Calif. Gov. Davis Will Face Recall Vote

[Guest MrRant]

Democrat Gray Davis will have to fight to keep his job this fall in the nation's first gubernatorial recall election in 82 years, state officials announced Wednesday after tallying the results of a Republican-led petition drive that seemed farfetched just months ago.

 

Secretary of State Kevin Shelley said counties had reported 1.3 million valid petition signatures, well over the 897,158 required for the recall to make it on the ballot. An election could be held as early as Sept. 23.

 

"This is the first statewide special election in California's history. The challenges are profound," Shelley said at a news conference. "This could very well be one of the most important ballots our citizens ever cast."

 

Davis is a career politician who is less than one year removed from winning a second consecutive term, but his popularity has plunged in recent months amid California's $38 billion budget deficit, its energy crisis and its slumping economy.

 

He branded the Republican-led drive to oust him "a hostile takeover by the right" and said he will fight and win. "In a strange way, this has got my juices flowing," he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I'm a fighter."

 

The widely expected announcement touched off a flurry of activity among potential Republican candidates on Wednesday. Businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in November, said he would announce his plans on Saturday and state Sen. Tom McClintock formed an exploratory committee.

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger's spokesman said the actor has not decided if he will run.

 

The only declared major-party candidate so far is Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who bankrolled the recall drive. He planned to return from Washington on Thursday or Friday, earlier than expected, to formally enter the race, his spokesman said.

 

Issa said he expected the governor to be recalled "by a substantial margin."

 

"The only thing that's in doubt is who will replace him," said Issa.

 

The state's Democratic officeholders have closed ranks behind Davis and say they will not run.

 

The ballot would have two parts: The first section would ask people to vote yes or no on whether to recall Davis and the second would provide a list of candidates to choose from in the event he is recalled.

 

If a majority of voters support the recall, Davis would be replaced by the candidate with the most votes, meaning a candidate in a large field could be elected governor with a relatively small percentage of the overall vote.

 

But Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who is in charge of scheduling the vote, suggested Wednesday that he may not have the power to set an election to choose a replacement candidate. "The authority I have is to set the date, but not the other," he said. "I don't think I have any other authority."

 

Bustamante says the decision on a replacement candidate should be up to the state Supreme Court or an obscure five-member body known as the Commission on the Governorship. He has sought legal clarification and said he would hold a news conference on Thursday.

 

Shelley said law is clear that both questions should be on the same ballot. "We believe that it must include the second question, which is the option for other candidates. I've shared with Mr. Bustamante our point."

 

Davis allies appealed to the state Supreme Court on Wednesday to block the recall from making the ballot, alleging illegal signature gathering by recall backers. The court did not take immediate action, but a spokeswoman said the justices were considering the case on an expedited basis.

 

The signatures were validated after counties hand-checked a sample of them against voter rolls. Then the secretary of state used a formula to extrapolate the total number of valid signatures received.

 

Some experts thought the legal fight might at least delay certification long enough that Bustamante could consolidate the election with the state's March presidential primary, when a heavy Democratic turnout could help Davis.

 

Both sides were preparing for a bruising and costly recall election.

 

Recent polls have indicated that while the vote would be close, Davis would lose in a recall. The last gubernatorial recall election was in 1921, when North Dakota Gov. Lynn J. Frazier was removed from office.

 

With the recall's certification now official, California could once again set an example _ for better or worse _ for the rest of the country, just as it did in 1978 when Proposition 13 launched tax revolts across America.

 

Although he was elected to his first term in 1998 by a landslide, Davis' standing slipped during California's energy crisis of 2000-01. A budget crisis further eroded his popularity and he won re-election by just 5 points in November over Simon, a political novice.

 

This year's $38.2 billion budget deficit has already caused the state's car tax to triple, and Davis' approval rating has plummeted further.

 

But the real fuel for the recall came from Issa, who pumped $1.71 million of his fortune from a car-alarm business into the drive starting in May. That transformed it from a long-shot nursed by Republican activists into a reality. Thirty-one previous attempts to recall California governors had failed to reach the ballot.

 

The involvement of Issa, a little-known conservative, has allowed Davis and his allies to cast the recall as a right-wing attempt to hijack the Democrat-dominated state.

 

Polls have also shown that voters are also concerned about the $30 million to $35 million cost of a special election, and about the prospect that a candidate could win with relatively few votes.

 

Recall proponents argue that the cost of Davis' mismanagement of the state greatly outweighs the cost of a special election. They accuse him of lying about the size of the budget deficit to win re-election, which he denies.

 

With his approval ratings hovering in the low 20s, Davis acknowledged Wednesday that he has not "done everything perfect," but predicted he will withstand the recall.

 

"Remember, there's a lot more people willing to vote against the recall than there are who think I'm doing a good job," Davis said. "If you look at those voters, they say, 'It's not fair to blame this on the governor.' It's that sense of fairness that I think will carry the day."

