I need help on this one. I'll be voting no on the recall, although I am not a fan of Davis. But I'll also be casting a vote for someone just in case the recall succeeds. Someone tell me why I shouldn't vote for Arianna. I'm reminded of once back in '88, when I found myself taking a leak in a UC Berkeley restroom next to Ron Dellums. Taking advantage of the opportunity for off-the-cuff conversation, I told Ron I had been following his career since the People's Park days, I trusted his opinion, and would he please explain to me why I should vote for Dukakis for president. The Congressman said a lot of cusswords as he emphasized his disagreements with Dukakis, but ultimately, he said, you've got to do what you can to keep the Republicans out of office. I thanked him ... and, I confess, went on to vote for some now-forgotten fringe candidate in that election.

Now I'm asking for the Dellumses of today to explain to me why Arianna's a bad idea. Anyone?

Here's the solution: Davis resigns, Bustamante becomes governor, the recall is over, Republicans left sucking their thumbs and maybe there's a better and stronger Dem Governor.

Problem is that Bustamante and Davis hate each other, and no politician (especially Davis) ever resigns unless their hands are caught in the cookie jar.

Interesting idea though.

I like it that Arianna is in the race. I trust her conversion. She is incredibly articulate and intelligent, and funny. I'm thinking we will have many more such conversions, if we can clearly state the progressive message, with Arianna's help. I don't know if she has a chance, but I would support her, if I lived in California.

That said, I think Bustamante is a good man, and would do a good job. Good that we have Arianna around to keep the campaign leaning progressively.

Jordan:

Davis can't cancel the recall by resigning. It will go ahead in any case. Although some of the weird implications aren't entirely clear (to put it mildly) from California's election laws, the most probable interpretation seems to be that if Davis resigned, Bustamante would immediately succeed him; but the recall would go forward and the question would be whether the voters wanted to remove Bustamante from office and replace him with whoever gets a plurality; and Bustamante would probably be barred from being on the list of "replacement" candidates, just as Davis is now.

I'm as interested as anyone in the new Arianna, but I remember too well the old Arianna from 1994, when I lived in Southern California and Michael Huffington was running for Senate. Arianna was clearly the genius behind her vacant-headed husband's campaign.

Once he proved how pathetic he was by spending a gazillion dollars of his own money to lose the race in the midterm election of 1994 (when the Republicans crushed the Dems everywhere), she went solo and became a popular conservative guest on political talk shows. She was an extremely annoying variety of conservative: born rich, lived an extremely privileged existence, and seemed to think that poor people were simply inferior.

She now has the fervor of a convert, but I'd rather see her put in some more time on our side of the political fence before I'd want her in office. Besides, her personality is much better for a gadfly than a governor. All those people who complain that we don't have a left-wing Rush or O'Reilly might consider looking to her.

Beware of Bustamante.
He has links to MeCha which has been described as a racist organization.

Here's a Mecha Saying :
For the race (Raza) -- everything. Outside of the race -- nothing.
If you put white in front of the word race it does sound pretty racist to me.
But put aside the racism.
The other thing that Mecha believes is that California and the other Southwestern states belongs to the chicanos, the bronze race which was stolen by the white race or gazpatchas or gringos. As they believe it is theirs they do not believe in so called false borders between mexico and America.(this is not right wing propaganda - look up ANY Mecha site on the internet and start by reading their charter and founding documents.)
Now Bustamante was in MeCha in the 70's when it was at its most radical and has never renounced his affiliation. In addition, Mecha still has this racist, separtist language in their charter and has not renounced it either so I think ANYONE with an open mind should at least be worried.
Now take Bustamantes policies. He wants unrestricted illegal immigration of guess what - Mexicans (or as MeCha would say Chicanos or the bronze people or the People of the Sun. He wants them to have drivers licenses, dual passports, access to medicine and schooling and everthing else all without making these illegals citizens.This is in line with MeCha philosophy and ensures that the chicanos will overtake the gringos in population very shortly. They would thus control Aztlan without having to fire a shot. This is being done by California tax payers and California govt. They are literally ceding power over to a group thats stated goal is to take back the southern states. And they are breaking laws to do this. Last I heard illegal immigration was , uh, "illegal". When we send Haitans back to Haiti by the boatload and all other immigrants must wait for years to become citizens what gives Mexicans a right to stream over by the millions. Oh yeah, they own California. Gringos get out. This is all justified because us gringos want cheap labor to do the jobs noone else will do. People, you are selling out your state for cheap labor. That's not only greedy thats breaking the law, and seditious.
Why is no one worried about this. Take groups at their words. Take lieutenant governers POLICIES on their face. If he belonged to an organization that espoused that california belongs to Mexicans and then enacts policies that ensure that as many Mexicans coem to the state as possible illegally, even though he is supposed to uphold the law (again remember the word ILLEGAL)as lieutenant governor, then he is in line with MeCha.

Don't make the democratic party a party of traitors that ignore immigration policy to allow illegals to steal california. Oh wait, you're already doing it. May god have mercy on your gringo souls.

J-- You are hereby invited not to spread your racist attacks on this site, especially since you don't even have the courage to use your name. Anonymous bile gets no respect from me at all.

Hey, Nathan, you're right this time. He used the word "gringo". Definitely a racial slur. I didn't notice any other racial epithets, did you?
If he's a racist for using the term "gringo", then so is MEChA, because they use it on their websites. Nathan, be serious. The shrill "you're a racist rightwinger" defense is getting really old now.

Roger-- You are obsessed with language and ignore actions. You know what, I'm half Yid and half goyim and all gringo. Big deal.

All I care about it whether a politician will support legislation to secure equal rights for all residents of this country. Bustamante has promised to do so, while Schwartzenner wants to deny immigrant children education.

That's the issue.

Mr. Bustamantes, it looks like you are the favorite for the government race. Congratulations.
There are many problems our State is experiencing. But, what do you plan to do about the hundreds of battered women who are incarcerated for killing their abusers. Gray Davis deneid them clemancy, stating their acts were not in self defense. Please help these women. Not only do they deserve their freedom for everything they've had to endure, it also helps the state budget by not having to house and feed them and pay for their children to be in foster care. please write back.