Posted on 07/17/2003 2:58:10 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
LOS ANGELES (AP) The chairman of the Democratic National Committee vowed Thursday that no Democrat will run to replace Gov. Gray Davis if the recall drive reaches the ballot.
"I want the folks here in California to know that we are not going to have another Democrat on the ballot. I think that is the single biggest message I can give today," Terry McAuliffe told a downtown news conference.
"So if you're a California voter and you want to vote to recall Gray Davis, you are not going to have an option but a bunch of right-wing conservatives on the ballot," McAuliffe said.
Proponents of the Republican-led recall hope the secretary of state will certify the effort as early as Wednesday, which is the next deadline for counties to report signature totals to the state. Backers say they've turned in more than 1.6 million signatures, nearly twice the number of valid signatures needed for the measure to reach the ballot.
In a recall, voters would be asked first whether to oust Davis and then to choose a replacement from a list of candidates.
Strategists from both parties believe the unpopular governor's chances of survival would be greater if no Democrats appear on the ballot.
However, some California Democratic lawmakers and party members in Washington have discussed uniting behind another Democrat if it appears Davis would lose a recall vote, as recent polls indicate he might.
McAuliffe sought to discount that scenario.
"I'm telling you here today that there will not be a Democrat on that ballot" McAuliffe said when asked if Democrats would stay off the ballot even if it appeared Davis would lose office.
"I think Republicans are trying to push all this stuff out, that this one's going to run and this one's going to run," McAuliffe said. "And to a voter's mind out there, they think they're going to have options."
"They're not going to have options," McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe pledged party backing to help Davis. He said he participated in a conference call Wednesday with Democratic activists throughout the country to update them on the recall situation. He said there would be daily calls on the recall.
"This is what we did, obviously, with the debacle in Florida to keep everybody informed of what's going on," he said, referring to the 2000 presidential vote recount in Florida.
The Lt. Govenor is a guy who would then cede Kalifornia to Mexico.
It will be interesting to see how Slick, Hitlery, and the 7 Dwarves get involved in this recall campaign.
Or how James Zogby picks his "winner" again as he tried in 2002.
Resume enhancement is not on the horizon.
I don't think so. If the recall doesn't succeed they're no worse off. If a Republican is elected it gives the Dems a chance to get rid of an embarrassment (Davis) and lay off the blame for the California mess on a Republican: two birds with one stone. You can bet they and the media will throw everything they've got into electing a popular Dem to "clean up the Republican mess!" at the next general election. They own the gerrymandered Legislature and can frustrate a Republican governor at every turn. McAuliffe may be a class A sleazeball but he isn't stupid.
The disadvantage the Republicans have is that with Davis the only Dem. on the ballot and the anti-Davis vote split 3 or 4 ways, Davis can win in theory with less than 30% of the vote!
The way I understand it, Davis' name as a candidate would NOT appear on the recall ballot. He is only on the ballot to be recalled.
Nothing can stop them.
Pay my fee and I'll re register and run.
But...but you wouldn't want to get McAwful mad at you?
Welcome to the face of the modern fascist left.
McAuliffe is finally, blatantly showing his true colors. "You, peon subjects of the Democratic party, have no options. You will do as we say. We know what's best for you. Don't question us. Don't think for yourselves."
I've always seen McAuliffe as a tactless and shortsighted partisan of questionable intelligence and integrity. I see even at that, I've overestimated him.
Nevertheless, McAuliffe was busy spinning on every political talk show saying, in essense, that election day 2002 was a great day for Democrats! Only if you're a Democrat seeking to move into the private sector maybe.
It is in the works......from another article:
Democrats are enlisting other party leaders to campaign against the recall, too. California Democratic Party spokesman Bob Mulholland said Thursday that former President Bill Clinton will "be out here at some point to oppose this."
Actually, I thought it would be fun to hear McAuliffe or Mulholland get eviscerated by Lee Rodgers (and Lee is capable of it), but Lee wasn't interested in having McAuliffe on. He had said that they probably had no idea that KSFO was a conservative station, that they probably just looked at the numbers the morning show had, and thought it would be a good venue. The station is in SF, so it must be liberal, right? That's what I thought was amusing.
Awwwww that would be a pity. Bwwwwwaaa Haaaaa Haaaaaa
Recalled officials certainly can run in the election to complete their terms. Notice, McAuliffe said "I want the folks here in California to know that we are not going to have another Democrat on the ballot." He doesn't want another Dem. on the ballot to split the Dem. vote.
Not so. The law does not allow the recalled official to run as candidate in the recall election.
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