A very quick diary to see what others think. The Democratic party of California, and, as such I assume from the governor's office, we are being requested to vote no against the recall of governor Gavin Newsom. And to leave the second half of the ballot blank.
The first part is a no-brainer. But the second part of the strategy, should that part A fail, leaves the state guaranteed to install a whack-a-doodle RW nightmare in the office.
I think this is irresponsible and shortsighted to not use the second part of the ballot as insurance. We should be writing in the name of liutenent governor Eleni Kounalakis in case enough lazy liberals do not vote to stop the recall.
There may be inside baseball political reasons not to rock the boat in Sacramento for this to not be the strategy? I have no idea what the relationship between Newsom and Kounalakis is and if that matters in this case. Perhaps some are afraid she'd be more popular amongst us? Despite most of us knowing little about her.
Yet if enough fanatics get their recall we should ensure a smooth transition for the Lt. governor taking her rightfully place as his replacement. Even if we do not have enough votes in place to stop the recall it's possible with a singular laser focus, out of dozens of names on the ballot and the small handful who will compete for the top spot, can be outpaced if the 35%, or 45% or 49% of voters voting against the recall insist on the rule of order as unanimously as possible. With Kounalakis as a singular backstop to the laziness and potential apathy of the Californian Democratic and otherwise liberal voters who polling suggest may not vote in sufficient numbers. And perhaps as a chastisement to the state party for not putting this obvious, necessary, least controversial insurance policy into place.
Perhaps we also need to contact our CA state representatives and even the governor's office and ask them to revise their “leave the other side blank" nonsense while there is time to get the message out. If you agree, let them know that you think it's nonsense. Especially if there are nothing but intra-party reasons for not doing so.
Let's keep majority rule in place in California.