By Kevin Kiley
The latest signature count for the effort to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom is over 1.7 million, and “alarmed party leaders” are panicking, making “all hands on deck” calls to try to head off this extraordinary citizens’ movement.
In an infamous press conference, the Chair of the State Democratic Party and other Newsom allies dubbed the Recall “The California Coup.” This earned a “Pants on Fire” rating from Capital Public Radio, whose fact check concluded the description was “far off base and wildly inaccurate,” since a “coup is a violent overthrow of a government” while a “recall is a legally sanctioned effort” that’s “been part of California’s constitution for more than a century.”
In a scathing editorial, the LA Times said the press conference “undermined the state’s legitimate direct democracy system.” And it almost certainly would not have happened without Newsom’s blessing; indeed, he refused to repudiate it when asked.
This disdain for both logic and democracy has been a continuing theme in the arguments of Recall opponents:
- Several opponents have adopted a talking point that the Recall is a “distraction.” That would be a reason never to have elections at all.
- Other Newsom allies are claiming it would “overturn a democratic election.” We actually don’t elect people for life in this country.
- A State Senator leading the anti-Recall charge says their strategy is “all about reducing signatures.” That sounds a lot like voter suppression.
- The Newsom camp also insists a Recall would cost too much. In fact, it would cost about a quarter of a percent of the rampant unemployment fraud under Governor Newsom’s watch.
- California’s lieutenant governor called the Recall a “quirky” procedure to “slip” a new Governor in. I imagine this is how British monarchists spoke of the pesky American colonists, with their quirky notions of freedom and self-government.
What’s most telling is almost everyone is attacking the process rather than trying to defend Newsom. One outspoken Recall opponent even called the signature sheets “poisonous petitions.”
Even while publicly saying he’s not focused on the Recall “at all,” Newsom has been calling legislators to try to shore up support. He’s even wrangled a few into making positive statements at press conferences that have become taxpayer-funded pep rallies. As Lauren Rosenhall, a political reporter for CalMatters noted, “These covid updates appear to be doing double duty as recall-prevention sessions.”
Newsom has also made it clear that partisan warfare will be his strategy, with his camp claiming that “the Trump train doesn’t want to leave the station.” In fact, the Recall is bringing together people of all party affiliations and all walks of life. It is not only the greatest citizens’ movement in California history but also the most diverse one. That’s what has the political class and Special Interests who benefit from Gavin Newsom’s corruption so maniacally worried.
I speak every day with Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike who’ve simply had enough. They may not agree on much politically, but they agree we deserve so much better. They agree our lives should not be turned upside by a corrupt governor. They agree there’s no reason California should ever rank 50th out of 50 in anything – let alone just about everything.
Meanwhile, Newsom is calling California’s “progressivism” the “roadmap to success” for the Biden administration. That is the absolute height of delusion. But it does show that the Recall is a movement with national significance: an urgent warning to America not to copy California’s failures.
Kevin Kiley is a California legislator and author of the book “Recall Newsom: The Case Against America’s Most Corrupt Governor”
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Newsom and his cabal have been EXTREMIST proponents of idiotic RE policies, that have driven California to the brink of disaster regarding electricity generation, which has become increasingly UNRELIABLE AND EXPENSIVE, just as in Germany and Denmark, which have the highest household electric rates in Europe, FY FAR.
The long-suffering, oppressed, over-taxed, over-regulated California people have had ENOUGH of Dem/Prog RE shenanigans
Newsom will be recalled. That is at least several years overdue.
CALIFORNIA
California imports about 30% of its annual electricity from nearby Southwestern states and from Washington and Oregon to cover any electricity short-falls; it has major connections to those grids. This mode of operation sufficed, until the US southwest had a major, multi-day, heat wave; during heat waves winds are minimal.
As a result, electricity supplies, from mostly coal-fired plants from Southwestern states, to California were curtailed by the exporting states. The result was rolling black-outs for several days, with 115F temperatures, because, among other RE zealot idiocies, California had closed 15 of its 19 Pacific Coast, low-cost, highly efficient, low-CO2 emitting, minimal-polluting gas plants, because they were warming up the Pacific Ocean. The other 4 were due to close down, but that idiocy has been placed on hold, not cancelled.
None of the above had anything to do with the California transmission and distribution grids.
The real deficiency was:
1) A lack of the usual imports during the heat wave
2) Insufficient SPARE generating plant capacity, MW, fueled, staffed, ready to serve, at a moment’s notice.
The conservative push is going on:
Conservatives continue their push for ‘Greater Idaho’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7kIh1-IY4&feature=emb_imp_woyt (4:43)
The Oregon group says they plan to put the issue on five more ballots in May.
A comment:
I love it and I had a vision Idaho would become ocean front property, that possibly might come true!! Wow I love it! When I was there in Oregon looking to see if I wanted to move there, the lawlessness was everywhere! Cars were all over the sides of the roads, stripped out! My son in law’s very nice diesel truck got stole right out of the fire department parking lot, when it had been locked in, while the firefighters fought that horrific fire last summer into fall! What has become of our World?
Northeast VT conservative joining NH and the rest of VT try to live by there own liberal means, they will fail.
Nice wake up call for CA. Dems are panicking loosing power. Nice to read with their crocodile tears. The next should be VT, the CA of the East. Start by having only two state Senators per county. Neutralize the Chittenden County’s power position. Been saying this a few years now. Can’t impeach or recall the Governor, start with the legislature.
Perhaps we can’t recall a politician, but can the party say, we no longer fine you representing the values of our constitution let alone party?
So we therefore no longer allow you to be called a Republican, you may kindly keep your political position but no longer put an R next to your name. Perhaps an I or should the democrats find you acceptable, a D, which if you put a minus sign next to it is the ethic grade our state was given, one of the lowest in the nation.
Start with some low hanging, trouble making fruit, Benning would be one suggestion.
If all the people on your baseball team are professional hockey players, how are you going to win any games?
If all your people are new world order pimps, how are you ever going to defend your republic?
If all your people’s religion and science revolve around the prospects of raw political power and money, how are you going ever even see truth, love and the scientific method? You’ll be over run with lies and propaganda.
Such is the fate of Vermont political climate when our team does not all row the boat in the same direction and set our sails for liberty.
Totally agree Neil., good comment. Puts matters in perspective. I posted this comment on the TNR-CA situation in the emailed page, totally appeopraite here also:
Conservatives continue their push for ‘Greater Idaho’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7kIh1-IY4&feature=emb_imp_woyt (4:43)
The Oregon group says they plan to put the issue on five more ballots in May.
A comment:
I love it and I had a vision Idaho would become ocean front property, that possibly might come true!! Wow I love it! When I was there in Oregon looking to see if I wanted to move there, the lawlessness was everywhere! Cars were all over the sides of the roads, stripped out! My son in law’s very nice diesel truck got stole right out of the fire department parking lot, when it had been locked in, while the firefighters fought that horrific fire last summer into fall! What has become of our World?
Parts of VT joining up with NH?