An image of Gov. Newson addressing a crowd.
By Woodlief McCabe ‘23
Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This Op-Ed was written before the Sept. 14 special election
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Californians will vote in a special election with just two questions on the ballot. Should the state of California recall Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom? If so, who should replace him? The three-page list of potential replacements includes a college student, Caitlyn Jenner, a “Cannabis Policy Advisor” and Los Angeles billboard queen Angelyne, whose bubblegum pink campaign website features several music videos and a platform detailing police reform, abolition of for-profit jails and a new holiday called Bubble Bath Day. As comical as this is, the recall follows a concerning trend of weaponized electoral politics and reveals flaws in our political system and a dangerous shift in the American mindset.
This is not the first attempt to recall a governor in California, and it’s not even the first time Newsom himself has been the target of a recall, despite only being in office since 2019. It is, however, only the second time in Californian history that a recall petition has gained enough support to trigger an election. California has some of the most lax recall rules of any state: public officials can be recalled without reason, and a petition can trigger an election with signatures equal to 12 percent of the previous election’s turnout. The current petition exceeded this goal with 1.7 million signatures. This was an easy goal for the petitioners, seeing as six million Californians voted for Donald Trump in 2020. Organizers were also granted an extension due to pandemic restrictions. “Recall Newsom” booths, yard signs and bumper stickers can be seen across the state.
The retired sheriff’s sergeant organizing Wednesday’s recall is a Trump-aligned Republican who previously worked on other unsuccessful petitions to recall the governor. His group, the California Patriot Coalition, opposed Newsom’s resistance to the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Petitions began circling in June of 2020, but in the fall, when Newsom shut down public schools — while his children attended private schools — the backlash pushed recall efforts into the limelight for many Californians. The state continued to deal with a devastating rise in COVID cases, but changing restrictions fomented anger and distrust. Then, amidst the turmoil of the presidential election, on Nov. 6, Newsom was photographed maskless at a party in a high-end restaurant. This became a major, yet hypocritical, point against Newsom, considering Republican resistance to mask mandates was already a party staple. In a month, the recall petition went from 55 thousand to nearly half a million signatures. The name of the restaurant, The French Laundry, became synonymous with scandal. It added to dissatisfaction with Newsom, who is widely considered an opportunistic and wealthy establishment Democrat.
There is little validity to this recall. Recall and impeachment are designed to protect the rights of citizens against unfair governments and violations of their rights. Newsom has committed no crimes and has done no reprehensible injustice to the people of California. This recall is another petulant response to a politician losing an election. It feels like an echo of the Jan. 6 insurrection, as does Republicans in Congress calling for Biden’s impeachment just months into his term, and calling for his resignation in the past weeks following the attacks in Kabul. The first recall petitions against Newsom were filed by political rivals who had lost — by wide margins — in the previous election.
The political system in the United States is broken. Practices of checks and balances intended to keep leaders from exploiting their power have been perverted by political losers who want to take power by force. Moreover, most anti-Newsom sentiment is tied to perceived excessiveness of COVID-19 restrictions. As thousands of Californians died and hospitals had to turn patients away, Republicans led a charge to disrupt the state’s central government and replace it with someone who would “reopen” the state. The death toll meant nothing next to political points. Misinformation and the distortion of “freedom” forced a statewide election which Republicans were favored to lose. The country is unable to handle issues or policy, preferring squabbles over vote counts and blind loyalty to party and candidate. This recall was wielded against California by its own government, forcing unnecessary funds and manpower to be put into what amounts to a childish demand for a do-over. This was not a movement for freedom or the voice of some unheard minority — this was a power grab by sore losers.