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We know Davis flip-flops on important issues (like first doing nothing about energy, and then rushing to stem the disaster)

Actually Davis doesn't flip-flop, he IGNORES important issues and problems facing our great state because he spends so much time fundraising and shaking down businesses in exchange for his influence (signature/veto? Oh, what to do? How much?)

Davis is corrupt. When problems reach crisis level, he uses the heavy hand of government to "solve" the problem, blame the Republicans (or Bush, or the Free Market, or the right wing conspiracy), then goes back to raising money, giving huge pay raises and benefits to his union buddies, and ignores the fact that his makeshift, panic-driven so-called "solutions" are worse than the problem in the first place.

Gray Davis ... the man who turned a $13 billion surplus into a $22 billion deficit.

Dump Davis!

...and the money Davis raises is tantamount to a "protection racket"...No one dares NOT to support Davis financially unless they're prepared for unfavorable treatment and policies from the state in regard to their business or industry. From the polls, it looks like about half of Californians have woken up to Davis' corruption (47% say they will not vote for him...I don't understand why it isn't more like 66%). The fact that Simon is placed much lower than the number of those who say they will under no circumstances vote for Davis is that there could be a lot of voters who will sit on their hands in November -- wanting neither Davis, nor Simon. Generally, I trust that the vast majority of these will be Democrats -- part of Davis' base. This may be the key to victory for Simon: solidify the Republicans, while keeping disgruntled Democrats at home in November. There aren't enough conservatives or Republicans in California to pull off a statewide victory, but if the turnout is low (because Dems stay home), Simon's base should be enough to win.

The budget situation in California is only going to get worse. There's a likelihood that there will be no budget by July 1 (the constitutionally mandated deadline), and that the Legislature will be wangling over it well into the summer. The best thing for Simon is for the Dems and the Reps in the legislature to agree quickly to a budget, and then lay the blame on Davis if it's not signed. So far, Davis has left all of the hard decisions with the Legislature. If there isn't a budget in place by July 1st, Davis will blame the Legislature for this failure. And many in the press will buy it.