I Oppose This Republican Putsch Dressed Up As A Recall Election

[DemocratSinceBirth]

As Ann Richards said "you can put a dress on a pig but it's still a pig".

Hiram Johnson, a early twentieth century California governor and reformer created the recall initiative and other initiatives to reign in the corrupting power of the railroads .

Now, the Republican party is using this initiative to install a Republican governor to put California's 54 Electoral Votes in play.

As Jerry Brown has pointed out as one of the infirmities of the initiative is that the winner can be rejected by a super majority of the voters.

I ask you is it democracy if you can have an elected leader who is rejected by , say, eighty percent of the electorate.

To my fellow Democrats I say stand up straight, take the kick me sign off your rear and be proud you're a Democrat.

Carpe Diem.

[Sequoia]

1. Hear, hear, or aye, aye.

I agree!

[revree]

2. HEAR, HEAR!

And if Ahnold wins, we recall his steroid ass.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. The thing that troubles me

is you can have someone elected on part 2 with, say 20% of the vote.

I'd like to see one democratic theorist say that is a democratic outcome.

[Giverney]

3. It is just THIS SIMPLE

Everyone is complaining about the recall, but I see it this way:

1. doesn't matter if the repubs are doing the recall, of course they are, there's a Democrat in office.
2. his ratings from what I've read (no I dont live in Cali, I can't speak from experience) say he's not liked, by most.
3. even if the recall goes through...

IF THERE ARE MORE DEMOCRATS IN CALIFORNIA... THEN A DEMOCRAT SHOULD WIN!!!

why is that hard to understand. You'll see whether or not California Democrats are split or not based on this vote:

If a republican wins, then the Democrats in Cali are not banding together...

Imagine if the Repubs bragged and toted about getting a Recall effort in place, and ANOTHER democrat was put in office.. wouldn't the repbus be embarassed as hell?

Look at things positivily once in a while.

~Dems in '04

[ewagner]

5. good theory, but in practice its different

Yes. You are absolutely correct. There are more dems in CA than repubs. But even among Dems, Davis is very unpopular.

AND

Add that to the fact that Davis has to get 50%+1 in part I of the ballot but if he doesn't then the person on part II of the ballot with simply the most votes wins. (could be as little as 15%?)

AND

Added to that there are other dems, and independents on part II of the ballot who will siphon off Davis support on Part I

THEN

You have a sure-fire recall and the chance that a cohesive, well organized Republican candidate can take the Governship with as little as 15% of the vote.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I Cant Believe Somebody

in another thread was saying this outcome is democratic.

That you can have an elected leader who was rejected by 85% of the people.

[section321]

7. And if we don't like the guy that gets elected, we just start r own recall

Take the whole friggin country down with us. One recall after another. They'll keep coming so fast they won't have time to strike the statute from the books.

Bread and circuses! Don't pay any attention to the man behind the curtain!

Anarchy! Anarchy I say!

Dogs and cats, living together! Sheer anarchy.

Ha ha ha ha!
AAARRGGHH!!!

(man, I'm scarin myself)

[Clete]

8. Apparently, you too think they are using fascist methods

of undermining our democracy. We can stop it. It's not to late, but first everyone has to realize what is going on. I don't know why people here say there is not similarity to what the Bushistas are doing and what has brought every fascist regime to power in the past. Yes, there are differences in the degrees of hatefulness in what is happening, but the method of undermining a nation with propaganda, upturning elections and ignoring the constitutions of the people is the same.

WAKE UP EVERYONE AND FIGHT BACK!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. Fascist

is a little strong but those bastards are reactionary to the core.

[Clete]

10. Strong it may be, but it is true.

Fascism isn't about the excesses of the Nazis and other regimes. It is about being anti-democratic, anti-socialist. Fascists believe only a corporate state should rule preferably with a dictator. The methods of controlling the population are through repetitious propaganda through a state controlled media.

The populace is kept in a state of fear of a common enemy and in perpetual war to encourage patriotism. It also operates in secret and disallows any dissent. If this doesn't describe what is happening now, I don't know what does.