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The public's right to recall a defective politician in California, as well as the right to pass legislation by ballot vote, was a populist reform inserted into the state constitution 100 years ago. These changes assumed a responsible electorate and a powerful, corrupt political class. The first assumption was overly romantic and the second overly cynical. Today California suffers from an excess of democracy and a dearth of citizenship. In the past 25 years--starting with the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, which limited the increase in property taxes to 1% per year--California has passed a slew of myopic, half-witted ballot initiatives that have pretty much paralyzed the political process in Sacramento. "Every ballot measure has taken discretionary power away from the politicians," says Peter Schrag, author of Paradise Lost: California's Experience, America's Future. "It has become hard for them to respond to crises and easy for them to escape responsibility, since the public writes much of the most significant legislation."
The current recall process is particularly ridiculous. The ballot will have two questions. The first will be yea or nay on Gray Davis; the second will be a list of candidates--not including Davis--to replace him. Davis might lose the governorship with 49% of the vote and be replaced by Candidate X with 10%. There will be dozens, perhaps hundreds, of candidates. All it takes is $3,000 and 150 signatures to get on the ballot. Larry Flynt of Hustler Magazine has declared. Both millionaire Michael Huffington and his egregious ex-wife Arianna may run. Darrell Issa is running; William Simon seems to be. There may be one or two well-known moderates amid the flotsam--perhaps the aforementioned Riordan, for whom victory would be vengeance most sweet. But any victory is likely to be tarnished. "This could hurt Republicans nationally," says Schrag. "It could remind voters of the election of 2000."
Feral fund raising, negative ads and visionless governance are not unique to Sacramento, nor are the efforts of right-wing populist extremists to use constitutional gimmickry to subvert democracy. The impeachment of Bill Clinton was part of the latter trend, as is the current effort in the Texas state legislature--orchestrated by Congressman Tom DeLay--to redraw district lines. As a nation, we seem to be losing the habits of civility and citizenship. Public life is becoming a pricey boutique, catering only to special interests and political eccentrics. The California recall is goofy, irresponsible--and not a bad way to remind politicians that their work involves more than raising money and spending it on nasty nonsense.