With enough money, flying in enough petition gatherers (paid a buck a signature), and using enough chutzpah, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Goofyville) has created his own gubernatorial campaign in a non-election year. The recall of Governor Gray Davis garnered enough signatures to have this election which is set for October 7th.
The Republicans just keep finding ways to usurp the process - squashing it and shaping it to what they think is their benefit. They did it in 2000, and here we go again. But it just might backfire on them...if there's anything resembling justice.
See, they're trying to make California a republican state, no matter what. They're trying so hard to make it a red state, they've run out of crayons. The recall process was designed if an elected official was involved in high crimes and misdemeanors. Unfortunately, Davis was involved. Not guilty, but involved. He was the guy running the state which would have been savaged in a war scheme had 9/11 not happened. Read this (opens a new window) and it'll become crystal clear.
All that aside, the ballot is going to be a nightmare. It's a two-pronged ballot. Prong One will be the question asking if you want Davis out of office. Prong Two will be if so, who do you want as governor? Take a look at the choices:
Rep. Darrell Issa (the only declared candidate so far)
Bill Simon (Davis' opponent last year)
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Richard Riordan
Tom McClintock
Which means IF enough people vote against Davis in the first part of the election, one of the Republican candidates can conceivably take the helm of California with 21% of the Republican vote.
Even worse, if Issa remains the sole candidate or the front-runner, he becomes governor. Being the PR maniac I am, we'll sure look great to the rest of the country that one single schlub with enough money can take over an entire state.
Aside from repealing the tripled driver registration fees, I wonder what this guy plans to do to fix a state which was savaged by the greedy energy crooks who were among President Bush's biggest contributors. Tax cuts?
And if all of a sudden, loaves and fishes appear at our state's doorstep by Washington because we have a Republican governor, then we'll KNOW something stinks. Stay tuned.
