Depressed discussion on the CA recall (Crazy rant warning)
I was having dinner with some friends and someone, arguably the smartest person I know, brought up the recall election. She asked what to do, then answered her own question by saying, "Just check no and mail it in." I was too shocked to discuss it.
A quick history lesson: CA was in human memory a purple state. Ronald Reagan changed that by purging every sane, honest Republican from the party in the 1970s. This gift brought on the expected result - a corruption/incompetence festival.People like Diane Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi (and importantly Gray Davis)ran roughshod, trying with all their might to turn California into a kleptocracy, but only succeeding in turning the state into a wealthy joke.
I was an activist in San Francisco and had to strategize how to deal with a politically young Gavin Newsome. We decided that it was hopeless, he would do whatever Willie Brown told him to do. We had what I call a 5 tools perfect storm - we knew what was right, we had the moral position, we had popular support, but he had his orders and he ignored us.
Newsome didn't learn. He ran for governor, but faced a legitimate opponent (Jerry Brown) and was so humiliated he withdrew to save face. Eight years later he ran essentially unopposed and "won". He has since stumbled and bumbled and fumbled, trying to juggle orders from whatever money source is issuing commands this afternoon. He is in no way qualified to be governor.
But the Democrats are using the worst possible strategy, the one that gave us Arnold, "Ignore that part of the ballot that says 'if Newsome loses who should take his place?' and let the Republicans appoint a knuckle dragger rather than a competent, honest Democrat." (Heaven forbid!!!) Thus California will have a Republican governor for the rest of Newsome's term and however long it takes until the knuckle dragger gets term limited. Way to go Quisling Dems!
Comments
The CA Dems are all in for vote no, which
makes it difficult for them to run somebody against him (which is how it will be seen), and then there is the problem of who the hell would they run? Most likely more of the same. They got no bench as the saying goes.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
A not so good strategy.
"We won't dignify this process by hedging our bets and besides, if someone good ran as part of that ballot then lots of Dems would vote yes to recall"
So they prefer an all or nothing gamble. Those of you in California would know better than I, aren't there enough Dems in the state legislature to override anything a rightwing Repub might do?
There might be at the moment, but will that
continue to be the case. Luckily none of the others, mostly GOP, have das Ahnold's cachet and charisma, but all the same, an iffy situation. I figure, whatever comes is coming, nothing left to do but bemoan the situation and probable outcome (all probable outcomes).
be well and have a good one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
That was the argument they made
for sabotaging Bustamonte (sp?) remember where they got with that?
You're spot on with the Dem bench, but that's what you get when you turn your party into a crime-and-slime private club.
On to Biden since 1973
yep and yep. The Dems' main hope,
i suspect is that enough folks will remember that the GOP stronghold has, for as long as memory holds, been all about stealing Central & NoCal water, which said Central & NoCal desperately needs for grapes, strawbs and such and pot.
The essential problem is that the Dems are corrupt, but so is everybody else who can be remotely competitive.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
It's all pure tribalism
at this point, which has conveniently eliminated the necessity for (and even the applicability of) thought. Your team Bad, my team Good. Pour more wine.
I suppose that the people who make a living at it consider this a feature- they are too busy rearranging the deck chairs.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
True enough, but in this case it is my team (not really)
bad, yours worse ,and those 3 are completely whackdoodle while these other two are maybe somewhat good, but hopeless. Fuck the wine, bring me my rocker and some anejo.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Not saying that it Newsome's fault but ....
I don't imagine that the wildfires will do anything to help him in getting out the votes.
OT sorta
but the huge fire just tripled in size and many more cities have burned or are going to. Imagine if we’d take just half of what we spent on Afghanistan and put that towards fire fighting. Europe has lots of nifty ways to fight fire so why don’t we? Unless…yes I’m that cynical.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
It's a stretch, but
Kamala (not the wrestler damnit!) Harris' use of prisoners as slave labor should really have an effect on black turnout also, like that's Gavin's fault too. But when you're a moral/ethical party balloon that goes wherever the wind blows you you get the blame for everything.
On to Biden since 1973
"Imagine" is the key word
not going to happen
NYCVG
I follwed your logic until...
your suggestion of a...
I don't think they exist. All are owned and controlled. Even the squad. If they are not owned they will rig the primary against them. Consider Nina as an example. Also the DW Schlutz election fraud ruling...the dim party is a private organization which may choose their candidates by any means they select.
Sadly it is all political kabuki and the system is a sham. My state is owned and controlled by the timber industry (and others). They say jump and the reps ask how far?
Hell of a mess ain't it?
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
You might produce an honest Democrat --
if you had a persistent movement supporting that Democrat. That appears to be what Nina Turner lacked.
The Democratic Party's anti-movement strategy appears to be twofold: 1) get their political class to sell out and 2) offer the rank-and-file just enough to get them to shut up. It seems to have worked so far.
"the Democratic Party is not 'left'." -- Sabrina Salvati
Dean had a persistent movement
supporting him.
So did Obama, though of course that was a clusterfuck, since Obama didn't mean what he said in '08 anyway, and was the classic bait-and-switch.
In fact, Bernie arguably had a persistent movement supporting him, or could have, if he'd wanted to.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Nobody asked me to join Dean's movement
And did we ever hear anything, anything at all, between the time when Dean dropped out as Presidential candidate and that later date when he was revealed as a corporate shill?
It's hard for me to believe that Howard Dean had much of a movement.
"the Democratic Party is not 'left'." -- Sabrina Salvati
Um, yes.
There were many trainings held through DFA, training people to be campaign workers or to run for office; there was also, purportedly, a process through which progressive candidates were selected and supported in their runs. Sort of like what Wellstone Action was doing out west, except probably with a lot less good faith at the top.
Don't know why they didn't ask you. OTOH, since the whole thing turned out to be garbage anyway, like everything else involving the Democratic party, maybe it's just as well.
But the problem wasn't the lack of tens of thousands of people ready to work. Dean had that. Obama had that. Bernie had that.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Well, there’s our problem right there
Republicans = D.W. Griffith.
Democrats = D.W. Schultz.
I don't mean to be a dick here --
But I checked, and there's no "e" at the end of Newsom's last name.
Sorry!
"the Democratic Party is not 'left'." -- Sabrina Salvati
Oops!
What can I say; I got a c- in spelling all through grammer school.
On to Biden since 1973
I now understand why Newsom says don't select anyone.
I reviewed the list of candidates (ignoring the Republicans), and the one that looked like the best choice was "David Moore, teacher and Socialist Equality Party candidate in the 2018 United States Senate election in California". Everyone else looked like a vulture capitalist, a crackpot, or a mouse in a tiger's lair. (and Moore probably fits in that last category).