George F. Will: California to recall and ruin

[Snellius]

...
By encouraging facile comparisons with Reagan, Schwarzenegger's candidacy will seem to validate the dismissive assessments of Reagan as an empty suit whose smile was his political philosophy. In fact, Schwarzenegger could hardly be less like Reagan, a "conviction politician" who ran for governor in 1966 after having honed his political thinking over more than a decade of constant public advocacy.
...
Truly conservative Californians -- you few know who you are -- will vote against the recall to protest its plebiscitary cynicism. And as a precaution they will take the time required to find in the lottery-determined listing of names the name of a conservative candidate.

However, if in a few weeks Davis seems a certain loser, muscular Democratic interests, none of which are tied to him by cords of affection, might successfully pressure him to resign. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who is a candidate to succeed him, would become governor, the recall would deflate and the Democratic Party's condign punishment probably would be to continue wrestling with the problems it has created or exacerbated.

California's Republican Party, sunk in frivolousness and opportunism, also deserves to come out of this badly. That is conservatism's hope for this recall: ruin all around.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/national/will/story/7210616p-8156182c.html

[grytpype]

1. plebiscitary!

Holy mackarel, George! How much did you pay for that word?

[ThorsteinVeblen]

2. Force Grey Davis to resign.

Kick that corrupt jerk off the truck.

[ronnykmarshall]

3. What good will that do?

Even if Davis quit today, the recall election would still go on.

[w4rma]

4. I don't see how it would help, either (n/t)

[northzax]

5. no it wouldn't

I don't think. The election turns on whether Davis should be recalled. You could at least make a very, very good legal case that the people who signed the petition to recall him had their wish fulfilled when he left office.

[Snellius]

7. If Davis resigns, the recall is off.

No scripture and verse but I've heard from several sources that without Davis there is basically no one to recall and the governorship goes to Lieutenant Governor Bustamante.

[The Zanti Regent]

8. FALSE--RECALL GOES ON

Even if Davis resigns, the recall still goes on.

Look at the California Secretary of State's webpage.

[Snellius]

11. Thanks, The Zanti Regent

I've gotten so many opinions on this. I've heard a half dozen "pundits" beside Will who have claimed that if the Democrats have their back to the wall they can always pull out this ace in the hole. Do you have a link on the Sec't of State's site? My search turns up a lot of "Page Not Found" pages. It still seems problematic how a governor can be recalled if he's already resigned.

[slackmaster]

16. I'll try to explain it

It still seems problematic how a governor can be recalled if he's already resigned.

If the governor resigns the Lt. Gov. fills out the remainder of that term of office. If Davis resigns and is recalled, Cruz Bustamante will be kicked out of office and replaced by whoever gets the most votes from among the 135 replacement candidates, one of whom is Cruz Bustamante.

It's not completely logical. It's not completely fair. But that's how it works.

[dfong63]

10. here's how it would help

right now, Cruz Bustamante is in a pickle. he can't campaign on a platform of how he will clean up the mess in sacramento, without it being taken as a slam against Davis. think about it. how can he convince voters to vote for him? he is the only candidate who cannot put forth a real platform of change. that puts him at a disadvantage, and ties him to the sinking Davis regime.

until Davis resigns, Cruz has to fight with one hand tied behind his back.

Davis should resign, the sooner the better. the longer he waits, the less time Cruz will have to catch up to Ahnold.

[DemNoir]

13. Best for the dems if Davis resigns

While the recall vote will go on, without Davis as the villian it will quickly loose steam as Will suggests.

[Skittles]

6. LOL! "Truly conservative Californians will vote against the recall"

HA HA, George really is an idiot, huh? Both Georges I mean.

[piece sine]

9. He's poxing both their houses

Will takes a peculiar perspective I haven't read anywhere else yet. He's seriously calling for his ilk to vote NO on the recall. What's up with that?

He makes the case for Cruz to cruise-in with a Davis resignation because Cruz will be running as ACTING governor and with Davis gone, "recall fever" simmers way down. BTW: The court certification of the recount means it's real and it's happening 60 days after the court's action.

I don't know why George Will supports NO.. but there it is; NO. I suppose he see California as such a basketcase that he's prefer to party he opposes to just keep it. I can live with that! Cut it or slice it, we hold the state.

[kendric]

14. Its almost like a Jonah Goldberg article....

Goldberg wrote somewhere that there shouldn't be a recall beacuse Californians voted for him, therefore they deserve what happens to them.

[JackSwift]

12. Sounds like he doesn't like

what Arnie will do to the GOP

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Will Is A Burkean Conservative

and is suspicious of democracy run amok like this recall.

I'm not a Burkeran Conservative but if America ever became a plebiscitary democracy I'm leaving.

I'll take a constitutional democratic Republic with a strong Bill of Rights anyday.