What Statement Will Californians Make?
by Christopher G. Adamo
With Election Day still a week away, it is already patently obvious that much in America's political landscape has changed as a result of the recall effort of California Governor Gray Davis. Not only have Californians shown their willingness to hold the state's chief executive to accountability, they have also displayed an ability to put heat on the Ninth Circuit Court, sufficient to reign in its rampant activism. Despite the widespread assertion that the Ninth Circuit reversed its original three-judge ruling for fear of being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the level of public outrage at the court's attempt to stay the election cannot be deemed to be irrelevant to the situation. And while irate Californians weren't necessarily planning a march through the streets with axes and torches, the volume of their outcry no doubt made the court more pliable during its review of the original decision.
The question presently on most peoples' minds is just who will succeed Davis in the event of a successful recall. Despite the carnival-like appearance of more than a hundred "candidates" on the ballot, only three have any significant chance of winning, Democrat Cruz Bustamante, and Republicans Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom McClintock. And of the three, McClintock's chances are slim at best.
Undoubtedly for many Californians, simply being rid of the corruption and ineptitude of Gray Davis would be sufficient reason to celebrate after next Tuesday. However, much more needs to be accomplished if they are to begin the long journey out of their present, dismal situation. And it is for them now to strongly consider whether all or any of the candidates are up to the task. Come next Wednesday, their fate will be virtually cast in stone.
A win by Democrat Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante would suggest that the sentiment against Davis was purely personal, since Bustamante's guiding philosophies are fundamentally similar to those of Davis. If anything, Bustamante is likely to worsen California's economic woes, since his ascension to the level of Chief Executive would carry with it the suggestion of a mandate. Those who might anticipate a positive change of course from the state's sorry present condition certainly cannot reasonably expect Bustamante to hold to any such aspiration. He has neither stated nor implied any intention to do so.
Considering that Arnold Schwarzenegger professes to be a “Republican,” some might believe his thinking to be somewhat different from that of Bustamante. And the sudden derision and hostility hurled at him from the Hollywood left, among other liberal factions, would suggest that his ascendancy to the governorship constitutes a viable threat to them and thus must be a “badge of honor.” But despite the shrillness of Schwarzenegger's attackers, his similarity to them far outweighs any differences to which they might take exception.
On virtually every social issue, Schwarzenegger is essentially in lock step with the counter culture crowd that dominates both Hollywood and the state's liberal establishments, such as its universities. Holding to this mindset, it is highly unlikely that he could chart any course that might promise a return of California to its former greatness. Nor could he hope to stem the present hemorrhaging of the state's business base resulting from excessive taxes and ludicrous regulatory burdens that are the hallmark of rampant liberalism.
Worse yet, it is all but guaranteed that if Schwarzenegger wins on Tuesday, every major media organ of the Golden State will portray its economic woes as if they suddenly materialized from thin air, at the very moment of his inauguration. A failure to immediately reverse the course of the state will be treated as the calamity that can be expected to befall any state so foolish as to entrust its future to Republicans. Thus a Schwarzenegger victory, though initially presumed to be beneficial, will in the long term become an embarrassment and liability to the GOP.
Californians who want to accomplish anything more significant than simply voicing their distaste for the sitting Governor have no choice but to support the candidacy of Tom McClintock. At the close of last week's debate in which Bustamante, Schwarzenegger, and dark-horse candidate Arianna Huffington clearly displayed their belief that bravado and audacity hold a higher place in the minds of the electorate than political substance, McClintock calmly elaborated on his credentials and explained not only why but how he will work to bring about reform in Sacramento. It may not be flashy, but it is the genuine article.
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