Using Arnold to Get Gavin

MG: I think one of the ironies here [about who] is susceptible to marketing in a political context, and this is obviously the majority of voters, they're not tuned in to the specifics, and they sort of buy into the advertising. But at the end of the day, you've got to get those voters to the polls. I think what's interesting about this race is the circus of the recall will draw a lot of people to the polls. Even the mayor's race might draw a lot of people. But what's going to decide the [mayor's] race is the runoff. It's not going to be the November election. I think the question is, are those occasional voters who are most susceptible to the money [going to] go out to the polls in December?

My point is, let's say that any one of us is in a runoff against Newsom; you won't be able to measure that in any sort of traditional sense. Are people going to be burnt out? I just can't imagine that the turnout is going to be that high.

SFW: So it's going to be core, dedicated voters?

MG: More informed voters. Voters who go to the polls knowing what's going on.

We're trying to persuade you of the idea that this mayor's race has a candidate who speaks in clichés and is running a massive ad campaign. But the irony is that the potential to beat him may not be the case of an honest candidate who tells the truth, who's going to fight the Goliath. It may very well happen because there's another candidate just like him [Newsom] running for governor in this crazy recall election, which may ultimately impact the race simply because it's added another election in so short a time that it may cause less voters to come out to help him. Then it's going to be the core folks who are going to come out. And they're more informed. And they know what's going on.

I think if you do exit polling after the runoff, those voters will be able to tell you something about Gavin Newsom.

SFW: That's interesting.

MG: I try.

[pause]

MG: It's sort of making it Gonzalez versus this bodybuilding thing. I'm trying to get Arnold to take out Newsom for me.