Recall circus rolls into town

By Sarah Robbins
BBC correspondent in Sacramento

It was an unlikely scene for the normally tranquil corner of the university campus, and the crowd gathered outside the student union building was barely keeping civil order.

The recall circus had come to town: "Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Gray Davis has gotta go! It's time for change! Thirteen days to go!"

That was one side chanting. Then, across the way, the Davis supporters chimed in with their own catchy tune.

Arnie creates a stir wherever he goes

There was at least one Green Party supporter. And even a huge sign proposing, "Howard Dean for President".

No one wanted to miss this chance for publicity.

As the minutes ticked down towards the start of the debate, the atmosphere outside reached fever pitch.

Just a few feet away from each other, the media cluster, in rapt attention, was the only means of keeping the enthusiasts from butting heads.

Star-struck

Then came The Arrival.

Arnie's massive, black sports utility vehicle swooped in, parading the candidate past the unruly crowd into a carefully guarded car park.

He waved coolly from inside the vehicle. The fans actually swooned.

Inside the hall, what had been billed as a "sink or swim" appearance for Arnold Schwarzenegger became a bona fide opportunity for the other would-be governors to take a cue from the pandemonium outside and try their best to assail him, and each other.

The debate itself, nationally televised, featured one-liners and generous comedic relief.

'Arnie and Arianna Show'

The hero even had his foil - Mr Schwarzenegger, performing well in the spotlight, was tested vigorously by independent candidate Arianna Huffington time and again, as he struggled to stick to his script.

In this election we are seeing the Rise of the Fundraising Machines Arianna Huffington Sparks fly at debate

The two - now dubbed "The Arnie and Arianna Show" - had several captivating exchanges, including one that alluded to Mr Schwarzenegger's alleged past sexual exploits.

"We all know this is how you treat women," Mrs Huffington taunted.

The audience inside the hall, there by invitation only, had mild, stilted applause for some of the more serious discussion of health care and the economy - but let out loud, chortles of laughter when the attacks became personal and the moderator had to police the degenerating discourse.

The relatively liberal format of the debate, which allowed the participants to engage with one another, meant that at times they threatened to drown each other out - prompting Ms Huffington (a Greek immigrant) to quip: "I'll just keep talking... and we'll see who can speak louder in a foreign accent," mocking both herself and Mr Schwarzenegger.

Sideshows

The far right and the far left also had a chance to step in.

Often relegated to the outside, Tom McClintock, a conservative Republican, and Peter Camejo, from the Green Party, rejoiced in bringing their own sideshows to centre stage.

Mr McClintock defended his largely unpopular stance on immigration policy and Mr Camejo railed against plans to cut spending in a state that lags in education and infrastructure improvements.

Cruz Bustamante, the lieutenant governor, chose to ride the fence about the recall itself - reiterating his "No to the Recall, Yes to Bustamante" campaign rhetoric - a wise move since recent polls indicate the public may be rethinking its previous fervour against Governor Gray Davis - and admitted that the path to government's colossal debt was a not a mystery.

"We spent too much," Mr Bustamante said, "It's not rocket science."

When the show was over, the candidates still had time for the requisite photo op and words to the press.

Asked how he thought it went, Mr Schwarzenegger said gamely, "Perfect!"

California's voters have less than two weeks to decide whether or not they agree.