CAMPAIGN TALK : A Weekly Window On The California Elections.

INTELLIGENCE

Trains, planes and Arlomobiles: In a final, frenetic effort to attract voters, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dianne Feinstein will chug through the Central Valley this weekend by train while Republican Pete Wilson counters by air. Republican state attorney general candidate Dan Lungren also has taken to the air, accompanied by Gov. George Deukmejian. Then there is the “Arlomobile,” a 26-foot recreational vehicle in which Lungren’s Democratic foe, Arlo Smith, plans to tour the Southland Saturday and Sunday. Last weekend, Smith, accompanied by state law enforcement and abortion rights leaders, visited 10 Northern and Central California communities in the van. He is hoping that the trip was not a bad omen. The Arlomobile broke down just outside San Luis Obispo.

Campaign shredder: The campaign for state insurance commissioner between Republican Wes Bannister and Democrat John Garamendi has been uncustomarily well-mannered. Garamendi has aimed his invective at outgoing Republican commissioner Roxani Gillespie, claiming this week that he found Gillespie with what amounts to a smoking pistol: a document showing her Insurance Department used a shredder to destroy thousands of investigatory files. Gillespie acknowledged the shredding but said it was routine to rid the department of old cases where no major infraction was found. Garamendi, however, said the files might point to misconduct. Gillespie has appealed a court order to process 30,000 complaints that a judge found she had ignored.

Take from the rich: The timber industry has made a big deal out of the fact that wealthy investment manager Harold Arbit has contributed $5.1 million of his own money to Proposition 130, the environmentalist measure to halt clear-cutting of ancient redwoods. That didn’t stop Harry A. Merlo, chairman and president of Louisiana-Pacific Corp., from sending a letter to Arbit’s company, Concord Capital Management, seeking at least $10,000 to defeat the initiative and win passage of the industry’s countermeasure, Proposition 138. Louisiana-Pacific itself is no slouch: It has given $1.6 million so far to the timber industry campaign.

Star burnout: If their boycott of “Murder, She Wrote” is any indication, the supporters of Proposition 140 better start worrying about the fate of their ballot measure, which would limit terms of state officeholders. The initiative’s backers last week called for a nationwide boycott of the CBS drama after the show’s star, actress Angela Lansbury, appeared in a commercial opposing the measure. The show had ranked 26th in this season’s Nielsen ratings. Last week, it improved to sixth place, seen in 5 million more homes.

COMPARING THE POLLS

A look at poll results--past and present--in the California governor’s race. Both the Los Angeles Times Poll and the California Poll have a margin of error of approximately three percentage points. Before June Primary Times Poll taken from May 17-23 Feinstein: 36% Wilson: 42% California Poll taken from May 29-June 3 Feinstein: 40% Wilson: 45% August Times Poll taken from Aug. 17-22 Feinstein: 39% Wilson: 39% California Poll taken from Aug. 17-27 Feinstein: 42% Wilson: 45% October Times Poll taken from Oct. 13-16 Feinstein: 41% Wilson: 42% California Poll taken from Oct. 4-10 Feinstein: 42% Wilson: 47% Now Times Poll taken from Oct. 27-30 Feinstein: 42% Wilson: 43% California Poll taken from Oct. 26-30 Feinstein: 39% Wilson: 47% Compiled by Times editorial researcher Michael Meyers

SOUNDINGS

From Kathleen Brown, the Democratic candidate for state treasurer, offering a twist on the theory that candidates at the top of the ticket can help sweep in other members of the slate by virtue of a “coattail” effect.

“I’m looking for a petticoat effect.”

From Republican Pete Wilson, when asked whether he was being sexist in suggesting that gubernatorial rival Dianne Feinstein is influenced by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and other men, including her husband and contributor, Richard Blum.

“I didn’t do anything about her sex. God did that.” EXIT LINE

“At a time when people around the world are opting in for democracy, the champions of democracy are opting out.”

--Secretary of State March Fong Eu, in remarking that voters are likely to turn out for Tuesday’s election in small numbers.