Ruth Rosen continues to bolster her losing arguments by having conversations with dead people. In Thursday's column, Ruth Rosen reports on her seance with California Governor Hiram Johnson, the Republican who introduced the popular referendum and the recall election back in 1911. Ruth Rosen says that Hiram Johnson told her he would oppose the recall of Gray Davis:
Although Hiram Johnson would have condemned Davis, he would have insisted on a populist recall -- not one purchased by independently wealthy Republicans conservatives intent on hijacking an election they previously had failed to win.Sorry Ruthie, but the recall really is populist. The latest Field Poll shows that 58% of likely voters would vote to recall Davis, including 59% of non-partisan voters and 58% of those who describe themselves as neither Conservative nor Liberal, but "Middle-of-the-Road".
Next week, we can expect Ruth Rosen to have a chat with Samuel Gompers, who will tell us that his famous quote "We want more schoolhouses and less jails" means that he would support a governor who increases the prison budget while cutting education spending.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 22, 2003 07:00 AMRosen's "logic" always eludes me. But who needs logic when you can channel dead people.
Given that Hiram Johnson's recall initiative deliberately contained no objective standards (e.g. criminal conduct), can't it be said that any use of the recall "hijacks" an election.
Fred Jacobsen
San Francisco
Every politician who gets elected has to spend money. every initiative that gets passed does so because someone spent money on signatures. A true populist revolt without money probably isn't possible.
Posted by: Justene on August 23, 2003 12:08 AM