Good point actually! Except your arguments above weren't consistent with this. Sorry - but 'letting them hang themselves' only means ruining our state. If that is what you want to do - please move to another state with that attitude and 'allow' someone like Gray Davis to ruin it.
I love California and I love our democracy.
I do not believe we can allow state leaders to purposely withhold the true financial health of the state so that they can secure re-election. I believe that undermines the institution of our democracy.
I believe if we do this and do NOT take action in the form of a recall, then we lower the bar further. I'm not about to do that, if you are that is your priviledge and right. I just think that is a crummy way to involve one's self politically... it's such a zero-sum game. My involvement in politics has been based on a desire to bring about positive change. In this case, that begins with spanking Gray Davis for lying and deceiving voters in one of the most despicable acts of his administration.
If you want the dates and quotes of Gray Davis about the budget - to show just a few weeks before the election versus what he said just 17 days afterwards I would be happy to post them. THIS is the justification for recall. As for political considerations that you raise, I'd be happy to counter those too. Except political considerations is not the basis upon which you should be critiquing the moral validity of this recall drive.
Whoever questioned the moral validity of this effort? Look, I assume that we all want positive change. I assume that we all care about democracy. I assume that we all want to hold leaders to high standards of truth. Let's not mistake disagreements over strategy and tactics with disagreements over goals.