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Mullings by Rich Galen�
A Political Cyber-Column By Rich Galen
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    Friday February 21, 2003


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  • In the election of 2002 Governor Gray Davis of California racked up some 3.5 million votes - about 47% - in defeating his Republican opponent, Bill Simon. Simon got 3.1 million votes - about 42%. Minor parties split up the rest.

  • The Simon campaign was dogged with problems - some internally generated, others not - from the moment the general election season opened. Even at that, the race was way, WAY closer than anyone this side of the Bekkah Valley - much less the Silicon Valley - thought it would be or should be.

  • If you are Gray Davis, here's a number you're hoping no one ever notices: 4.9 million. That's how many votes Davis got in 1998 the first time he ran. When he was an unknown quantity as Governor.

  • In his re-election bid, after four years in office, against a weak campaign, Davis got 1.4 million FEWER votes.

  • To know Gray Davis is to know ... you really wanted someone else to vote for.

  • A group of folks in the Golden State - The People's Advocate, Inc - has begun a serious effort to give Californians another chance to improve their government: A "Recall Gray Davis" drive has begun filing papers and doing those things necessary to have a recall election this fall.

  • The Peoples' Advocate is the organization founded by the late Paul Gann who, along with Howard Jarvis, were responsible for the famous Proposition 13 back in 1978.

  • According to Mark Abernathy - who knows California politics as well as anyone in the state - the effort needs to gather 898,000 signatures out of the pool of 15 million registered voters.

  • The recall team has served Davis with the appropriate papers, the Davis people have responded, and the whole thing is now with the Secretary of State who needs to certify the paperwork before the petition drive officially begins.

  • The plan is to start circulating petitions on Washington's Birthday (which, not withstanding this week's Monday holiday, is still February 22) and finish by Independence Day.

  • When the petitions are returned and enough signatures are certified, the Lieutenant Governor must call the recall election.

  • If the plan works out, there will be an election on November 4 and, according to Abernathy "a new Governor by November 5."

  • Here's what happens on election day:

  • Voters will be presented with a ballot containing the words, "Shall Gray Davis be Recalled?" to which the voter is asked to answer "Yes" or "No."

  • ON THE SAME BALLOT there will be a list of people who have qualified for the ballot from whom the voter can pick to replace Davis should the "Yes" votes outnumber the "No" votes. People can pick a replacement even if they vote NOT to recall Davis.

  • In California there is no run-off. If Davis is recalled, then whoever gets the most votes on that same ballot will be sworn in as the new Governor.

  • The interesting part, from other California observers, is that the Lt. Governor and the Attorney General would LOVE to get on that ballot - which is not a particularly daunting task. Imagine Gray Davis going to work every day knowing that his Lt. Gov. and the AG are actively working to get him bounced so they can replace him.

  • If the calendar holds, then Californians will be voting on Governor Davis' future shortly after yet another summer of high energy prices and frequent energy shortages. The Democratic Congressional delegation will be loathe to bet any of its political capital on Davis survival, and Senator Barbara Boxer is up for re-election in '04 with plenty of problems of her own.

  • This is very dangerous territory for any public official. Gray Davis will not running against an opponent he can vilify and knock down with negative ads.

  • Gray Davis will running against his worst nightmare: His own record.

  • On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Links to the People's Advocate and the Recall Davis web sites; a pretty good Catchy Caption, and a review of Prop 13.

    --END --
    Copyright © 2003 Richard A. Galen

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