Today's LA Times posts an
article on our governor calling a special session of the legislature to deal with two issues: capping spending to balance the budget (remember that concept?), and to take redistricting out of the hands of the political process. Both are HUGE issues in California and could change the way the state is represented, the way the state cares for it's citizens, and the way the democratic party is framed in CA.
In doing so, the governor also will force a confrontation with the Legislature. He intends to leave no doubt in his State of the State speech Wednesday that if lawmakers rebuff him or refuse to act, he will take his proposals directly to voters as early as next fall, according to people familiar with his plans. Schwarzenegger's action could convulse the state's political culture. He hopes to strip lawmakers of the power to create politically safe districts and give the responsibility instead to a panel of three retired judges.
Arnold is feeling buff and gonna' take out the Dems...
This move is obviously (to me) designed to eliminate the Democratic dominance in the state, as well as create an atmosphere that pits the upper and middle-class against the poor and minorities. Tracking and responding to these moves is vitally important...
Comments:
<redistricting> I actually like the idea of taking the drawing of legislative districts out of the hands of whatever political party holds the state house. While it's true that California's situation works for us, there's really little difference from the shit that went down in Texas. We see the Repub legislators in Texas as pond scum, but defend our right to do pretty much the same thing in California to protect Democratic dominance. What's important is to track this development and ensure the result is as close to politically neutral as possible (impossible, but we can try...)
<spending> As a small business guy I happen to believe in a balanced budget. While the Gov's move could be about balancing California's budget (which is still in rotten shape) it also could be about threatening the upper and middle-classes with Bad Shit "if the state doesn't cut the giveaways to those worthless poor people who don't work like you do". Really, this is classic Regan-era political framing: paint the left as protecting and giving away "our money!" to the scum of the inner cities, the welfare queens, and of course all those brown people that threaten our lifestyle. Frame it this way and you have the potential for a lot of moderate coastal voters going for the "moderate" GOP candidate. Again, it's important to track this development and somehow get in front of the process before we end up on the defensive and well-defined by the "moderate" wing of the GOP.
Arnold is an incredible salesman--he's proved it now in the special election that got him this job and in two elections to push his selected positions through the initiative process. He has no equal on the democratic side at the moment, no one with the marketing charisma to counter him. Because of his movie-star charisma, his Teflon treatment in the press, and his "moderate" views, he's very dangerous, and the GOP is suddenly seeing California as a red state. If you combine these moves with the concerted attack on the secretary of state, well...I just don't want to see a book at Borders five years from now titled "How We Lost California".
I've got to go focus on work, so your comments and insights are welcome.
-mark