Jonah Goldberg: Democracy will be severely damaged if Californians recall Gray Davis

Union Leader ^ | 7/08/03 | JONAH GOLDBERG

[William McKinley]

I do not agree with your stance that by Davis remaining in office for two more years that somehow it will tie him to the disaster more than if he is removed from office (which has not happened before) for causing the disaster. I find your argument counter-intuitive.

[OldFriend]

The recall is a powerful message to other governors that taxing and spending one's state into bankruptcy is hardly a winning strategy.

Simon did rather well considering the media's endless focus on a phony lawsuit that was dismissed in Simon's favor far too late to change the direction of the election.

[B Knotts]

So, because this guy grew up back east, where recall, initiative and referenda are not as common, we in the west should not use it?

What the heck is the point of having recall, if you never use it?

[OldFriend]

New Yorkers were punished alright. They got four years of David Dinkins. If ever a Mayor should have been recalled it was Dinkins.

[l8pilot]

Recall is every bit as valid as impeachment. It's our check on government gone totally insane.

BUMP (and Howdy!)

[DB]

You mean like how so many liberals don’t blame Bush for Clinton's bubble economy?

California has more than its fair share of liberals. Liberals will claim things are worse now that a Republican is in office – and things will be worse. Things are going to get much worse regardless of who is in office but that little detail will escape them. With excuse in hand they won't be forced to face how we got here. It is only when there is no one else to blame but themselves will voters change their free lunch mentality.

[B Knotts]

California has had the recall since 1911.

[CatoRenasci]

I absolutely agree, Jim. California has had the Recall on the books since the Progressives (gov. Hiram Johnson) beat the Southern Pacific machine Democrats in the 1910 election.

It has rarely been used, but until the past 20 years or so was always an effective threat and check on the behavior of politicians in California. It was effectively used to get rid of the execrable Rose Bird, IIRC.

All three of the Progressive reforms -- initiative, referendum and recall -- are absolutely key to the sound functioning of republican government as the size of the entity increases.

[COBOL2Java]

I think what he's trying to say--without coming right out and saying it--is that the stench of Gray Davis's failures will be around for a long time. The state's problem's are virtually un-fixable. Why send in one of our guys to ride the thing to Hell?

Do we want this clip from "Dr. Strangelove" to be part of the Democrats' commercials blaming the Republican Governor for California's demise? You know it will happen, they're trying it with Bush right now!

Susan Sarandon Voice-over [circa 2004]: The Republicans in Sacramento saw to it that the California economy went from weak-to-recovering under Gray Davis to an explosive mushroom cloud which will be felt for generations. Californians, you've seen for yourselves what they did. Can they be trusted to run our statehouses and legislature?

[vbmoneyspender]

I stopped paying attention to Goldberg after he backed McCain during the 2000 Republican primary.

[B Knotts]

The only solution for California will be to severely cut back on the welfare-state goodies, and get serious about deporting illegal immigrants. This won't happen while Democrats are in charge.

We did this years ago, by voting for Proposition 187.

Unfortunately, (then Gov.) George W. Bush opposed us, and a federal judge blocked us.

The cooperation of the feds is necessary to do this, and it does not appear to be forthcoming from this administration.

[B Knotts]

That should have read: (then Texas Gov.) George W. Bush

[William McKinley]

You mean like how so many liberals don’t blame Bush for Clinton's bubble economy?

By your logic, we should have elected Al Gore so as to ensure the Democrats took the blame for it.

[Alberta's Child]

I understand that. In my mind, it's the application of it these days that is the real issue.

My problem is that the recall effort started almost immediately after Davis was re-elected last November. Instead of pushing for a recall today, why didn't the voters of California simply vote for a different candidate eight months ago?

And lest anyone here really thinks that the recall process is truly democratic, consider this: when Jersey City, New Jersey held a special election in 1992 to replace the mayor who had just been indicted for tax evasion and bank fraud, a total of 19 candidates ended up running in the open election. It was great for Republicans when Bret Schundler won, but the reality is that he only garnered 17% of the vote in a heavily Democratic city.

Californians would do well to ask themselves how outraged they would be if Davis was thrown from office and was replaced by a flaming Marxist from Berkeley who was elected with 17% of the vote.

[sd-joe]

>> "The only effective thing that changes bad behavior is painful consequences."

That statement of yours should apply to Davis and other politicians. Davis has demonstrated extreme bad behavior and now needs to suffer the consequences. Other politicians need to see this example so they may be deterred in thinking they can f**k the public at will.

[Alberta's Child]

Were it not for the disastrous four years of the Dinkins administration, nobody ever would have heard of Rudy Giuliani.

[DB]

You do understand that in California there are no Republicans in any statewide office and that if a Republican were to win the governorship that both the state house and the state senate are overwhelmingly a Democrat majority. A new Republican governor with angry entrenched Democrats in the legislator will not be able to do anything useful.

The only hope this state has is for the voters to decide enough is enough and start dumping Democrats throughout the legislator and executive branches. In two years with wide spread pain for all the voters to feel it would be much more likely they would throw many of them out of power. They are now and have been in total control with no one else to blame.

A short term single office band-aid will solve nothing.

[bert]

A short term single office band-aid will solve nothing...

Your paragraphs correctly state the issue. A new governor can at best begin a campaign to throw all the ratscals out and begin anew.

[eureka!]

"Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the poster."

LOL, kat.

Jonah, OTOH, is missing a big point here: ending Grayout's political career. His corruption is only matched by his ambition and he was looking to bigger targets in the future. That career is being ended....

[Alberta's Child]

Davis' political career effectively ended last November, when he was re-elected to office with a surprisingly small margin of victory against a third-rate opponent who ran a terrible campaign.

When a governor barely wins in his or her own state, all national political aspirations come to a halt. Christie Whitman of New Jersey is a Republican who comes to mind in this regard.