Editing Gray Davis (section)

====Declining popularity====
In May 2001, in the middle of the [[California electricity crisis]], his numbers declined to 42% approval and 49% disapproval.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Carla |last1=Marinucci |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/05/29/MN56632.DTL |title=State gives president tepid ratings Power crisis blamed for 42% approval |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2001-05-29 |access-date=2010-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604041651/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2001%2F05%2F29%2FMN56632.DTL |archive-date=2011-06-04 |url-status=live }}</ref> By December 2001, Davis's approval ratings spiked up to 51%.<ref>{{cite news |author=Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/12/13/MN236557.DTL&hw=Gray+Davis+May+2002+polls&sn=017&sc=646 |title=Riordan has edge on Davis in polls Governor's mixed reviews seen to benefit challenger |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2001-12-13 |access-date=2010-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123083443/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2001%2F12%2F13%2FMN236557.DTL&hw=Gray+Davis+May+2002+polls&sn=017&sc=646 |archive-date=2009-01-23 |url-status=live }}</ref> His numbers declined back to the May 2001 level and remained about the same over the next year.<ref>{{cite news |author=Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/07/12/MN206022.DTL&hw=Gray+Davis+May+2002+polls&sn=025&sc=598 |title=Davis unpopular, but a bit less so Democrats, independents more supportive in past months, poll says |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2002-07-12 |access-date=2010-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123083455/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2002%2F07%2F12%2FMN206022.DTL&hw=Gray+Davis+May+2002+polls&sn=025&sc=598 |archive-date=2009-01-23 |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2003, Davis had a 24% approval rating and 65% disapproval rating.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,450976,00.html |title=Govs Under The Gun |magazine=Time |access-date=2010-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123165515/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,450976,00.html |archive-date=2009-01-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1356303 |title=A Profile of California Gov. Gray Davis |publisher=Npr.org |date=2003-07-24 |access-date=2010-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609134059/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1356303 |archive-date=2015-06-09 |url-status=live }}</ref> The leading causes of Davis's steep decline in popularity (and eventual recall) were the [[California electricity crisis]], which involved a sharp increase in electricity rates and a series of blackouts in 2001,<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Recall: Tribunal of the People|author=Joseph Francis Zimmerman|date=2013|publisher=SUNY Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKZVAgAAQBAJ|page=67|isbn=9781438449258 }}</ref> as well as voter discontent with an increase in state car registration taxes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Car tax zapped Gray Davis, but new ones won't touch Brown|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2017/04/18/car-tax-zapped-gray-davis-but-new-ones-wont-touch-brown/|newspaper=Orange County Register|first=Thomas D.|last=Elias|date=April 18, 2017}}</ref>

Davis had tried to maintain a middle-of-the-road approach, but ultimately alienated many of the state's liberals who viewed him as too conservative and many conservatives who viewed him as too liberal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/2000/02/13/METRO9080.dtl&hw=Gray+Davis+May+2002+polls&sn=010&sc=718 |title=Liberal voters souring on Davis Labor, women, death penalty foes wonder: Is this guy really a Democrat? |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2000-02-13 |access-date=2010-08-14 |first=Robert |last=Salladay |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123083600/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fe%2Fa%2F2000%2F02%2F13%2FMETRO9080.dtl&hw=Gray+Davis+May+2002+polls&sn=010&sc=718 |archive-date=2009-01-23 |url-status=live }}</ref> Many were upset that in trying to balance the budget, Davis cut spending for schools while increasing spending for prisons. Some critics attributed the proposal to the [[California Correctional Peace Officers Association]]s donations to Davis's re-election campaign.<ref name="End2">{{cite news |author=Robert Salladay, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/07/21/MN88039.DTL&hw=Gray+Davis+UCLA+August+2003&sn=001&sc=1000 |title=Did Davis hide extent of fiscal crisis in 2002? |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2003-07-21 |access-date=2010-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122234456/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2003%2F07%2F21%2FMN88039.DTL&hw=Gray+Davis+UCLA+August+2003&sn=001&sc=1000 |archive-date=2009-01-22 |url-status=live }}</ref>