Time to Enjoy California Circus
What do a porn star, Larry Flynt, the Terminator, a former 80s child star, and a nutty environmentalist from Greece have in common?
If you've been following the news lately, you know the answer: They are all vying to be the next governor of California. The state known for its unpredictability appears ready to reject its current governor, the worthless Gray Davis. If Davis is recalled, it will be the first time a successful recall has been pulled off since North Dakota voted to remove its socialist governor in 1921. Davis' popularity hovers at around 20 percent, a low very few politicians ever achieve. All signs indicate that he will be gone, but never say never in California.
For a while, it looked as though the recall might not go forward, thanks to judicial activism from the infamous Ninth Circuit Court (which previously ruled "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional). The ACLU filed suit to block the recall claiming the punch card ballots would lead to votes by minorities not being counted. The ACLU trying to stifle democracy. What a surprise! Like many liberal groups, the ACLU believes that blacks and hispanics are incompetent to the point that they cannot figure out how to use a punch card ballot. Such condescension is insulting to say the least, but is par the course for the ACLU. The fact that so-called civil rights leaders like Jesse Jackson didn't speak up against this racism from the ACLU is disappointing, but not surprising.
Fortunately, this ruling was reversed, and now the election is on. Opponents claim that this recall could lead to an overdose of democracy, and possibly to a parliamentary form of government in Cali, which is a valid point. Still, the fact that a recall effort has never previously made it to the ballot doesn't lend credence to the claim that such an effort will become commonplace.
The matter will be brought before the voters next week. The road to the recall has produced many memorable moments. Who could ever forget Gary Coleman (Arnold from Diff'rent Strokes) inability to identify Dick Cheney as Vice President, or Colin Powell as Secretary of State (whatchatalkin' 'bout, Arnold? Sorry, I couldn't resist!)? Or Ralph Nader taking a pie to the face while campaigning for the Green Party candidate? Or just the general humor of Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt as governor?
Currently, there are three front runners: Democrat Cruz Bustamante, and Republicans Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom McClintock. The presence of two Republicans has caused something of a quandary for conservative Californians. Should they support McClintock, the most conservative of the two (and also the least likely to win), or Arnold, who is more liberal (but also more likely to win)?
This division works to the favor of Democrats, most of whom no longer seem interested in saving the hapless Gray Davis. They see him as too much of a liability. A vastly unpopular Democratic governor would be most helpful to President Bush when he campaigns in California in 2004, so like a cancerous tumor, Davis must be removed. Democrats don't like the idea of Cali being a red state in '04 (Actually it's already a red state, but in a different way). Still, he continues to fight to retain his job. He doesn't seem likely to succeed, but anything is possible, especially in the Golden State.
Some Democrats hoped Davis would resign, but he refused. Instead he decided to fight for his political life, and even enlisted the help of Bill Clinton. This makes sense - an impeached president helping a soon-to-be recalled governor.
Whoever does win the race will have their work cut out for them. The deficit in Cali is more than the deficits of the other 49 states combined. The energy crisis continues. The economy is in shambles. Still, from such challenges arises opportunity. If the new governor can do anything to alleviate these problems, he or she will be seen as a hero. And remember, no one could possibly do a worse job than Gray Davis.
Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be the most likely candidate to win this Total Recall. He's already picked up the support of former gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon, and former Gov. Pete Wilson. His wife, Maria Shriver, is a well known Democrat and part of the Kennedy family. This helps him among moderate Democrats, but his somewhat liberal stances on abortion, gay rights, affirmative action, and other issues will hurt him among conservative Republicans. Still, he may be the best they can hope for in liberal California. If Arnold sticks to fiscal conservatism, it will bode well for California.
We have one more week to go. So sit back, and enjoy the circus that is the California recall.
- John Brown is a senior in political science and history at the University of Tennessee @ Knoxville. Contact him at johnnyb325@aol.com or visit www.johnnorrisbrown.com. This column originally appeared in the September 30, 2003 edition of The Daily Beacon, available here.