Will California be the bellweather for the nation?

[kentuck]

Most trends start in California. They are pacesetters. In the upcoming recall election, will the voters of CA once again show the foresight and vision that the rest of the nation can follow? Will Californians show the common sense and leadership that which the rest of our nation can be proud?

Is California the lighthouse in the storm? Will they indicate the direction we should go? If California cannot defeat this ill-advised coup, what chance does the rest of us have? California may be our last, best hope. The nation is watching...

[Clete]

1. California has always had a domino effect.

It seems it has already started. A movement to recall the Republican governor of Nevada has started.

[murphymom]

2. I hope this will be a wakeup call

to make changes regarding recall laws around the country. We HAVE procedures already to get rid of elected officials that we don't like - that's why we have set terms for public office and regular elections!

I would like to see recalls limited to situations involving criminal behavior or really gross incompetence. If this recall movement gets going it could wind up paralyzing government - no elected official would dare do anything controversial for fear of risking a recall effort from whatever band of nutjobs he/she's offended.

Limit recall and maybe people will actually PAY ATTENTION to who they vote for in the first place :grr::grr::grr: (we can only hope!)

[Bandit]

5. involving criminal behavior or really gross incompetence.

Sounds like you are describing Bush*

[tom_paine]

3. Already talking about it in Pennsylvania

Fucking assholes. They wish to have sole possession of the Old American Democratic Republic without realizing that it was designed to reject monolithic, hegemonic control.

So you can't possess such a thing that was designed to resist such grasping without destroying the thing they wish to possess.

Of course, I don't really think the Imperial Family and their Brownshirt Followers really give a shit about killing they Old Republic. They just want to loot and rape the corpse.

Plus a change, plus a la meme chose

(the more things change, the more they stay the same)

[KoKo]

4. I've thought about this. CA is the "Old Economy/Political" The South is

"New Economy/Political".......that's what I think.....and I remember when Calif/NY were the Beacons for young folks who couldn't wait to get out of the oppression of the farms....or whatever confining circumstances they lived in during the 1960's-the 1980's......BUT THEN IT STOPPED!

It's the South, now......it's the South........the "fundie religion thing, the economic thing, and the conservative thing.

It's the South.............

No one here on DU wants to discuss this in a "rational way." It ends up in flames where those of us who have feet in both the South and North.....end up so "turned off" we can't get into a dialog.

But......those of us "left standing" here on DU.....who are old enough to remember....might know what I'm talking about......

Other than that.....I give up......I just am here because.......whatever....

[Capn Sunshine]

6. NO Kentuck, and here's why:

This is going to blowback for years on the republican machine out here.

1)The conservatives consistently fight amongst themselves, much to our amusement. They do a job on the popular reublican before we have to.

2)The Democratic base is HUGE in CA. If the recall passes, a democrat will retain the office. Makes the machinations appear meaningless, petty and most of all, fiscally suicidal: If we are arguing about money management, why spend the $$$ on this election in the first place and cost the state millions--no, BILLIONS -- in additional costs related to stalled budgets for partisan reasons?

OK worst case scenario:Base falls asleep, doesn't show up to vote; Arnold gets in. He singlehandedly will do more damage to the neocon cause than anything else. He simply isn't capable of navigating the treacherous Sacramento waters easily,and certainly can't solve our fisal crisis without major help from DC.

This whole dog and pony show will make partisan neocons personna non grata here for years and years.

[camero]

7. Hmmm ... let's see

Davis is accused of turning a surplus into a $38 billion deficit and he is accused of causing the blackouts. The reality is California voters caused thier own pain through the various props which limited the state government from finding the revenue to pay for other props.

Bush on the other hand, has turned a $100 billion surplus into an astounding $500 billion deficit all the while cutting taxes on the wealthy and raising them on the poor indirectly. Also, there is more and more evidence of his lack of oversight of the energy companies
causing NY's blackout.

I say if they Recall Davis, then we should Recall Bush.