CIRCUS
MAXIMUS
It is not difficult to diagnose their problem: The establishment dislikes disequalibrium. All Democrats, which includes +/- 90% of the working press, decry the recall provision of California’s Constitution. Why? Because it will likely disenfranchise the Democrats from the Governor’s Office in this most populous state. Few of the criers would complain were the person being recalled a Republican; almost any Republican would do except the wimpy RINOs, like Chafee of Rhode Island. Thus does politics make hypocrites of us all. Consider too that California is a knee-jerk Democrat Party stronghold. The number of registered Democrats exceeds the number of registered Republicans by one million people. Both legislative houses are and have had lopsided Democrat control for some time. It is not only Governor Gray Davis who is to blame for California’s ills. It is his accomplices, the Democratic Party’s far-left legislators. Among themselves, they have conspired to create a liberal State. And they have been absolutely successful. California, my beloved California, the Golden State, is among the highest tax rate states, augmented by even higher, regressive sales taxes. The legislature is considered anti-business. Movie and tv productions have moved to Canada (!), my favorite socialist and pacifist country. The elected class loves the unions but doesn’t consider them “special interests”; only corporations are special interests, unions are our people. California’s schools produce the dumbest kids in the country. California’s roads have deteriorated to minimal quality. The court system is broken and is slowing to a crawl. The Democrats have also brought forth a fiscal disaster. If you want real chaos, look no further than $38 billion in deficit. That number is so large that, in your lifetime, you are unlikely to be free from its financial shackles. Gray Davis and the Democrat Party’s total corruption will remain a monetary millstone around your and other Californian’s necks for decades to come. Your grandchildren’s children will be paying principal and interest on Gray Davis’ and the legislature’s bonds while those responsible will be retired on their 90% of salary pension plus medical and other perks that you never even dreamed of. A friend of mine is retiring next year after teaching 4th grade all her life. Pension? $79,000, adjustable for inflation, plus plus plus. For what? Turning out kids who can’t read. Finally, the people of California have become wise to this farce mostly because of the audacious incompetence of the present Sacramento Gang. Thus, the recall. True, Darrell Issa, a Republican congressman with ambitions to become governor himself, was the money behind the recall. So? What’s new? Well, for one thing, it was Issa’s money, not your money that was used. In itself that is refreshing: A guy who puts his money where his mouth is. Gray Davis does it the other way around: He puts your money where his mouth is. Spare me the pieties of how Issa was “buying” the election. Having seen what liberal legislatures destroy when they rule without checks or balances, voters are seeking a stop to the wholesale thuggery emanating from Sacramento. Voters want to clean house but good! Enter The Terminator. Elections are rarely won with logic, precise formulas for budgetary controls or wonkish knowledge. They are basically beauty contests where beauty is either eye candy or ear candy or, best of all, both. Remember JFK? “Let’s get America moving again.” Huh? Or these sound bites which by the way, preceded television by several decades: “54-40 or fight!”; “Remember the Maine!” “He kept us out of war.” Eisenhower said: “I will go to Korea.” California’s voters want an end to the trashing of government in Sacramento and many believe that Schwarzenegger is the one to do it. Schwarzenegger looks like a serious guy; he’s rich so he doesn’t need to steal; he’s perceived as honest; he’s socially moderate (which incenses conservative Republicans); he’s fiscally conservative (which frightens liberal Democrats); he’s married to a cool chick; he consorts with the rich and famous as a peer and, like The Boss, he did it his way. Voters are people; people like what Arnold represents; people will vote for Arnold. Call it the Electoral Syllogism. Arnold really says: “I’m just like you folks out there but I got lucky plus I worked hard. I’ll fix it up there.” And I believe the voters will believe Arnold, especially when stacked against the competition who are, uniformly, re-cycled political hacks (read: Cruz Bustamente), failed candidates (read: Bill Simon) or wannabes (read: Arianna Huffington). There are detractors. Many say he is unknowledgeable and inexperienced. True but, of course, Gray Davis is extremely experienced and has a wealth of knowledge. He simply is a failure. Folks figure Arnold can hire talent; they want strong, honest leadership. Others say he’s just an actor. In two words: Ronald Reagan. In two more for you lefties out there: Susan Sarandon. (That’s a neat juxtaposition!) It doesn’t matter. Arnold is the Terminator and that’s what the people want. Someone they believe will “clean up the mess in Sacramento”. I ask, then, where’s the chaos, the carnival, the shenannigans so allegedly rampant in this Golden State? We have a failure for a governor. Few argue that. East Coast Dudes, Old Europeans, establishment media, elected Democrats and their ilk say that’s a shame but you elected him and you’re stuck with him. California says not on your life. Plebiscites are sometimes necessary. Like a hanging, they focus the attention of the several types of criminal classes. Non-Californians
tend to poke fun at the 34 million of us out here. Mostly, as in the
case of the recall, we couldn’t care less. It’s not bad
to be underestimated. George W. has made a pretty good career at it.
Let others be stuck with a failed governor. Californians believe a
truly failed governor should be removed. And that’s what this
is all about. It’s not a circus; it’s a necessity.
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