Bustamante Goes Left to Take On Schwarzenegger (LA Times)

By Matea Gold, LA Times Staff Writer

In his quest for the governor's office, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante is increasingly veering left with appeals to immigrants and working-class voters, shucking off the label of moderate Democrat that he has worn for years.

By pairing his personal biography with a campaign platform aimed at blue-collar workers, Bustamante has positioned himself as a staunch liberal — and is depicting himself as the antithesis of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The move reflects the dynamics of a multi-candidate recall election in which the winner need only get the most votes, not the majority. That has allowed Bustamante, whose political career began in a conservative Central Valley district, to run a campaign aimed directly at liberal Democratic partisans.

But his approach carries the risk of alienating moderates, some analysts said. If more candidates follow the lead of Peter V. Ueberroth, who dropped out of the race Tuesday — and if Republicans succeed in uniting around a single candidate — Bustamante could find his strategy turning into a trap, they suggested. ---

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...if Republicans succeed in uniting around a single candidate — Bustamante could find his strategy turning into a trap, (analysts) suggested...

But the Republicians HAVEN'T succeeded in uniting around a single candidate--at least, not a legitimate one. I don't think there are enough California voters who hate Gray Davis enough to replace him with someone who is both a Republican AND a neophyte. And I won't hold my breath waitng for this story to be followed up with one about the strategic "trap" that the Republicans have laid for themselves.


rocknation

I wonder what this would really look like? What is the opposite of vacuousness? (That is a word, I looked it up!)