did because I truly believe they bring experience and leadership that we need right now on the council,' said the mayor. "I see them, obviously, as people I have a long-standing relationship with and look forward to working with.'"
And Shane Goldmacher looks at
the slimy world of slate mailers -- the hairy trolls of the election netherworld.
"Packaged to look like it is an official party platform, slate mail is, more often than not,
produced by for-profit organizations that auction off their collection of endorsements to the highest bidder.
In the waning weeks of a campaign, thousands of such mailers are stuffed into voters' mailboxes with innocuous and informative-sounding titles like Voter Information Guide (the piece that "tricked" Clark), Independent Voters League, and Your Ballot Guide.
The slate mail operations take place
deep in the trenches of campaign warfare. Every campaign observer and operative Capitol Weekly interviewed--on and off the record--decried them as
one of the dirtiest elements of electoral politics."
Only a couple more months before we get to do all this again...