ABSTRACT
Far from a traditional election, the recall presented rules and processes different from anything Californians had ever known. An NBC/Knight Ridder poll, taken on the Wednesday through Saturday before the election, showed great initial harm to Schwarzenegger as a result of the revelations, particularly among female voters. By the campaign’s end, the only surprise was the size of Gray Davis’s defeat and the extent of Schwarzenegger’s victory in the replacement election. Shortly after the entry of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a replacement candidate, Davis shifted gears yet again. In the end, Schwarzenegger’s candidacy may not have been as harmful to Davis as the governor was to himself. While the state plunged into economic despair, Davis seemed remote from the experience, even though his work ethic and personal values suggested the contrary. The entry of Arnold Schwarzenegger into the race to replace Davis was a dream come true for the media.
