California: All elections, all of the time...?

[KevinTheOmnivore]

This would be exciting, eh??


http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/editorial_f3742139517981bf0091.html

Total recall redux?
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Saturday, August 23, 2003

If California Gov. Gray Davis loses the recall election in October and Arnold Schwarzenegger wins, as some polls predict, his stay in Sacramento might be short. San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, a tough Democrat who once ran the state Legislature with an iron hand, said that sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander as well.

"If it works for Republicans," Brown was quoted as saying on ABCNews.com, "all you've got to do is raise enough money. I have enough money to have it work for Democrats. And believe me, I think the Democrats will do it." California could be all-elections, all-the-time at this rate.
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[El Blanco]

Can't they just fall into the ocean and be done with it already?

[Abcdxxxx]

Willie Brown should seriously lay low on this one. All that money he's talking about came from deals he put together while in Sacramento, that he bennefited from once he got elected in San Francisco. He shouldn't be hearing the world recall without having nightmares of his own.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

That seems kind of irrelevant to me. Remove Brown's name, and insert any number of bank rolling Democrats who live in California, and you've got yourself a recall. The precedent has been set, and California prides itself on "starting trends," right??

[mburbank]

Hey, HEY, NOW! Thus copycat shit is so unfair! I mean, when you open a can of wor,ms, it just seems totally wrong for there to be worms inside! When Pandora opened that box, did she have any reason to believe COMUPANCE might be one of the demons lingering inside it! NO SIR! I say when someone does something that should be the last time it gets done until they do it again and someone else doing it is an abomination!


So unexpected to. I mean, who could have forseen it? Certainly it would be wrong in any way to blame anybody. These things happen. I think we should all remember the old saying "It's really, really easy to put a Genie back in a bottle, so let 'em out whenever the mood strikes you!"

[El Blanco]

"I'll get no comupance, do you hear me? NO COMUPANCE!!!"

I've got nothing to say, I just love the opportunity to use that line.

[Abcdxxxx]

Um. Some politicians are a wee bit more active in the backrooms then others, don'tcha think? Oh, but if they are as interchangeable as you think then...well this just all sounds so win-win! Someone call Da Mayor and tell him the good news... all politicians are inherantly corrupt, so he's off the hook! no acountability ever! rob the people and abuse your elected position...hey it's a DEMOCRACY! woo.

[mburbank]

Your opinion of Willie Brown, even if %100 correct is totally beside the point.

Recall has now been proven strategically feasible. Do you honestly think it will only be used this one time?

That's why that line of Homer's El Blanco quoted is so damn funny. People who open Pandora's box always think there's no commupance, and there always is.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Give it up Max, he just won't get it.

California practically coined the term "Limousine Liberal." Don't you think a Hollywood Lib' type, such as a Martin Sheen or something, would be MORE than glad to throw their cash towards ousting Arnold?? Hell, a bunch of them are practically saying they plan on releasing info. on Arnold's past in order to smear him. You think they won't sopend some money to put a Democrat back in office (providing Arnold even wins)??

And the interchangeability wasn't in reference to elected officials, it was in reference to those willing to finance.....eh, nevermind. You're hopeless.

[Vibecrewangel]

It's a circus here.....

Stupid Californians......

[kellychaos]

Can't they just fall into the ocean and be done with it already?

Actually, I think they'll go dry before they get wet.

[The One and Only...]

I think that if Arnold does win, he'll most likely end up throwing sizeable tidbits to the California left in order to make them happy. Otherwise, we might see a recall if some mud can thrown at him.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

He isn't a very conservative candidate really, but I guess you can't be too conservative in California.

If he wins, bank on a recall mobilization from the Democrats....

[El Blanco]

Seriously, this is beyond fucking retarded. All it takes is a 5% of the registered voters?

Stalin couldn't pull in 95% of voters....AND YOU DIED IF YOU DIDN'T VOTE FOR HIM!

When does it end?

[KevinTheOmnivore]

SHUSH YOU!

California likes to be "innovative," and gosh darn it, I'll bet it was actually like SIXTY percent who wanted the recall, they just couldn't get around to signing it. :(

[Abcdxxxx]

Well sure there's going to be a flood of recalls. They're already going after the Mayor of Pittsburgh. I know you're all excited for some mass recall hysteria, but you should put some worth in where some of this stuffs coming from. You're quoting Willie Brown for goodness sakes. It's hot air. California's wearing itself out on this recall. It'll be a while before they see another one. Nobody is going to win this on party politics and partisant votes alone. Looks like the teachers unions are going to side with Arnold, and they're not tradionally Republican supporters/

[mburbank]

Your right. 'Cause one thing you KNOW is true for politcians and TV shows. If something succeeds, you don't try and do it again. I mean, if people did, we'd have nothing but sound bite candidates and reality shows.

[kellychaos]

I'm just sorry the attempted recall of our Detroit mayor wasn't successful. Plenty of charges ... not enough evidence ... bleh! How about incompetence and nonproductive? I can give you plenty of evidence for that.

[El Blanco]

Your right. 'Cause one thing you KNOW is true for politcians and TV shows. If something succeeds, you don't try and do it again. I mean, if people did, we'd have nothing but sound bite candidates and reality shows.

ZING

I think you will see a few cases of ridiculous recall adventures, but a lot of places will then get some new legislation about cracking down on it.

In NY State, if I remember correctly, we don't get recall except if the voting procedure itself gets messed up. We do, hwever, have impeachment procedings.

I think thats how it is. I have to confirm it.

[mburbank]

I agree that this will eventually lead to a general tightening of recall laws.

The only question is, how much chaos and lost money has to happen first?

Wanna bet the next election cycle in California features an intiative banning recall initiatives? What happens if an initiative to ban initiatives passes?

[KevinTheOmnivore]

California's wearing itself out on this recall. It'll be a while before they see another one.

How so? Do you mean expenses covered by the state to set up the special election? Well, people didn't see to care about that this time around, despite the fact that the deficit is huge, and the economy is in the shitter...

It takes 5%, and a few thousand dollars. That can be met, now whether or not the state has the "energy" to get through it may be another matter, but putting it on the ballot will be a piece of cake.


Nobody is going to win this on party politics and partisant votes alone. Looks like the teachers unions are going to side with Arnold, and they're not tradionally Republican supporters/

Maybe, but the recall was mobilized on very party/partisan grounds, and many Democrats find themselves taking the party line in rejection of the recall effort. The issue is the RECALL, not merely the special election it generates....