 

An experienced and often aggressive campaigner, Davis said that in recent days he had become energized by the prospect of taking on Republicans in the recall.

 

"My political obituary has been written at least once a year. The voters, however, have responded different and have put me in office because they have supported what I've done," he said.

[Guest Vyce]

Despite the fact that he's going to fight it, I still think he's going to be gone well before the year is up.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

I'm not so sure.

 

The Republicans in that state are quite dumb for spreading the field so thin. Davis, God forbid, may win yet.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

The republicans in this area are quite dumb period, not for having so many candidates, but because they can't do ANYTHING without heavy amounts of in-fighting and trying to sabotage each other.

 

It all depends on whoever takes the lead really. Simon probably won't because voters flatly rejected him before. Riordan will stir more of this Republican fighting. Arnie has an immediately recognizable name but has done little more than endorse a school bill which failed. I also suspect that as a celebrity the grittier details of his life have already been made public (Dad was a Nazi but didn't do anything too heinous according to record, and Arnold gives big cuts of cash to Jewish organizations anyway.) On the other hand, you can't underestimate a political spinner's ability to come up with odd scandal nobody knew about, so.. *shrug*

 

 

And let's not even talk about Issa, okay? He's dead last in the polls, although the recall itself went from a tiny grassroots protest to a huge movement after he made large donations. Appearantly most people feel like I do, that voting him in is like putting the position up for sale.

[Guest Choken One]

All this shit in Cali only serves to show me that Ohio is pretty fucking Ho-Hum.

[Guest Plushy Al Logan]

This will be the first time I vote, so long Davis, thanks for raising my tuition, and my vehicle registration fees asshole.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

I hope Arnold Schwarzenegger runs, wins, and screws up California even more.

 

That would serve the recall thing well..

[Guest NoCalMike]

The recall election is going to cost CA at least 30-35 million if not more. So it'd be nice if both sides could come to some sort of solution without spending more tax money on their own well being.

[Guest Vyce]

30 million is sort of a drop in the bucket compared to Davis' 35 BILLION deficit isn't it?

 

I still stand by my prediction. No way he makes it to the end of the year as governor. Someone will take over - maybe not a Republican, but I don't think it will be him.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Vyce, you're probably right. I expect a dem to finally grow some balls and run on the second question of the ballot fairly soon.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

It was recently found that a big majority of the support for the recall came from Los Angeles and Orange counties.

 

Plus, former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan is the leading Republian in the polls (although everying has a higher disapproval rating than approval at the minute). This is a scary combination. It looks like SoCal wants to wrestle politics away from us and will most definitely funnel all the state money down to L.A.

 

Joy.

 

That wouldn't be too awful (besides, it's common in politics. Ever wonder why D.C. has such nice roads?) but the relationship between NoCal and SoCal is give and take. Namely, we give and they take. They'd be dying of thirst out there if it weren't for the aquaduct going down along highway 5.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

(besides, it's common in politics. Ever wonder why D.C. has such nice roads?)

 

Please tell me you're kidding.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

30 million is sort of a drop in the bucket compared to Davis' 35 BILLION deficit isn't it?

Yea, but that's not really Davis' fault. Isn't most of the deficit because of the energy crisis, which Enron and other out-of-state groups had total control over anyway?

 

I'll vote for Davis again. Yea, he raised my tuition, but I find it hard to believe any other governor woldn't. And I'm not sure what a new governor, Democrat or Republican, would do to fix the deficit anyway.

 

And Tyler, I doubt any new Democrats will be on the bill. I heard they weren't putting in any competition as a form of protest against the recall process. Either way, it doesn't matter who wins; what's been proved with this ordeal is that anyone with money to spare can force a new election any time they please (I mean come on... 900,000 people in a state of 30,000,000 isn't anywhere close to a fair percentage).

 

::starts "Recall Issa" campaign. oh wait, I don't have any money...::

 

Although I must say, it was genius on whoever's behind the recall's part to make it so the actual election is in September. Nobody's going to go out of their way to vote in September (college students are just going back to campus, and since there's no regular election to tack it onto, the apathetic won't see the trouble of going for one issue) except those who backed the recall campaign in the first place.

[Guest Choken One]

(besides, it's common in politics. Ever wonder why D.C. has such nice roads?)

 

Please tell me you're kidding.

He better be...DC is hell to drive through.

[Guest I'm That Damn Zzzzz]

30 million is sort of a drop in the bucket compared to Davis' 35 BILLION deficit isn't it?

It's actually closer to $95 billion, given the $60 billion surplus the glorious governer had when being elected the first time. (I could be wrong though.)

[Guest Vyce]

Am I hearing that Kemp has been asked to run?

 

Oh, and as a Washingtonian, I have to say that D.C. in general has terrible roads.

