Davis gets 49% of votes, Arnold wins with 25% of vote. Democracy at work?

[Robin Hood]

Let's say that Davis receives 49% of the vote to keep him in. Ahnold receives 25-45% of the votes, and he become governor.

Darryl Issa was asked this question by Bill Maher on his show and Issa evaded(Did not answer) the question, surprise.

I just don't understand how this scenario is legal or democratic. Again, it appears that the one with the least votes wins again. Republicans are re-writing morality.

[izzie]

1. Would hate to see GOP take over Calif but it will not be a shock.

People will vote odd at times.

[Robin Hood]

2. The question is not how people vote,

but rather how can the guy with the least votes be the winner?

[noiretextatique]

9. it's the ONLY way they can "win"

and they know it :grr:

[TahitiNut]

10. I'm not convinced ...

... that very many folks have really and truly mastered elementary school arithmetic, particularly percentages. This should be mastered by 6th grade, to the point it's part of the functionally literate person's everyday vocabulary.

Asking a question like this, even of DUers, seems to pose a "stretch" for too many.

Just as a reminder, the K-6 curriculum should typically include:
Math – Concepts are introduced and developed at appropriate grade levels, including: numbers, number patterns, word problems, estimating, measurement, telling time, monetary values, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, graphs and charts, fractions, decimals, percentages, probability, statistics, equations, pre-algebra, geometry, mathematical communication, reasoning, and problem-solving.

[JPace]

13. Are DUers able to do the math?

("Asking a question like this, even of DUers, seems to pose a "stretch" for too many.")

I'm quite sure that the majority of DUers are
able to figure out the math in the recall!
From what I have read around here....there
are a lot of very smart cookies on DU.

[JPace]

3. It's brilliant strategy by thieving repugs...

they cannot win without big time
manipulation. I don't like it but
I have to recognize that it pays
off big time. I wish we had think
tanks and strategists on the same
level. I get tired of being on the
losing side soooo much lately and
I am afraid it could get worse cause
they are thinking of things we are
not prepared for.

[Robin Hood]

5. I don't know about that.

I don't want to be on a team that would accept a victory when you actually lost. Playing fair is our down fall but it is what we stand for and are all about.

[niyad]

4. repulses are rewriting morality-- not to mention. . .

math and logic

[Robin Hood]

6. lol...Fuzzy math.

I guess all republicans suffer from fuzzy math. Gore lost, schwarzy wins.

[LittleApple81]

7. kick n/t

[ISUGRADIA]

8. The Recall law as is is so wrong and undemocratic

Issa is a weasel and cannot give an honest answer to the question you posed. As is the law is so wrong. Hopefully the recall will lose and the law can be change.

1) Signatures required: whatever the number of votes the holder of the office won by in the last election + 1.

2) The Governor if he or she loses is replaced by the Lt. Governor. No minority vote replacements.

[LuminousX]

12. I support the Recall option

but I do believe that the number required to start a recall needs to be significant, or it needs to be started in the General Assembly.

[niyad]

17. not to mention that the only people who should be allowed. .

to vote are those who voted in the election being recalled.

[Robin Hood]

18. Whoa... I never even thought of that.

That would only be fair. In reality this is not a recall but a do over. And there shouldn't be any do overs in elections.

[Capn Sunshine]

31. I support the recall option too

and if a repuke EVER GETS IN OFFICE IN THIS SHAMEFUL MANNER

That's grounds for a recall right there.

PS Read Sunday's Doonesbury if you haven't yet.

[Cha]

11. I know there are a lot of Brilliant People in California who are

working Hard against this recall..heck I heard the other day that even Bruce Willis was out there campaigning against it.

So I am hoping that sanity prevails and saves the day for California and sends arnie back to making bad movies and leaves Cal to those who have her best interest at heart.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

15. Bruce Willis a Repug, please show me proof that he opposes....

the recall/theft of the Cali governorship!

[Robin Hood]

16. I saw Brucey Willis on CNN the other day.

They showed him in Iraq with his head down like he was ashamed to say what he was saying. He then struggled real hard to say something like "whetehr we find WMD or not, it's still good that we are there".

Of course he had to say that, he was at a military camp. What was he going to say? hey boys!! You're getting your ass handed to you for no fucking reason. But you could tell that when he said it, he didn't want to say it. he knows that it will come back to haunt him.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

20. We are trying...

and don't count Davis out. Dems might just give him one last breath.

