October 12, 2003

Recall Signals Personality Cult, Decline of Parties

The California recall hoopla is over, but some serious political developments remain – not the least of which is the future of the Democratic and Republican parties.

Election returns at this writing indicate a near record turnout of voters dismissed Gov. Gray Davis, Democrat, by 55 percent. They elected movie actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican, by 45 percent over a field of 135 hopefuls.

After examining bowls of chicken entrails, political pundits foresee a reordering of the political landscape that we have come to know and love.

It must be remembered that California commands 54 electoral votes when electing a president of the United States. This notwithstanding whining by Democrats about Albert Gore’s miniscule popular vote majority in 2000.  

The U.S. Constitution mandates an Electoral College of 538 electors – based on population -- whom you vote for quadrennially. They actually vote for a president in the following December, not you in November.

A No.2 pencil as a prize from me if you can name one of the electors you voted for on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2000. (Florida readers only. A few states list electors along with names of candidates to whom pledged – a sensible practice.)

The Constitution requires 270 votes for election of a president. California has the most clout with 54 electoral votes. New York has 33 and Texas 32.

Florida is fourth with 25 – not big time, as Sen. Bob Graham discovered; but worth courting, as Vice-president Al Gore demonstrated.

This little civics refresher discloses the significance of the California recall. The usual, solid, liberal, Democratic vote base there is a big enchilada.  

Move actor Ronald Reagan, by celebrity recognition, cut through the liberal stranglehold and was elected governor. Then, having done a good job, he was elected president.

Celeb conscious Californians already are beating the drums for President Schwarzenegger. Amusing but futile. He is an Austrian immigrant who has gone as far as he can up the political ladder. The U.S. Constitution specifies that the president must be a "natural born citizen."

Nonetheless, Schwarzenegger has riled the political waters. He has shown that a Republican can get elected if his Democratic predecessors have lost public trust.  

The Golden State has run out of cash after a decade of Democrat policy of tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect. It already is $27 billion in debt, and the Democratic legislature proposes a budget for the next fiscal year that will be another $10 billion over income.

Last straws for Californians were a tripling of the car registration fee from $76 to $234 – and a proposal to borrow $10 billion to "balance the budget" (classic lib logic).  

 California Dems pride themselves that they have free colleges, toughest environmental standards and more social services than any other state in the union. Play now, pay later.

A record number of Californians – experiencing economic epiphany -- signed up to recall Gov. Gray Davis. That privilege was put into the California constitution in 1911. Since then, there have been 31 attempts to recall the governor; but none until now reached ballot.

Only one other American governor has been recalled. North Dakota voters -- angry over falling wheat and beef prices – threw out Republican Lynn Frazier in 1921. Then he was elected a U.S. senator and served three terms. There could be life after death for Gov. Gray Davis.

The difficulty with this scenario is that political parties are not the powerhouses they were a generation ago. They have shrunk relatively under the impact of television, movies, Internet and newspaper conglomerates.  

Non-affiliated voters – cutely termed "independent" – supposedly stand aloof of the nominating process. They have substituted the personality cult of entertainers, name recognition and personal fortunes.

Party loyalty continues to decline. Recalls become escape hatches for popularity contests.

This is precisely why the authors of the Constitution tucked in the Electoral College. It stands ready to withstand the anarchy of populist democracy.

 PARTING SHOTS

The wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger – Republican governor-elect – is Maria Shriver, a niece of John, Robert and Teddy Kennedy. The next family reunion at Hyannis Port should be a beaut.

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A New Yorker attempted to create a "Garden of Eden" in his tiny apartment with a 400-pound tiger, 4-foot alligator and parrot. He gave up after being mauled by the tiger. No wonder. He forgot to grow an apple tree.

By Lindsey Williams, columnist for Sun Coast Media Group newspapers