Mike Lynch: On the governor’s recall, Britney Spears and political soundbites
I’m thinking about running for governor.
Really.
It’s not difficult. Just about anyone can do it.
A candidate in the recall election must collect 65 valid signatures on a nomination petition of California voters and pay a $4,195 filing fee. The fee is waived if you collect 7,000 signatures. But signature collection firms usually charge $5 per valid name. Unless you have thousands of friends, it’s more efficient to throw a big beer party, collect the 65 signatures and have some fun at the same time.
I’m not too worried about what to say about issues. Political soundbites might get you votes but they don’t really mean much.
What I really need is a gimmick.
One guy began his campaign by running around the state with a big brown bear. I don’t have a bear.
But there is an uninvited, super-cute kitten that hangs around our house. I can carry it around and make some videos before it grows into a surly, skulking, prowling, snarling, songbird-killing creature of evil.
Everybody loves kittens. They forget that they grow up.
Which is not too different from many politicians, both liberals and conservatives. Political soundbites are the newest tool used to replace actual ideas and programs.
We see this all the time. “Defund the police!” It’s not going to happen, and it’s bad policy.
“We’ll spend millions, then hundreds of millions, then billions of dollars to fix homelessness!” We never see any actual plan addressing root causes of mental illness and addiction, which cause the problem. Laws must change for this to occur, but there is never much discussion of those options, such as bringing back drug courts and making conservatorships easier.
Which reminds me of another contradiction. We see daily the damage and sadness of homeless addicts and the mentally ill on our streets, but we can’t intervene and place them in conservatorships for their own care and treatment. At the same time, we see a famous and successful entertainer, Britney Spears, rejected in her effort to get out from under a conservatorship she believes has essentially jailed her. Is Britney Spears more of threat to herself and others than many of California’s homeless?
“Stop the steal!” No steal occurred. The go-to response of many Trump-supporters, no matter the issue, is, “What about Hillary’s emails?” or “How about Hunter’s laptop?”
“Bad cops? They don’t exist,” claim some. Can anyone who has seen the George Floyd video rationally argue that was acceptable police performance?
We must have a gigantic reset.
The media needs to change. We used to have news networks. Now we have left-wing news, right-wing news or sports news. And political coverage usually resembles stories about the NBA playoffs, only not as interesting.
The deadline for filing to run in the governor’s September recall is July 16. We already have over 60 candidates. In 2003, during the Gray Davis recall, we had 135.
The first measure on the ballot is deciding whether Gov. Gavin Newsom should be thrown out. If that fails, the second vote, choosing who should replace him, doesn’t matter.
Running for governor is easy. Being governor, however, is hard. Crime, homelessness, water, the drought, unemployment, the increasing cost of living, snafus in the EDD and education, health care in the pandemic age and making government accountable require thoughtful action and enormous resources.
Our best choice is to oppose the recall. That way we can have a true debate on Newsom’s policies in the regularly scheduled governor’s election just a few months later. At that time, Newsom can defend his actions against opponents who will also have to detail their polices.
Imagine that! We begin the process of electing a governor again a few months after the recall election, no matter the outcome.
By the time that occurs, the kitten will no longer be cute. Without a gimmick, I wouldn’t win. So best to take a pass on being a candidate, unless I can find a friendly horse. Does Mr. Ed have any descendants?
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM.