Local Democrat says Coastal Commission and the Local Coastal Plan debacle turned Democrats away from Davis.
By Carolanne Sudderth/Special to The Malibu Times
It was apparent that Malibu had neither forgiven nor forgotten Gray Davis when votes were tallied in the gubernatorial election.
Instead, the city stood firmly behind ousting Davis and his Democratic regime (including candidate Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante) in favor of Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger – along with the rest of the state.
The closing bell for the California polls had barely sounded at 8 p.m. when Davis conceded the recall race to political newcomer Schwarzenegger.
Malibu was the only one of three local cities to vote for the recall. Both Santa Monica and Topanga joined the rest of Los Angeles County in voting against it. For that matter, although the margin was slight, the whole of Los Angeles County voted to save Davis from the recall – despite the threats of $38 billion worth of budget cuts, $4 billion to schools alone. This philosophy did not hold across the state, and the region proved the exception rather than the rule. As per the accompanying map, Los Angeles was one of the few southern counties to hold out against the recall.
With 135 candidates on the ballot, most of the candidates never made it past the 0.0 percent box. The “Governator” took 48.7 percent of the vote statewide.
Ralph Erickson, president of the Malibu Democratic Club, believes the killing stroke here was the Malibu Local Coastal Plan.
“I think the margin for the recall was largely based on the high-handed tactics by the Coastal Commission,” he said. “There was a lot of anger because they weren’t able to work out an acceptable plan with the City of Malibu, and I know that a lot of Democrats said that they just could not support Davis.”
Curiously, Schwarzenegger lost in much of his home stomping grounds – the coastal cities. Schwarzenegger has become one of Southern California’s best old boys, with a house in Pacific Palisades, several businesses in Santa Monica and a regular table reserved for him at Patrick’s Road House (it’s the one with the tall back chairs and locomotive telephone). Neither Santa Monica nor Topanga were willing to replace Davis with the political newcomer – or anyone else.
In Malibu, Schwarzenegger’s 1,840 votes (47.35 percent) beat out Bustamante’s 1,080 (27.79 percent). McClintock came in a poor third with 322 votes (8.29 percent). In Santa Monica, Schwarzenegger’s 7,658 (32.59 percent) votes were beat out by Bustamante’s 11,072 (47.11 percent). Likewise, in Topanga Canyon, Schwarzenegger’s 854 votes (34.76 percent) were overshadowed by Bustamante’s 1,186 (48.27 percent).
Davis has made more than a few controversial decisions while in office, from stumbling over the energy companies tripwire to the last minute scramble to scribble his name on bills that were on their way to a slow death buried on the governor’s desk. Davis swore he would never sign the Legislature’s bill allowing legal drivers licenses to illegal immigrants-until it looked like his lack of action might push a large chunk of Bustamante’s Hispanic votes his way.
While Erickson believes the state of the economy may have pushed the people’s desire for change, just as with Herbert Hoover, the state of the economy may have caused locals to blame Davis for faults that weren’t his.
“You know, it’s a funny thing,” Erickson said. “[Davis] was elected after the energy problem, which I attribute almost totally to the White House, which the Republicans controlled.”
Nevertheless, he is philosophical about the loss and Malibu Democrats are marching on.
“I’m, of course, disappointed,” he said. “It would have been better to have a Democrat for the next three years, but in the long term, the Democrats are on the right side of the issue.”
In the meantime, the Democratic Club of Malibu will focus its attention on education and health care beginning with a rally featuring State Superintendent of Education Jack O’ Connell at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2 at 29057 Pacific Coast Highway (across from Heathercliff). Further information is available at 310.4541487.
Calls to the Malibu Republican Club had not been returned when this article went to press.