So, once the recall is defeated in California...

[TDale313]

🤞🏼 Can we talk about reforming this joke of a process so we don’t have to endure Republicans doing this during every Democratic Governor’s administration? Please?!? So over this undemocratic crap from the GOP cause their policies are actually unpopular af.

[Journeyman]

1. Stupidest, most irresponsible thing the California Democrats have not done in the last 20 years. . .

is to not reform the recall procedure. Should have been done before Gray Davis was recalled. Absolutely no excuse why it wasn't reformed after Schwarzenegger left office. The Democratic Party is at pains to paint this as "the Republican recall." But in truth, they've no one to blame but themselves.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. Lesson learned, I think.

Get elected, then face recall because they - the losers - don't like the outcome? That's what the next election is for. And if you think Trump won in 2020, don't be surprised when the majority tells you to go pound sand.

[Sibelius Fan]

5. In the present case, the Rs were granted a huge time extension to collect signatures.

Shoulda never happened. Four eXtra months.

https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/gov-newsom-recall-granted-120-more-days-to-collect-signatures/

[NotASurfer]

3. California has ballot initiative laws

It wouldn't take much of a change, something as simple as requiring one of the candidates who throw their hat in the ring to get more votes than the votes for the governor they're trying to recall, if not that's what a lieutenant governor is for.

The MAGAnauts don't have a monopoly on petitions, they're better at using the process for mischief. So use the same toolkit to fix things, and maybe take away the mischief part

[brush]

4. Yes, requiring more votes than the person subject to recall...

is a no-brainer. Should've been done years ago. Also required 25 percent of the electorate's signatures instead of the scan 12 percent now needed to recall someone.

[RockRaven]

6. All ballot initiatives (regular, constitutional amendment, recall) need reform. It's too damn easy

to buy one's way onto the ballot. All it takes is paid man-hours in the right places and you can get the signatures needed. The bar is so low, and CA so large and variable, that with enough money one can put LITERALLY ANYTHING on the ballot no matter how little organic/grassroots support it has.

Then all it takes is money to flood the airways with deceptive ads which go unopposed because there is no "other side" with similar funding and you get whatever you want (see also Uber/Lyft).

Recalls are especially pernicious because they leverage differences in voter motivation/turnout amongst the aggrieved losers and complacent contented winners of the regularly scheduled election. Minorities overturning majorities through irregular means.

The constitutional amendment thing is problematic because it binds the hands of the state government who often knows more than dumb-assed misinformed voters about the issue at hand, and is a hell of a lot more nimble than the fixed election cycle in dealing with changing circumstances. A slick marketing campaign deployed opportunistically may narrowly enshrine something that the elected state government literally cannot remedy themselves and the population will never overturn by the required supermajority.

Raise the thresholds for these direct democracy mechanisms to ensure they represent actual groundswells, rather than well-funded gimmicks.

[Bobstandard]

7. Ridiculously premature

I’ve seen Republicans demonstrating for the recall all over the state since last November. In red districts and in very blue areas lik the Santa Cruz, Marin, and Berkeley. Know how many Anti recall demonstrations I’ve seen? Zip. Republicans are energized.

I agree that the recall process is nothing but a relatively easy way to cancel the votes of the 7.7 million voters who chose Gavin and needs to be fixed. But to plan now for Gavin win? Way premature

No Dem leaning voter in CA should imagine we’ve got this in the bag. Vote. Get out the vote! Shame your friends into voting. This is a big deal and we’re no clear winners yet. Not even close.

[Xolodno]

8. Not against the recall process...

With that being said, the process needs to be overhauled with a higher bar. Don't punish politicians for doing the right thing. I've read several different ideas on fixing it....and most of them are good.

Our current process...not so much.

[msfiddlestix]

9. totally. I don't understand why Brown and Newsom didn't handle early on.n/t