The media talks about the California recall as if voters there are the victims of a natural disaster or suffering in some war-torn province. Words like “chaos” and mayhem” are thrown around so regularly that I have to keep reminding myself I’m not watching a retrospective on the LA riots of a decade ago. In fact, I think even those riots may have gotten better reviews.
Why are the media and the political elite so anti-recall? Seems they like democracy only when the people butt out of it. Former President Clinton went to California to oppose the recall. Like everyone else, he didn’t defend Governor Gray Davis. Even the guy who can spin anything can’t spin the Davis, uh . . . performance. Yet, the elite want Californians to simply grin and bear it. Otherwise, as the former prez warned, they risk becoming “laughingstocks.”
Are Californians laughingstocks? Should we be ashamed of a political system where voters have such awesome power that they can not only elect their leaders, but also fire them? Few countries in the world have such a crazy, chaotic system. I mean, no one was going to recall Saddam Hussein or the Taliban. The world may be laughing at us. But in America, we’ve long chosen the chaos of freedom and democracy over the calm and order of boss rule.
Thank you, California, for reminding us that even with all the problems of democracy, it is the best form of government, and that the answer to those problems is more democracy.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.