[csusbpeace] Editorial: Think Newsom has recall in the bag? Don't be so sure
- From: "raccoon" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ("bigraccoon1")
- To: "CSUSBPEACE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <CSUSBPEACE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2021 08:37:49 -0700
https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-Vote-like-your-life-depends-on-it-16455993.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headlines&utm_campaign=sfc_opinioncentral&sid=5bbcc9f091d15c2d2e6528ef
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Editorial: Think Newsom has recall in the bag? Don't be so sure
Chronicle Editorial Board
Sep. 14, 2021
Election workers at the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters office in
Sacramento inspect ballots that have been received for the recall election.
Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press
If you lean Democratic, as the majority of people who live in California do,
you’re likely feeling pretty good about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s chances of
staving off the recall in today’s election. Recent polls show
<https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Another-poll-shows-Newsom-likely-to-defeat-recall-16449397.php>
that only 38.5% of likely voters support recall while 60.1% are opposed.
After months of doom and gloom about Newsom’s chances for survival, the word
“landslide” has suddenly found its way into headlines.
But polls have been wrong before.
For those who feel that removing Newsom right now would deal the state a
catastrophic blow at a time it can least afford it, as The Chronicle’s
editorial board does
<https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Endorsement-There-is-absolutely-no-justification-16402234.php>,
there are still some worrying numbers out there.
As of last Tuesday, according to data from the California Secretary of
State’s office, only about 6.3 million mail-in ballots had been returned,
accounting for a measly 28.3%
<https://www.sfgate.com/gavin-newsom-recall/article/California-county-vote-tracker-turnout-map-Newsom-16446043.php>
turnout. For context, more than 5.5 million Californians voted for Donald
Trump in the 2020 election.
COVID-19 has shown us what happens when too many citizens fail to do their
civic duty. More than 80% of eligible Californians have received at least one
dose
<https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/COVID-in-California-Fauci-supports-vaccine-16424016.php>
of the COVID vaccine. And yet the failure of even a modest percentage of
Californians to follow suit has helped fuel a deadly surge of the
coronavirus’ delta variant.
California desperately needs herd immunity from the recall. And that means
more of you need to vote.
A recall isn’t like most gubernatorial elections. The person with the most
votes is not guaranteed a win. If “no” on recall fails to achieve more than
50% of the vote, Newsom is out. Republican Larry Elder, who is polling at 26%
<https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Polls-show-that-if-Gavin-Newsom-is-recalled-16444516.php>,
will likely be our next governor.
How much damage could Gov. Larry Elder do in a state with a Democratic
supermajority in the Legislature?
Plenty.
We’ve seen what chaos grandstanding politicians can cause on their own,
particularly as it relates to public health and the COVID pandemic. Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ anti-mask and laissez-faire vaccine policies — of the
variety that Elder says he prefers — threw that state into its deadliest
COVID surge
<https://apnews.com/article/health-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-82f8018f8b510e22ff9f04cd66f290fe>
yet. Similar policies by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have led to similar results.
DeSantis and Abbott’s hands-off approach to the pandemic originated as
efforts to open up their economies. And yet it is California’s economy that
is booming
<https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/States-like-California-with-strict-COVID-rules-16239761.php>.
This success, even if its fruits aren’t enjoyed equally, has left us with a
budget surplus that can invigorate the state’s social safety net.
Do we want to give Elder a year to turn California into Florida or Texas? We
do not.
If you failed to register by the Aug. 30 deadline, California allows election
day voter registration. You can find more info at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov
<http://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/>.
California, the nation and the world face unfathomable crises. If it was
arrogant and entitled to think we had time to be aloof about politics before,
it is suicidal to think so now. Elections aren’t entertainment. They can’t be
passively enjoyed per our whims. Your vote matters. Use it.
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