Davis’ Message, Not the Delivery, Is What Counts

OK, so it was Gov. Gray Davis’ worst delivery of a speech ever. At least since anybody has been listening.

The sound of him chewing ice--crunch, crunch--after twice pausing for long sips of water did add a common touch for those watching on TV.

But all the hand gestures--mostly hatchet chops--combined with a soft voice racing, often stumbling, through harsh words seemed out of sync. There was a noticeable lack of passion, even as he denounced the “price-gouging” and “legalized highway robbery” of energy producers.

This was the governor’s annual State of the State speech. It was arguably the most important speech by a California governor in many years, given the energy crisis. Eight TV trucks were parked outside. Cameras lined both sides of the packed Assembly chamber.

But it’s doubtful Davis connected with many citizens watching on TV Monday evening--despite a professional speech coach and weekend practice sessions.

No, he didn’t have a cold, aides say, although he was tired from late-night hours and cross-country travel working on the energy problem. Look, they add, Davis just doesn’t read a speech well. Besides, this was not a fun speech; he was delivering bad news.

Notes Davis’ chief political strategist Garry South: “He’s not somebody who stands up in public and rants and waves. This is not a saber-rattler . . .

“When he’s at his toughest is when his public performance is at its most modulated.”

Why? “I’m not a psychologist. I’ve just seen it a million times . . .

“When he gets his arm around an issue and starts to move, I would not want to be in his way.”

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True enough. And another truth is that Davis’ shaky speech delivery--although the talk of the Capitol Tuesday--doesn’t matter a whit as far as resolving the energy crisis and bringing the price-gougers to heel.

What mattered was not the delivery, but the content. And that was solid.

This was a speech aimed less at TV than at the boardrooms of utilities and energy producers. It was written for financial advisors and policymakers, in the Legislature and Washington.

Sure, some specifics were missing. Just how will Southern Cal Edison and PG&E; pay off their combined $12-billion debt to the energy producers so they can stay afloat? Be real.

No politician’s going to stand up by himself and say, Well, the consumers and/or taxpayers will just have to dig deeper. When that happens--and it surely will--there’ll be a lot of political leaders standing together for cover, speaking in unison. And they’ll have worked out with the utilities exactly what the consumers will be getting in return--namely a reliable electricity flow at affordable rates.

The governor did say it would be “irresponsible” to allow the utilities to go belly up, thus rejecting the notion of some consumer activists that they deserve their own fate. He asserted: “Our fate is tied to their fate.”

Davis also declared that energy is not some ordinary product the government can leave to the normal whims--the gamesmanship--of a free market. “Electricity is a necessity of life.”

And the governor indicated he may agree with the skeptical majority of people who told the Times Poll they don’t believe the electricity shortage really exists. The governor said: “There’s evidence that some generators may be withholding electricity . . . to create artificial scarcity [and] drive up the price astronomically.”

One Davis advisor predicted: “When this story comes out, you’re going to see a scandal tantamount to the savings and loan scandal of the 1980s.”

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So there was a lot of nuance--a lot of gubernatorial attitude--for the profiteers to dissect and ponder.

Davis specified the parameters of how far he’s willing to go, and it’s further than you might expect of a middle-roader.

He’s willing to venture into public power--either in partnership with municipal utilities or through a new state public power authority--to build new generating plants. “The time has come to take control of our own energy destiny.”

The governor also threatened to use his big gun: eminent domain, to seize plants now owned by the gougers. That alone wouldn’t produce more power capacity, but it would assure reliability at a reasonable price.

Davis’ message--even if delivered awkwardly--clearly got the attention of some power pooh-bahs. At a Washington summit Tuesday night, they began negotiating toward a solution. “This is the first time I really believe I can see light at the end of the tunnel,” the governor told reporters Wednesday.

In dealing with these people, Davis has ice in his veins. You can hear the crunch-crunch.