THE CA RECALL DEBATE? NO ONE GOES THERE ANYMORE; IT'S TOO CROWDED:

Schwarzenegger, in absentia, still dominates the debate (Dan Walters, September 4, 2003, Sacramento Bee)

Proving the absence of something, philosophers and physicists have observed, is among humankind's most difficult feats.

Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger's absence from the first debate of California's historic recall election, however, was impossible to ignore. Just as his larger-than-life persona seems to fill whatever space he occupies, Schwarzenegger's absence dominated the consciousness of those on and off stage Wednesday in Walnut Creek's downtown arts center.

Gov. Gray Davis, the target of the recall, didn't mention Schwarzenegger, the leading Republican candidate, during his half-hour of questioning by a panel of journalists and voters. The governor concentrated, instead, on reinforcing his latest plea to voters -- that he's "gotten the message" of their anger and will be attentive to them if they reject the recall.

And without Schwarzenegger's participation, the 1 1/2-hour debate among five of his rivals to succeed Davis -- should the governor be recalled -- was little more than a low-key exchange of sharply divergent ideological views. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, Green Party candidate Peter Camejo and media gadfly Arianna Huffington paddled on the ideological left -- in calling for higher taxes, particularly -- while state Sen. Tom McClintock championed unleavened, anti-tax, budget-cutting conservatism and businessman Peter Ueberroth plowed the middle.

It was interesting in its own way, albeit somewhat repetitious. But without Schwarzenegger's participation, the event took on an air of irrelevance.

Which is why he'd be foolish to debate anyone but Cruz Bustamante, and that one on one. Why give the foplks who have no shot at being governor a shot at free media attention?

Posted by orrinj at September 4, 2003 8:16 PM