Gray Davis DNC Strategy - Recall

KRLA ^ | 6-17-03 | self

[Bernard Marx]

Bump for bookmark.

[Bernard Marx]

Bump for bookmark.

[ScottinSacto]

I do see your point. The polls suck for Davis now and won't get any better. I do not know the technical legal parts and you are probably right about succession. I just think Davis is all about his legacy...only Al Gore has done more image recreation than Davis. Him resigning would seem to be a long shot, even if he sees the slightest glimmer of a chance to beat the recall vote he will stay so he can say he beat the odds again and salvage some bit of legacy other than being the first governor in history to be recalled. And the recall election is the only chance for Bustamonte or Garamendi or assorted others that do not have the ability to raise the large amounts of cash that Lockyer, Angelides, Westly and others have on hand and can raise easily.

[ken5050]

Actually...your comments about "legacy" strenghten my point....Davis will do anything to avoid going down in history as the first governor to be recalled...so he'll take the easy way out....IMHO, if any name Dem annoounced now, for the job, like say, Feinstein,..Davis would be 99.9% recalled..he'd get his and his family's votes.....the reason no name Dem has annoucned for the job is that no one wants it..they know the mess the state is in...

[ScottinSacto]

I think he is going to be walking and probing a fine line very carefully....if it weighs on the out-on-his-a$$ side, your are right, if he thinks he can somehow eke it out he fights it. But I just remembered, he is gonna need more than 50% of votes cast to be in favor of him staying...not the 19% the other guys might need to take his seat. But either way he is outta here thankfully. As for your point about his family voting for him, I read yesterday that Sharon Davis might be a possible replacement, so he cant't even count on that vote!

[heleny]

Paging Garry South! Paging Bob Mulholland!

Like a rat leaving a sinking ship, Garry South has already left Davis for a more promising future -- working for candidate (for dem. presidential nomination) Joe LIeberman.

[kellynla]

I can't see Finestein running. Why would she want to give up a cushy job to take on the nightmare that awaits the next governor. Davis took over a cherry position, a state with a 4 billion dollar surplus. However within 4 years he totally screwed up the entire state economy turning it into a 38 billion dollar deficit. Whoever takes on the job now is looking at long nights and not much sleep for 3 years.

[heleny]

Here's another problem... the Rats can also get a million signatures and recall whomever replaces Davis.

Unlikely, unless the new governor makes serious mistakes and lies like Davis. Even then, the signatures only ensure a recall election, not necessarily removal which requires 50%+1 of the recall election vote. Lots of people will be willing to give a GOP governor a chance if he is willing to institute some drastic reforms.

[heleny]

If they vote No on question 1 and then vote for someone on question 2, does that invalidate the ballot?

No. The 2 questions are independent. The plurality winner from question #2 (from all ballots) is governor only if the total tally of "yes" on question #1 is over 50%.

So, people can vote "no" but still choose their favorite replacement candidate. Just about anyone can file for candidacy, except Davis.

[L.N. Smithee]

Like a rat leaving a sinking ship, Garry South has already left Davis for a more promising future -- working for candidate (for dem. presidential nomination) Joe LIeberman.

Oh, really? Well, then it's only a matter of time before George W. Bush is accused of being an anti-Semite.

[L.N. Smithee]

I can't see Finestein running. Why would she want to give up a cushy job to take on the nightmare that awaits the next governor. Davis took over a cherry position, a state with a 4 billion dollar surplus. However within 4 years he totally screwed up the entire state economy turning it into a 38 billion dollar deficit. Whoever takes on the job now is looking at long nights and not much sleep for 3 years.

If she is really ambitious enough to run for President, this would be perfect for her. She's got no major baggage scandal-wise that we know of, and as a lifetime S.F. resident who watched her as she was plunked into the Mayor's office after the assassination of George Moscone, believe me -- she is incapable of being worse than Davis.

Whatever little she accomplishes -- if anything at all -- it will be better than what more of Davis would have subjected the state to. Smelling like a rose, she will be discussed at the very least as a VP candidate again (she was aced out of the 1984 slot by Geraldine Ferraro, the first of many mistakes Fritz Mondale made).

[Diplomat]

She may want the job as a stepping stone to the presidency. If she has that ambition, she will dictate the terms of dufas' surrender. Otherwise, say hello to your (my) next governor, Arrrrnold.

[NormsRevenge]

Name me a senator who was ever elected President in a legitimate election?

Thanks ;-)

[heleny]

We should hit the 900K mark this week.

The reporting period for the June 23 Sec. of State report has already ended (five business days before the report). I heard Costa on the radio yesterday saying something about having turned in 600k or so to the counties. The report next week should reflect that.

Kevin Shelley may try some tricks to delay the election, legally or illegally. Some possibilities:
Since the counties must report every 30 days, Shelley waits until the July 23 report to say there are enough unverified signatures, since there won't be enough in the June 23 report. Counties have 30 days to count the signatures (August 22 if they start counting July 23), and Shelley has 10 more days to certify (September 2, since Sept 1 is Labor Day).

If they push certification to September 3 or 4, within 180 days of the March 2, 2004, primary election day, then Bustamante can hold the recall election in March.

Some ways to delay that I can think of:

• frivolous litigation: recall signers didn't know what they were signing... duh!, or anything else that will take a few days for a judge to throw out
• lack of state budget shuts down the counties and Secretary of State's office, so they can't count, verify, or certify signatures
• late-arriving mail containing more recall petitions "resets" the date counting

[kellynla]

Welll guess what. After the beating that this state has taken for five years of incompetency I doubt if Finestein or any other Dimwit could get elected. We are going to start ejecting the morons in Sacramento and then KNOCKOUT BOXER IN '04! I think the majority of level headed taxpayers and business owners in CA have had a belly full of socialists redistributing our incomes. Time to take out the trash!

[kellynla]

I only hope shelly tries a fast one. No reason why we can't have a recall for him too!

[mabelkitty]

His sweetheart state Oracle and other pay for play deals Davis did is what really hurt him.

[Diplomat]

Name me a senator who was ever elected President in a legitimate election?

Can't think of one in my lifetime, that's for sure. But this is why I stated that DiFi will throw her hat into the ring when the rats realize this train will not be derailed. No one goes from the Senate to the Oval office, just the other way.

[NormsRevenge]

What an ironic twist if DiFi "FrightkenStein" made it to the Oval Office before the Big Red's #1 gal, Hitlary Khan.

Folks .. Kiss your guns goodbye the day they swear this witch in as POTUS.

[Reeses]

He behaved like a noodle during our electricity hiccup turning it into a multi-billion dollar fiasco. Still he was re-elected. He's being a noodle again, having turned the budget problem into another fiasco. Why he lusts for power is anyone's guess. He's not a leader, he's a contestant on Survivor.