As Californians flock to the polls today for the recall election of Gov. Gray Davis, we can't help but notice our states are hardly twins.
California has the ocean and expansive beaches where people enjoy warm temperatures nearly the entire year. Arizona has Tempe Town Lake, scorching asphalt and 100-plus highs in early October.
But when it comes to the governors, we think Arizona has fared far better in this comparison, thanks to Gov. Janet Napolitano.
Davis faces a strong surge of opposition from Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger and could lose his job if the voters follow through with the "Total Recall."
Unlike her California counterparts, Napolitano has come through for Arizona on many occasions and has succeeded in quickly earning the support of her constituents.
For instance, when Napolitano moved Arizona's primary election to Feb. 3, she made the state a critical swing vote for the presidential election, which could bring millions of dollars to the state at virtually no cost. Then, Napolitano decided not to endorse any one candidate, which furthers competition among hopefuls and brings more attention to our state.
More money and attention from Washington is just one of the many reasons Arizonans, who seemed ready to recall the entire legislature during the alternative fuels fiasco just a few years back, are faring better under Napolitano.
And even if Davis loses to the alleged "Predator," we are confident that Napolitano is one woman who Arnold can't touch.
Compared to Napolitano's political shrewdness, Schwarzenegger's political record begins to look more like "Junior."
When Napolitano faced the gas shortage - the first statewide crisis in her tenure - she was able to criticism and used the opportunity to speak out against price gouging. She also took a hard line with Kinder-Morgan, the oil company responsible for the broken gas line, demanding straight answers and transparency behind the calamity.
You might even say she laid down the law as the "Kinder-Morgan Cop."
As the former state attorney general, Napolitano's legal expertise in Arizona positioned her well for the office of governor, where already she has acted as an "Eraser" of years of gubernatorial mismanagement.
California seems to attract crises as it attracts tourists, and few officials have had answers to the problems. In the past few years alone, the Golden State has endured major energy, budget and basketball crises, not to mention today's recall fiasco.
While we'd like to sit on our side of the Colorado River and laugh at those crazy Californians, we know that the problems in their state - and their fed-up residents - could spill over into Arizona. That's why we are glad Gov. Napolitano is here to lead us.
