[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

The Reagan race referred-to in this article was his gubernatorial victory over Pat Brown. The parallels are plentiful: Reagan was truly an outsider with no governmental experience--an actor and union president--running against a lifelong big-government politician known for strategic largesse and backroom backscratching. Like Simon, Reagan offed the "establishment" GOP candidate in a sweeping upset and went on as an underdog to beat Brown handily. The rest--including his trouncing of Jimmah--is history.

One thing that is not a parallel is that people liked Brown-- a jolly backslapper type and a great guy to have a beer with, by all accounts. By comparison, Davis is a brooding Queeg given to grandiose visions of power, especially his own ("The job of the Legislature is to implement my vision" "Singapore is a model for California's police.") He's a singularly unlikeable and even vaguely scary dude, one who lets occasional fascist stripes peek through his public plumage.

Another non-parallel is that Brown's term as governor was generally regarded as reasonably successful, whereas everyone acknowledges that Davis is an unvarnished disaster.

Go Bill Go!

[Doug Fiedor]

everyone acknowledges that Davis is an unvarnished disaster.

That perpetual politician has profited from government way too long. It's time he went out and got a real job somewhere -- if he even can.

Hope y'all fire that jerk!