Democrats confront a nightmare scenario in California recall

For one, Davis was hugely unpopular, with an approval rating that had sunk into the 20s in some polls during the recall campaign. Newsom, by contrast, has been in no such situation. Even as polls suggest his recall is on the table, his approval rating has generally been in the 50s. It’s quite possible that some Democrats felt freed up to vote to recall Davis because of the Bustamante backstop, but not nearly as many people are predisposed against Newsom.