And here's a scary note: my brother told me today that my father and step-mother, both bright and fairly tuned-in people, didn't know that they could vote No on the recall AND still vote for a replacement. That's really alarming to me. I also worry that too many people (Dems included) think it's a joke and will just stay home, then wake up on Oct. 8 with Arnie as Gov. Ugh.

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

14. Sounds like a circus to me.

I tell you this recall was birthed in the minds of craven politicos, who in their circus clown manner, let mayhem replace democratic politics. God help California.

[IndianaGreen]

19. According to the latest poll: 35% want Davis, 40% want Arnold

When asked how they would vote on recalling Davis, 63 percent of probable voters said they would vote yes, compared with 35 percent who would vote no. In a separate vote to choose a new governor, Schwarzenegger was the choice of 40 percent in the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14645-2003Sep28.html

[Robin Hood]

21. Considering the non-stop media push of Ahnold

This is not surprising. After all, Elections are now just a popularity contest. It's only a matter of time before we have these monkees compete in a swimsuit competition. People can then vote for something they know. Like the size of bulges wherever they may be.

Screw the issues. i want my representatives to have large breasts and a big cock, and of course a tight ass too boot.

Ladies and gentelman, we are now enjoying the fruits of a gutted school system and the dumbing down of America. Enjoy, it only gets worst from here.

[IndianaGreen]

23. We have to recognize that Davis is his own worst enemy

so much so that many Democrats are willing to vote him out in the recall. The question still remains, will they vote for Bustamante on the second part of the question, or will they do what Feinstein suggested and skip it altogether.

[Robin Hood]

24. Why is Davis his own worst enemy?

He has been trying to fight back the repub attacks since he got in there and the so called energy crisis was just one of the many attacks that he is being blamed for.

It's not Davis. it's the non-stop media bashing that Davis has gotten from the corporate Rove controlled whores.

[eablair3]

22. it's almost hilarious

to see certain Dems crying over things like this (and this is not directed at the original poster, but more in a general nature).

The hypothetical is very possible (Davis w 49% and he's out, while Ahnold gets in w 25%). Davis won last year with less than 50 % of the vote. The Dems say they will recall if a Repug wins. It's going to be a perpetual recall.

Why don't the Dems start supporting some very needed voting reforms? Like Instant Runoff Voting to assure that whomever wins an election will have to get over 50%. The Dem Party in Ca OPPOSES that. The Dem Party in Ca OPPOSES doing away with paid signature gatherers in recalls, referenda, and initiative. So, their crying about how this all is "unfair" and "not democratic" falls on deaf ears.

If they want the process to be more democratic, it is fully within their power to enact IRV and outlawing paid signature gatherers. As long as they don't, they can only blame themselves. Of course, the reason they don't is that they like the idea of power, even if it is only a minority that put them in power.

If the Repugs get in, it will be a minority that put them in power. The process WILL just repeat itself with the majority kicking out the Repug Governor. Which minority will be in power -- the Dems or the Repubs? Neither wants to lose the chance at power, even if it is only the power of a minority.

[Yupster]

25. A stupid law for sure

Is anyone out there trying to change it when this fiasco is over?

[VermontDem2004]

26. Here is how

49% means that 51% what him gone, that is a majority, if Arnold gets 25% of the vote, the majority out of 200 candidates, he wins.

[SuffragetteSal]

27. it is sickening to me

to think this may happen :puke:

[leftofthedial]

28. Republicanism at work

RE-publican
RE-count
RE-districting
RE-call

[denverbill]

29. Recall Arnold.

If I were a Californian, and my governor was elected by such a tiny segment of voters, I'd immediately launch a recall petition, get the 1,000,000 signatures necessary, and throw the bastard out.

[Stuckinthebush]

30. I've been thinking about this

Two seperate events are happening during that vote.

1.) Vote on whether Davis stays in.
2.) Vote on who will replace Davis if he is ousted.

The first event takes a majority of voters to keep Davis in. Fair enough (as the law is written). But, the second vote allows a candidtate to become governor with a very small percent of votes. So, Davis has a higher bar to jump to "become" governor than do the other candidates.

Why do they accept the individual with the most votes as governor instead of having a run off of the top 3 or 4? Also, why can't Davis include his name in that list of candidates? Since these are two separate events, he should be allowed to include his name on the ballot.

The whole thing stinks.

If Davis loses number 1 and Arnold wins number 2, the state Democrats should immediately force another recall to show how silly this process really is.

[Robin Hood]

32. I agree,

I think that it would be imperative that the dems force another recall. And then we can watch the repubs kick and scream about how un fair and un democratic this is and how the dems are trying to steal another election.

Mark my words, If we recall Governor Gang-Bang. They will say everything that I stated above.