TEN MORE DAYS, then recall mercifully comes to a vote. Here are some items to consider over the weekend, while the candidates hopscotch California. As Linda Richman would say, "talk amongst yourselves."

(1) Jumping on the Bandwagon, or Life in the Slow Lane? State senator Tom McClintock won't quit the race, despite pressure from the upper echelons of California Republicans to rally behind a consensus candidate (you know who). "I don't know what it is that people find so astonishing about a politician who actually keeps his promises," McClintock told reporters yesterday. "I promised at the beginning of this campaign that I would see it through to the finish line, and I keep my promises."

That forces Arnold Schwarzenegger and company to resort to Plan B: Pick up endorsements from big-name California Republicans, create an aura of momentum, and hope that siphons support from his conservative rival. Yesterday, Arnold received the backing of former recall candidate Bill Simon and the state's GOP county chairmen. Today may bring an endorsement from recall organizer Darrell Issa--next week, maybe a thumbs-up from another recall alum, Peter Ueberroth.

Second-guessing Team Arnold is one of recall's favorite parlor games, but on this one the gang in Santa Monica seems to have it right. Schwarzenegger stayed on message before and after Wednesday's debate: It's not personal, he respects McClintock and thinks they'd make a great team in Sacramento. Even Simon wouldn't tell McClintock to quit the race when asked yesterday on Sean Hannity's radio show if he had a message for his fellow conservative. It's the polar opposite of former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan's mistake in last year's Republican primary, when he lectured conservatives on abortion and immigration. Time will tell if Arnold's approach proves to be more productive.

(2) Will Gray Remain a Good Guy--Even If It Means Finishing Last? The only thing more bizarre than the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' smackdown of the ACLU is the possibility that Gray Davis might go wire-to-wire in recall without going negative on his opponents.

Yesterday, Davis raised the stakes by telling reporters that if Arnold didn't stop lying about his record (yes, there's a little Bob Dole in all of us, even Democrats), Arnold should have the decency to debate him. Unfortunately for the governor, only a few hours later the Los Angeles Times and CNN pulled to plug on a debate they had planned for next Tuesday.

Will Davis do a number on either Schwarzenegger or Bustamante (or both) in the next 10 days? It's keeping in character--this is the man, after all, who spent about $7 million to destroy Riordan last year, then nearly $70 million savaging Simon. But it probably depends on the polls: How many Democrats plan to vote yes on recall and yes on Bustamante and how many independents plan to vote yes on recall and yes on Arnold? But a last-minute smear comes with a catch. To the extent that Davis has narrowed the recall gap, it's because he's stayed on the high road--signing legislation rather than faxing hit pieces on Arnold, as his operative famously did two years ago. Facing the gallows, the "new" Gray seemingly has done more official business in the past four weeks than the "old" Gray did in his first four-year term. The press won't like a return to "old" Gray. (Note: This does not prevent a massive, last-minute independent expenditure by an interest group with plenty to fear--i.e., the gambling tribes.)