Recall elections have various motivating factors behind why people participate...

[WCGreen]

Of course, there is the easy straight up partisan stuff where highly engaged voters show up...

Then there are other more subtle reasons for people to vote in these kinds of special elections.

I firmly believe that there are many voters out there who feel as if their decision is being question before anything really happened that had a direct impact on their lives. There are a whole mess of people out there are engaged in politics as a civic duty and not a partisan exercise.

I am sure there is a fairly large minority of voters who took umbrage with the whole process of the recall.

They may not like Walker but they do not want turn around and vote someone out of office barely a year and half into the governors first term.

There was also huge contingencies of outsiders coming into Wisconson to help get the recall moving.

Again, there is probably a good chunck of voters that turned out to vote for Walker because they simply did not want some outsider to come in and tell "me" how to vote.


Only two governors have ever been successfully recalled. In 1921, Lynn Frazier, Governor of North Dakota, was recalled during a dispute about state-owned industries, and in 2003, Governor Gray Davis of California was recalled over the state budget. Additionally, in 1988, a recall was approved against Arizona Governor Evan Mecham,[5] but he was impeached and convicted before it got on the ballot.[6]

http://www.ask.com/wiki/?q=Recall+election&qsrc=389

So it is really hard to get people to throw the bums out no matter what transpired to start the process.

[HiPointDem]

1. How many governors have been subject to an attempted recall?

And why are you already "explaining" when people are still standing in line voting?

[WCGreen]

3. I'm not "explaining" anything...

I am just pointing out that political behaviour in not as black and white as many people think.

I was just pointing out a few reasons for people who might not big fans of Walker but still voted for the gov.

[HiPointDem]

6. you said that most attempted recalls fail. i'm asking how many governors have been subject to a

recall, since you seem to have all the stats at hand.

because i don't think it's very many.

gray davis's was the first in california, ever (per wikipedia). it succeeded.

[julian09]

4. Tell that to Gray Davis of Cal who was recalled.

People of WI feel that Walker isn't done screwing them, so they should let him finish.
They get what they vote for, good luck to them they will need it.

[HiPointDem]

5. tell what to gray davis?

[Wabbajack_]

7. 3

Some guy in ND and Gray Davis lost.

[HiPointDem]

8. 3 in all of us history? i don't think i trust that without a cite.

but if so, that would indicate that recalls are usually successful, contra the OP.

[Wabbajack_]

9. Then look it up yourself genius

You think they're common for statewide officials? Do you know anything about them? These recall provisions cropped in the state constitutions during the progressive era. I don't know how many states have it but not that many, less than half certainly.

The one in ND was in 1921, Lynn Fraiser, a liberal Republican (yes they had these in ND back then, look up the Non-Partisan League).


Recalls of minor officials are usually successful but with only 3 Governors it's meaningless to cite that 2 of 3 (if result holds) were recalled.

[HiPointDem]

10. No, I don't think they're common, as I said to the OP, genius.

[Wabbajack_]

11. I'm Sorry I was testy

I'm Bummed very bummed.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. It looks as though you're right.

I think that bum Walker is going to survive this recall.

Damn.