[Guest Spicy McHaggis]

It was recently found that a big majority of the support for the recall came from Los Angeles and Orange counties.

 

Plus, former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan is the leading Republian in the polls (although everying has a higher disapproval rating than approval at the minute). This is a scary combination. It looks like SoCal wants to wrestle politics away from us and will most definitely funnel all the state money down to L.A.

 

Joy.

 

That wouldn't be too awful (besides, it's common in politics. Ever wonder why D.C. has such nice roads?) but the relationship between NoCal and SoCal is give and take. Namely, we give and they take. They'd be dying of thirst out there if it weren't for the aquaduct going down along highway 5.

Oh, boo fucking hoo.

 

Maybe it's because SoCal is the whole state. Seriously, we should break away and be our own state.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

My insta-opinions:

 

* D.C.'s roads, every time I've been there, have been HORRID. They may be nice by the White House, but I've seen pictures of downtown where pillows have been put in the potholes!

 

* I heard on FAUX NEWS LOL 2003 that the former LA mayor wasn't interested because he's in his 70s, plus the better half doesn't want him on the campaign trail.

 

* As much as California's plight amuses me, as someone from Ohio and soon-to-be Pennsylvania (again), I now think that the state should keep Davis -- they voted for him...

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

* I heard on FAUX NEWS LOL 2003 that the former LA mayor wasn't interested because he's in his 70s, plus the better half doesn't want him on the campaign trail.

 

I heard that, too.

 

I still think one or two will break ranks, though; it'd be entirely stupid to just hand the state over to the GOP.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Even if the GOP gets a governor in there, the state assembly will not approve any reductions in spending whatsoever.

 

That's why I want Davis in. If you're to crash and burn, do it in style...

[Guest NoCalMike]

In a recall election. Does the new(if newly elected) govenor start his 4-year term as of the election, or is this just a temporary job until the REAL election is held again?

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Oh, boo fucking hoo.

 

Maybe it's because SoCal is the whole state. Seriously, we should break away and be our own state.

Err...ummm, OK? I really don't understand where sentiments like this come from. I mean, I joke with my SoCal friends in college about stuff like this (their favorite joke: "How many Northern Californians does it take to screw in a light bulb? HELLA!"), but what's the deal with the divisiveness? Is there some "feud" between NorCal and SoCal that I missed?

 

And NCM, here's what it says in California's constitution Constitution (took me a while to find the text online):

 

© If the majority vote on the question is to recall, the officer

is removed and, if there is a candidate, the candidate who receives

a plurality is the successor.  The officer may not be a candidate,

nor shall there be any candidacy for an office filled pursuant to

subdivision (d) of Section 16 of Article VI.

 

So...looks like if Davis is recalled, the new governor would just take over for the rest of the current term. The scary and stupid thing? If Davis does win the recall, all it takes is 6 months before a whole new recall drive can be started. All it takes is the same money and the same signatures. Issa isn't going broke any time soon.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

* I heard on FAUX NEWS LOL 2003 that the former LA mayor wasn't interested because he's in his 70s, plus the better half doesn't want him on the campaign trail.

Actually, he hasn't announced, but he said he won't run if Arnie runs.

 

The Assembly really requires a strong arm from the governor to keep them in line or else the inmates are running the asylum. Wilson was real good about that. Davis is not.

[Guest ErekT2k]

damn republicans and their stupid ideas....

 

i don't think this has anything to do with Davis and how poorly he was doing in office. this is just common politics and the balance of power. this entire recall election really goes against the way this country has been built upon.

 

Herbert Hoover did a poor job as president, and it was much worse than what Davis is doing, but there was no damn recall election. People waited til his term was over and then they elected FDR to save the nation (and thank god he did). The voters elected Davis to be California's governor, and im glad too because i cant stand Bill Simon. Every one of his ads are so fake.

 

And do they really think that this recall election will save California? I bet the next governor (probably a republican) is not going to do a damn thing to cut down deficit because of the time he's going to spend in office (assuming he's just going to finish out Davis's term)

 

This is all just a waste of time.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

damn republicans and their stupid ideas....

Please, the last thing the GOP wanted was for this to succeed.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

State republicans. It's amazing they managed to get their heads together long enough to think this was a good idea.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

Issa is the guy behind this, right?

 

and he also got charged with grand theft auto, before he got a fortune on Viper Car Alarms.

[Guest NoCalMike]

I just don't see what a lame-duck governor is going to get accomplished in the short time until a brand new election starts up.

 

Oh and as far as the NoCal/SoCal thing goes. It is most sports, Lakers/Kings & Giants/Dodgers. Besides that, it is all overblown and overexposed. Besides, "hella" we are all the same.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Arianna Huffington may run, it seems.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Even better, it seems both Huffingtons -- former congressman (and bisexual ex-husband) Michael Huffington, and his ex-wife Arianna -- may run.