An unfortunate axiom of California politics has been that only a small percentage of potential voters has cared enough to pay attention to campaigns and cast ballots, and scant political coverage by big-city television stations has reflected and abetted that disinterest.

That axiom is no longer operative, at least for the moment. The historic campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis drew an unusual level of public and media attention from its onset. But when movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger entered the field of potential successors, interest skyrocketed.

The odd nature of the election, the legal machinations, Schwarzenegger's involvement and the unusual candidacy of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante have all contributed to this intense interest -- which could lead to an unusually high voter turnout whenever the election is held.

When Schwarzenegger conducted a meeting of his economic advisory panel in Los Angeles and then emerged for a session with reporters Aug. 20, there were 30 television cameras and dozens of reporters in attendance, many of them representing international media. A Schwarzenegger-less debate in Walnut Creek drew only a slightly less intense media turnout.

Although the contest is becoming a more-or-less conventional, two-person duel for the governorship -- Bustamante vs. Schwarzenegger -- the high level of public and media interest is creating a dynamic of its own. Everything said or done by the two -- along with Davis' somewhat desperate efforts to survive -- is being given intense media scrutiny, which tends to magnify the effect.

Within a few days of the Walnut Creek debate, both major contenders were compelled to alter their campaign positions by adverse media reaction.

When Schwarzenegger ducked the debate, it intensified media buzz about his seeming proclivity to bypass the political press and show himself only under the most controlled situations, when he wouldn't face questioning about his positions on various issues. Within two days, Schwarzenegger was sitting down with political journalists, issuing detailed position papers, making policy speeches and conducting press conferences, such as Thursday's call to eliminate "dirty money" from politics. Indeed, Schwarzenegger has lately become the most policy-specific candidate, and although his proposals don't always hold water, he's a fast study and could be surprisingly effective at Wednesday's debate.

When Bustamante began receiving millions of dollars in campaign funds from unions and casino-owning Indian tribes -- in apparent violation of the $21,200 limit on individual contributions -- the media reaction was equally strong. At first, Bustamante and campaign guru Richie Ross insisted that the transactions were legal because the money would be diverted into an account that existed before the limit took effect. But when the media jumped on the story and even the state Democratic Party chairman was critical, Bustamante quickly retreated. He declared that the money would be used, instead, for a series of television ads against Proposition 54.

When only a few newspaper reporters were writing about such things, candidates could afford to ignore them. But when Los Angeles television stations are opting for fewer freeway chases and giving more airtime to a campaign for governor, it creates a much different atmosphere.

Californians' evident disgust with the political status quo indirectly ratifies Thomas Jefferson's observation that "a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical." The Legislature's performance draws even lower marks in polls, and some lawmakers are worried about a backlash, possibly in the form of a punitive ballot measure.

A lingering question -- whose answer won't be known for months -- is whether Californians' newly discovered interest in politics is a one-time phenomenon or represents a new resolve to pay attention to what their officeholders, and those who aspire to office, are saying and doing.

Dumping one governor, if that happens, doesn't solve California's seemingly intractable political problems. And if the media and voters return to their previous indifference, politicians will return to their lethargic and insular ways. It's up to us.