Schwarzenegger Aims for Clear Run

Discreet efforts are being made to give Arnold Schwarzenegger a clear run as the Republican candidate for governor of California, as the latest opinion poll shows the Austrian-born actor trailing the leading Democrat in the race by 13 points.

With only six weeks to go until the vote on whether to replace the Democrat governor Gray Davis with one of 135 candidates, the field is already starting to thin. Senior Republicans, however, would like to see it thin further.

Elsewhere in the US, the effect of the state's recall campaign is already being felt. In Nevada, a campaign was launched this week to recall the incumbent governor, Kenny Guinn, a Republican, who was elected last year and who has just raised state taxes. The Bush administration had feared the California recall could make Republicans vulnerable in other states.

According to a weekend LA Times poll, 50% of California voters now favour recalling and replacing Mr Davis, with 45% against. If he were recalled, 35% say they would vote for his current deputy, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, ahead of Mr Schwarzenegger, on 22%.

As for the two other Republicans, the conservative Tom McClintock is on 12%, and the man who ran the 1984 LA Olympics, Peter Ueberroth, is on 7%.

The polls are volatile, however: only a week ago they showed Mr Schwarzenegger well ahead of Mr Bustamante. Mr Bustamante is coming under scrutiny for his membership of a radical student organisation, MECHA, which has campaigned for the return of the seven south-western states to Mexico.

A fourth leading Republican, Bill Simon - last year's unsuccessful Republican candidate - withdrew at the weekend. He denied having been leant on by the White House.

The Republicans fear that while the Democrats are gradually lining up behind Mr Bustamante, their vote could be split three ways.

Yesterday, Mr Ueberroth bullishly told CNN that he was staying for the duration. But no one would be surprised if both Mr McLintock and Mr Ueberroth withdrew as polling day approached. Mr Simon and the Republican congressman Darrell Issa had insisted they were in the race, spent hundreds of thousands on adverts, and then meekly withdrew.

One of the Republican party's problems is that its conservative wing is unhappy that Mr Schwarzenegger is moderate on social issues. Yesterday the actor told the rightwing talk show host Sean Hannity that he was in favour of abortion rights; against gay marriage but favoured "domestic partnerships"; against legalisation of drugs but favoured medical marijuana; and supported some measures of gun control. He avoided questions on affirmative action, another conservative litmus test.

The embattled Mr Davis received some consolation this week when labour leaders threw their organising weight and funding behind him. Bill Clinton is also due in the state next month to campaign for him.

A poll has found 53% of Californians believe that the campaign process has been "a circus". Only 42% see it as "democracy working".