Sept 14 is a big day in California - a special election which will cost the state a quarter billion dollars to put before voters the question of whether or not to recall a governor for whom there is no basis for his removal.
I'm voting NO. Gavin Newsom is doing a fine job and he deserves to finish out the term for which he was elected. Moreover, not one of the dozens of candidates running to replace him has the capability, credentials, or sensible policy proposals to lead a state with the 9th largest economy in the world.
Certainly not Kevin Paffrath, for whom I will nonetheless cast my vote as the replacement candidate if Newsom is recalled. He has no experience in governance and many of his policy proposals are downright wacky.
But he's a Democrat and he is the front-runner among all of the replacement candidates - ahead of the Trumper Republican front-runner, Larry Elder.
The NO campaign tells us to just vote NO and ignore the second half of the question - who should replace Newsom if he were to be recalled. I get the logic of this message... it's so much simpler than having to think about who should be the backup Democratic candidate.
But alas, we must think about it - because the polls suggest a very close election on September 14. And we really cannot afford for any of the Republicans to win.
So I'm pinching my nose and voting for a 29 year old dilettante who could not govern his way out of a paper bag - because he is a Democrat and he's less obnoxious than any of his Republican opponents, all of whom he has a real chance of besting if the recall prevails. That would be mud in the eyes of the Trumpers who instigated this charade.
Voting for Paffrath just makes me all the more adamant about voting NO on this recall ballot that should never have been put before us in the first place. We need an amendment to the state constitution stipulating that if a governor is recalled, the lieutenant governor would take his or her place. For the foreseeable future, that would mean a Democrat replacing a Democrat - which surely would deprive the Republicans of any fun in mounting recall campaigns going forward.
This election hinges on voter turnout, which is expected to be low - which is the only hope that Republicans hold for ever winning a statewide office these days. So let's get votivated! and votivate others to do the same....