Does a crowded recall field benefit Davis. . .

[wndycty]

I would think as the incumbent he as advantage over everyone else just on name recognition alone. Part of me thinks that is why Arianna is running. If Issa runs, if Simon runs, if Flynt runs, if Arianna runs, I think it favors Davis. . .your thoughts?

[Randi_Listener]

1. October.....

....is a long way off. I think that by then, the steam behind the effort will have run out and Davis will maintain his governorship.

[wndycty]

4. That and. . .

. . .I believe that the opposition will dilute itself.

[okieinpain]

2. he's not going to be on the list of replacements. if he is recalled

that's it for him.

[OldCurmudgeon]

7. I think there's a court case

in progress about just that issue.

Why is it, that ALL californians that are registered to vote can be on the recall ballot, except ONE: Gray Davis.

One can attack the statute on "equal protection" grounds; in fact one might be able to attack it as a "bill of attainder" (US Const, Art. 1, sec 10).

[gbwarming]

17. But he COULD run on the next recall, no?

You know, the one 61 to 81 days after the new governor is sworn in. :)

[StandWatie]

3. he is not on the ballot

and I think it's bad for him to have the large field, Davis had a hard time dragging the base out to the polls last time when they could vote for him, I can't imagine there is going to be an enormous amount of interest in making it to the polls just to vote against his recall.

[pw]

6. I think it depends entirely on turnout

At least some of the people who come out to vote on recall may look at the endless list of candidates and come to their senses.

[Redbear]

5. I agree.

People will realize that if they don't vote for Davis, somebody who plans to change the state's name to Veronicabloodlust might actually win.

[realFedUp]

8. I'm going out on a limb here...

I think the courts will make final decisions in
all this and that it won't matter how many candidates
spend their money...The CA Constitution says that
in an event of a abdication by the governor for whatever
reason, the Lt. Gov steps in.
Bustamante will step in if Gray chooses to step
down.

And did you know that Gray can have anything he
spent on this reimbursed to him by the taxpayers...so
in the end, we'll still have a Dem, Gray will get
paid, and there will be a huge election recall bill.
Californians, when they finally wake up, won't be
pleased. I hope the ire is directed at Issa et al
who paid for this recall originally. I hope the
Republican party finally dries up in the California
desert.

[SoCalDem]

9. If we don't want "Freeperfornia", we BETTER get out and vote NO

whoever we vote for on the second part is irrelevant really.. We are looking for 50%+ of whatever votes are cast.. If we end up with 50+% of NO, then Issa could have 99% of the yess votes, but it won't matter..

what will hurt us, is if DEMS vote YES and then have 3 or 4 "down ballot" choices to split their votes...

It's a given that the repubbies will have Issa and ,aybe Riordan, and Simon.. so they already have a chance at a three-way dilution of their yes votes.. ..

We should vote our conscience on the lower ballot , but we MUST all vote NO on the top..

:)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

10. I Think a 100+ Candidate List Helps Davis

I can't help but think that when people see all of the opportunistic bastards and nutcases on the ballot, at least some of them will come to their senses and vote "No."

DTH

[dfong63]

12. i agree

even someone who doesn't like davis would have to be worried about who or what might replace him. the multitude of candidates on part 2, makes a "yes" vote on part 1 look like a real crap shoot.

[mark0rama]

11. There's another Issa on the ballot... and Michael Jackson

This should be good. From latimes.com:

"Among the 15 candidates are a cigarette retailer from Napa Valley; a bounty hunter and law school president in Sacramento; four San Diego County businessmen; a Santa Monica mediator; a Marin County Republican running on a platform of ending discrimination against the unmarried; an Arcadia engineer named S. Issa who is no relation to the recall backer Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista); and Michael Jackson, a satellite project manager from Long Beach."

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-ballot6aug06,1,7927633.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Zero Gravitas]

13. No. It is irrelevant.

There could be a million people running and it makes nmo difference. There are two parts to the vote

1) Recall Davis yes/no

2) if Davis is recalled pick one of the following...

The list of potential candidates does not include Davis. So if enough vote yes on part 1 he is gone, then the candidate on the list in part 2 with the most votes becomes Gov.

[Democat]

18. That's part of the bullshit of it

Davis can get 49% of the vote and lose, while some loser can get 10% of the vote and win.

The will of the people is not being done in this mess.

[Yupster]

21. Each candidate theoretically hurts Davis

Because if the old lady down the block runs too, there will be at least one voter who was going to vote no on the recall, and changes his mind to yes so he can vote for Aunt Glenda down the block.

[moondust]

14. I don't know but

I doubt that the rank amateurs could be of much benefit to a distressed California.

[trogdor]

20. I'd run in a minute.

Then I'd resign 24 hours after being sworn in and let Bustamente take over.

King for a day - that's me.

[dansolo]

15. Yes, but not for the reason you give

Davis isn't able to run against all of the others, so the fact that he is the incumbant is irrelevant. However, with a lot of people on the ballot, people may see the recall as the farce that it is, and be more uncomfortable to vote "yes" for the recall.

[TomNickell]

16. If the outcome is unpredictable and a nutcase is a possible winner....

then many voters will vote for the -known- quantity rather than risk something worse.

[trogdor]

19. WHO CARES?

The point is to make the exercise in absurdity even more absurd, enough so as to serve as a wakeup call, especially if a loose cannon like Flynt (or the blonde porn star collecting signatures in front of the LA city hall) wins.

Nobody likes being embarassed. Most like being embarassed a second time even less. THAT is the point.