Posted on 10/18/2003 9:45:46 AM PDT by Bob J
"The Circus Leaves Town. Whither From Here?"
By Vincent Fiore
These past few months, Californians has endured the moniker of "Hollyweird" and the like with passive grace, always knowing that whatever is said has little consequence to them personally. Ever mindful of the adage of "How goes California, so to goes the nation," golden state residents have remained ever prideful in their State's storied history, and its ability to stand out. Being the largest, most populous state has its advantages, not the least of which is its ability to set the trend. So amidst the chaos of the recall election, California again distinguishes itself as "all the rage" for an eyes wide-open nation.
In the cloakrooms in Washington, much has been said and is being said about the possible ripple effect that this recall will have on other elected officials. In Newark, New Jersey, 5 term Mayor Sharpe James {D} hears the footsteps of recall. On November 25th, the people of Nevada will know if a vote to recall Gov. Kenny Guinn {R} will take place, if the organizers can garner the requisite 25% of the last elections total vote. Minnesota is talking recall, where the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) is threatening to go after Gov. Tim Pawlenty {R}. Wisconsin State Sen. Gary George {D} filed court papers to stop a recall election that will have a primary take place on October 21st, and if he survives, the general election on November 18th. Including California, 17 states have some form of statewide recall in their State Constitutions.
Trendy, you say. Possibly. Though some of these efforts are in their infancy, so too was California's recall effort at one time. Most people may not think of recall as anything but pure democracy in action, but you can bet the farm that the politicians think otherwise. House Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi {D} has the taint of anger about her, calling Davis's recall "a sad night for our state and a sad night for our country. It shouldn't be that public officials have to watch their backs every moment for fear of recall." Compendiously, this is precisely what should be. Even with a healthy majority of voters opting to throw Governor Grey Davis out, House leader Pelosi essentially thinks Democracy took it on the chin Tuesday night in California, a very sad and telling commentary on her part.
But these things can get messy, and in my opinion, cannot help but devolve into a smearing contest. Witness the barrage of LA Times hit pieces against then candidate Schwarzenegger five days out before the election. Seeking out 16 women claiming to be victims of a "badly behaved" Schwarzenegger, the Times definitively opted to make news as opposed to reporting it, and conspired to sway an election. Some of the victims are anonymous, as befits an organization with an agenda. This is the same LA Times that has in past times stated as policy that it will not use anonymous sources. None of these women have filed a single charge, although Schwarzenegger has admitted to some of these actions and denied others. Though far from condoning such behavior, I have to wonder just how serious these instances of bad behavior were in relation to the seriousness of the charge. Indeed, I say this having heard many women ask it themselves.
But the groping stories backfired badly for the Times, as Californians saw right through its attempts at aiding and abetting a Governor who's time had come. Bravo California, shame LA Times. Though the Times denies any October surprise against Schwarzenegger, it has ceased to be believed by anyone outside the news room, with the possible exception of disgraced NY Times storyteller Jayson Blair. This is not to say the LA Times, or any other media outlet cannot advance an opinion, but that is what the editorial pages are for. So far the Times has paid a small price for its complicity, a few thousand readers choosing to become ex-readers. The bigger loss for the Times is its inability to separate fact from opinion on page one, and the credibility gap that grows larger everyday.
Besides the election of a Governor and the recalling of one, the circus had other acts in it. Little known throughout the frenzy of recall was props. 53 and 54. This space wrote intensely regarding prop. 54, {see: http://www.americandaily.com/item/1929} an initiative which looked to bar the state from classifying people by the means of, race, ethnicity, or national origin {otherwise known as CRENO}. Rejected by Californians, prop. 54 lost badly, 66% to 34%. The other initiative, prop. 53 faired just as poorly. Aimed at mandating 1% of State funds for infrastructure repair and improvements to 3% in 2006, it too lost on the ballot 66% to 34%. But these were the side show acts, to be overshadowed by the main event.
In the California big tent, Gov. Grey Davis was unceremoniously put to the curb, with 55.4% voting for recall. But this is in line with most polls leading up to Election Day. The number that will possibly have national meaning though, is 62%. That number represents the total Republican/Conservative electorate that voted for either Schwarzenegger or State Senator Tom McClintock. That's 62% of the entire vote, with the rest going to Democrat Cruz Bustamante {31.6%} and the cast of clowns that were also on the ballot. The spin out of liberal think tanks has this as a bad sign for President Bush; Voters are angry, its said. Rather, it is DNC Chairmen Terry McAuliffe that is angry: "People are very angry at the course of our nation... people are worried about their jobs, their health insurance, they are taking it out on Gray Davis. And they will take it out of George Bush, too."
The problem with that theory is simply put: Voters were angry, with Grey Davis, the Democrat Governor of California. Further, if Republican Governor-elect Schwarzenegger cannot govern with the Democrat controlled legislation in Sacramento, they will be angry still, and may vote with a vengeance in 2004. It is why the 62% number is significant in California, for even with a huge turnout for a non-presidential election {60%}, Republicans showed that the GOP is very much alive in California, and possibly growing. Here is the pure nightmare of the circus for Democrats that now haunts them. Losing California in 2004, though a long shot now, would effectively kill the Democratic Party for a generation. Even vigorously defending California from George Bush in 2004 will cost resources that would be otherwise used elsewhere.
Anger is the veritable norm for the Democrat Party these days. We have seen it since the 2000 election, and have seen it grow steadily still. It is only natural, I suppose, for a party so single-mindedly choleric against a sitting President to conform all that has happened to the base reaction of anger. But anger is a poor medium with which to govern through, and being angry has its own specific rewards. For the angry party of Democrat, the reward has been the gradual loss of power since 1994, when Republicans swept into the House of Representatives. Since then, Democrats have been numerically on decline since. The California circus could be a herald of things to come for the Democrat Party, and at this point in time, things do not look good.
The business at hand now is for the GOP to build upon success, and for Democrats to retrench in order to stem the tide of those successes in the electorate. For President Bush, his fate will not rest on California's angry voters, but his own achievements or lack there of. It is worth noting that another Governor, Howard Dean, is the front runner for his party's nomination in 2004 to go against the President. It will be interesting to see a very angry Dean carry that banner of anger around the country and see if that resonates in the voting booth. At this time, Dean's anger only resonates with the acidic left of his party, and the leadership that has convinced itself that hate is justifiable.
So wither the circus now? Probably nowhere anytime soon. As sensationalistic as it was, and at times out and out laughable, I would not relish seeing it again. California has exercised its Constitutional right of recall, and it has ended. But everybody knows that eventually, the circus winds it way back into town again for another performance. The Circus may come to a town near you sooner than we think, in the form of a presidential election. For Republicans, the main act is free flow of democracy. For Democrats, it is the anger that headlines the show. Come one, come all.
Vincent Fiore is a small business owner and is an active "Citizen Politician" for the GOP. He currently contributes commentary to several political web sites on a weekly basis. Your comments are welcomed.
Vincent Fiore ANWAR004@AOL.COM
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