California Recall Live Thread

[Miss Marple]

It's fraud, as I have been predicting for three days. They figured out a way to steal the election, and that is why they didn't appeal to the Supreme Court. The smear on Arnold is to cover up the vote fraud, whereupon people like Bill Press will tell us that the polls showed a nosedive after Thursday.

The only hope is for massive, massive turnout so that they can't steal enough votes.

[Sabertooth]

First, McClintock didn't take $3 million from the Indians, almost all of it was spent by them independently.

Second, Schwarznegger took in millions from developers, and has plans to sell some of California's landed assets. I'm actually in favor of some form of divestiture, but the possibility for the purchase of access is clear.

Third, Schwarznegger has made large loans to his campaign, and the fundraisers to pay them back won't happen until after the election.

So, to my eye, some of the umbrage over campaign finances has been a bit selective.

I'm pretty lassez faire on campaign finance: I like immediate public disclosure of donors, unlimited contributions, unlimited spending, no public financing, no foreign money, and no loans.

[William McKinley]

A horrific dive? The update they posted last night had the recall winning 57-43. Survey USA. That was a four point decline from 5 days before. Four points is within the range of statistical noise, not indicative of a horrific dive.

[EllaMinnow]

Are you seeing a later SURVEYUSA poll than the one dated 10/6 on their website?

[goldstategop]

Which is exactly what's happening. So what is all the gloom and doom on here. Heaven help us, we're starting to sound like the freakazoids over at DU!

[honeygrl]

neat little Election Results viewer. I've got it up and scolling in the background to see when things start getting interesting.

http://vote2003.ss.ca.gov/

[BureaucratusMaximus]

I will not. I am entitled to my opinion. :)

Neener Neener.

Late kindergarten get out early today?

Grow up.

[pgyanke]

Interesting... no Bustaburgers...

[concerned about politics]

thats their exit polling?

Yeh. LOL. They said they'd do even more! Goody! (not)

[William McKinley]

There is no later SurveyUSA poll than that one.

[eureka!]

"The only hope is for massive, massive turnout so that they can't steal enough votes."

That appears to be the case, as high as 70% they're saying. As one freeper said: people don't stand in line to vote to maintain the status quo. Time will tell...

[My2Cents]

Dittos that, Tooth. Davis is Job-1.

[goldstategop]

And don't forget the futures markets. A lot of people stand to lose money if this thing goes south.

[myself6]

Speaking of those little nazis, I wonder what they are saying right now.

[veronica]

Sorry, but McClintock should have dropped out.

[ambrose]

Did you read SurveyUSA's REPORT? You have to follow TRENDS. This smear was late breaking. Do the recall margins freefall into election day or did the drop finally stop on Monday? The drop may well have stopped on Monday and the recall wins. But it isn't in the bag by any means.

"Erosion in Arnold Support, But Not at Tipping Point"

"Margin for recall dropped 25 points to 14 points between 10/3, 10/4 and 10/5"

http://www.surveyusacom/2003_Elections/CA031006RecallReplace.pdf

[ambrose]

Bill Press isn't just a liberal - he's the former Chairman of the California Rat Party... so he may know what he is talking about.

[hattend]

Cool! Thanks.

Now if only some results will start coming in.

[tx_eggman]

Prop 53 calls for 1% to be set aside on the infrastructure ... isn't the end of the world, but it's a start.

[GOPrincess]

I had this discussion recently with a friend who made an argument similar to yours, saying that petition signatures are not equivalent to votes. My POV is that the recall mechanism itself was voted on by the public in 1911 -- is that vote somehow less important than votes for an elected official? All politicians have known the recall mechanism is present for the better part of the last 100 years. The sheer difficulty of getting a recall on the ballot (this is the first time it's happened for governor, after many tries, including Ronald Reagan in 1968) offers an element of protection. My view is the threat of recall should always be hanging over politicians' heads. It is a means of protection for the people, but I see it as no threat to democracy. The next governor is, after all, democratically elected.

This all calls to mind the quote by Thomas Jefferson:
"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere." (To Abigail Adams, 1787.)