Race will get serious

Paul Clinton

The slew of off-the-wall candidates vying to replace Gov. Gray Davis

on Oct. 7 has been an entertaining distraction, but shouldn’t

diminish the seriousness of the recall effort, locally elected state

and federal lawmakers said.

Assemblyman Ken Maddox, who represents Costa Mesa, said he’s

confident that voters will “sift through the laundry list” of the 135

candidates certified for the ballot to replace Davis. Recent polls

have put Davis’ support at under 30%.

“[Julius] Caesar said ‘people want bread and circuses,’” Maddox

said. “Gray Davis has been good about providing the circuses, but has

yet to provide the bread.”

The list of replacement candidates includes actor Gary “The Goose”

Coleman from TV’s “Diff’rent Strokes;” Hollywood billboard model

Angelyne; adult magazine publisher Larry Flynt; the “other” Michael

Jackson and Edward Kennedy; and comedian Leo Gallagher.

The list of “serious” candidates includes actor Arnold

Schwarzenegger, state Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) and Peter

Ueberroth, former major league baseball commissioner.

Schwarzenegger has already garnered the support of Reps. Dana

Rohrabacher and Chris Cox. Rohrabacher was one of the first House

members to throw his support behind the Running Man.

“He’s a friend, so I know him well,” Rohrabacher said. “He has the

personal qualities that will serve our state very well.

“Arnold is going to win,” he continued. “He’s the best candidate

who can win. Arnold will save our state.”

Cox said he hasn’t been fending off wise remarks or snickers from

East Coast colleagues about the recall campaign.

“I’m getting calls from around the country from people saying they

wish they could vote for Arnold,” Cox said. “There’s a pretext that

they wish they could recall their own governors.”

Assemblyman John Campbell hasn’t picked his candidate yet, but he

discounted criticism that Schwarzenegger is too politically

inexperienced to succeed in that job.

“Because he’s a celebrity, people tend to be discounting the

seriousness of the man and his potential policies,” Campbell said.

“He’s got a lot of experience and depth.”

Busty porn actress Mary “Carey” Cook has proposed her platform:

tax-deductible lap dances and a tax on breast implants. She has also

promised to wire the governor’s mansion with live Web cams so

Californians “will get to see their government in action --

literally!”

“Some people have very simple messages,” Campbell said about her

candidacy. “This is proof that democracy, as flawed as it is, still

works.”

No local candidates successfully qualified to run, even though a

few rattled their sabers.

Former radio disc-jockey Jim “Poorman” Trenton, who lives in West

Newport, and Costa Mesa resident Mark Vrowgindewey failed to qualify.

They both submitted papers.

Also, Corona del Mar urologist Don Udall and Costa Mesa

electrician Joel Wirth took out papers, but didn’t return them.

Surf and Hugh

Rohrabacher, who himself surfs, is planning a Hawaiian luau

fundraiser in Huntington Beach on Thursday.

The event will feature conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt as the

master of ceremonies and awards for best example of Hawaiian attire.

It’s scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and carries a $250-per-person entry fee.

Ferguson, Republican group support assemblyman

The California Republican Assembly has endorsed McClintock for

governor, former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson announced this week.

Ferguson holds a chairmanship of the ultra-conservative group’s

publications committee.

“No candidate for governor from the Republican Party has been

elected governor of California without its support since the

mid-1930s, when the organization began,” Ferguson said in a release.