Clarence Page
The relevance of Gov.-elect Pinchbottom
Published October 12, 2003
WASHINGTON -- There's a balderdash explosion in the media these days as political pundits and spin doctors scramble to find some deeper national meaning to the California gubernatorial recall.
The conventional wisdom on this question shifted overnight. The Old Conventional Wisdom held that California's recall was fun to watch but had no apparent relevance for the rest of the nation. That's just California, OCW said, the wacky state.
But after Gov. Gray Davis lost the recall and Arnold Schwarzenegger swept aside all competitors to be his replacement, the New Conventional Wisdom holds that California is the bellwether state, filled with as much portent as locusts, a burning bush and a pillar of fire.
"Calif. recall a warning for other governors," said one Washington Post headline. "California insurrection puts other politicians on notice," echoed The New York Times.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0310120274oct12,1,2669601.column?coll=chi-news-colgreataunt's comment: I love the Pinchbottom nickname.