KMAX: News of the West

LOS ANGELES (AP) Gray Davis was never a beloved figure, not even after five statewide election victories over a 30-year career. Swept out of office on a tide of voter rage, he ultimately fell victim to his own aloof personality and his cautious political style.

The practical reasons given for Davis' downfall include California's gaping budget deficit, once as high as $38 billion, the tripling of the car registration tax, and the electricity crisis that caused rolling blackouts.

But some say Davis' lack of personal appeal left many voters cold and with little reason to support him when times get tough.

``Gray Davis never related to people and people never related to him,'' said Ann Crigler, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California. ``It's a big part of why he is where he is today.''

A former assemblyman who also served as state controller and lieutenant governor, Davis has been known as the consummate insider who steadily climbed the political ladder by carefully weighing each decision and aggressively pursuing the next job.

But he never generated much voter enthusiasm. Devoid of charisma and considered aloof even by those closest to him, Davis was forced to rely on raw political skill for victory.

Again and again, Davis was able to size up opponents and tailor a campaign to fit the need. Sometimes that meant going nasty. He also raised money relentlessly. If the approach brought success, it also turned off many voters.

``As far as I'm concerned, Gray Davis is one of the dirtiest politicians I've ever encountered,'' said Ed Troupe, 69.

After serving six years as chief of staff to Gov. Jerry Brown, Davis won a seat in the state Assembly in 1982. There he launched a campaign to put pictures of missing children on milk cartons and grocery bags. Meanwhile, he squeezed campaign contributors for donations at almost every turn.

He won the office of state controller in 1987 and after getting re-elected in 1990, he set his sights on the Senate. The race pitted Davis against Dianne Feinstein and featured attack ads that linked Feinstein with hotel queen and convicted tax evader Leona Helmsley.

The ads played a big part in Davis' landslide defeat. He blamed his campaign managers and vowed never again to allow anyone else to make his key political decisions.

Although the loss led many to believe Davis' career was over, he assembled a new campaign team and was elected lieutenant governor in 1994. Four years later, Feinstein decided not to run for governor, and he saw an opening.

Davis slipped past Democratic rivals in the primary by running a moderate campaign and then defeated Attorney General Dan Lungren, a conservative Republican, with 58 percent of the vote. But in steering a course up the middle, he rarely received the full backing of his own party.

``Over the course of his career, Davis was never the first choice of his own party,'' said GOP consultant Dan Schnur. ``It's not surprising that once he got to the governor's office, he didn't feel the need to reach out.''

Davis didn't know it but his career probably crested in mid-2000, when California was riding high on the high-tech economic bubble and his name was floated as a possible future contender for the White House.

Voter frustrations were finally vented Tuesday.

``We've had enough,'' said Jim Hall, 62. With the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ``we're going to see some action now.''

A centrist most of his career, Davis had long ago distanced himself from the liberal wing of the party, though he did maintain strong alliances with unions and inner-city ethnic groups.

Davis worked hard in the closing weeks of the recall campaign to embrace those two voting blocs. He signed a bill allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. And he signed landmark legislation aimed at providing millions of poor workers with health insurance.

But in the end, even those groups abandoned him. Exit polls from Tuesday show that two key groups Hispanics and union members abandoned him. While nearly two-thirds of both groups had backed Davis in his last two elections, about half voted for his recall.

The career politician has not mentioned whether he plans to resurrect his political career again. In his concession speech Tuesday night, the famously bland Davis promised a smooth transition.

``I am calling on everyone in this state to put the chaos and the division of the recall behind us and do what's right for this great state of California,'' he said.