The corrupt way in which California Governor Gavin Newsom rigged his recall election once again confirms why 1.7 million state voters signed the recall petition against him.
Newsom and his fellow Democrats reduced the state to the Banana Republic of California with their shameful moves leading to the September 14 recall date.
Ballots will begin flooding to Californians’ mail boxes — whether they asked for them or not under COVID-19 “emergency” rules — in mid-August because Newsom and his cronies changed the rules to move up the election by 30 days.
As I reported in February at PJ Media, the Democrats had a game plan for how to make an end-run around angry voters that included several things Newsom and his team are doing right now.
Related: California Democrats Plan to Use Political Tricknology to Save Governor Gavin Newsom From Recall
The Sacramento Bee reported that the plan included:
- Changing the date of the election to a time better suited to Newsom’s poll numbers and the re-opening of the state, not in a November election when Democrats are expected to lose big.
- Using lockdowns to discourage in-person voting and encourage easy-to-rig mail-in ballots.
- Flooding the zone with absentee (mail-in) ballots to everyone to confuse voters and vote counters.
- Beginning a PR plan to encourage people to remove their names from the recall petitions. Out of 1.7 million signatures, only 43 people took their names off the petitions.
- Using COVID shutdowns to slow down the signature-gathering process.
- Framing the election as too expensive.
- Framing the election as a distraction.
He’s implemented all the plays in his playbook.
And now state money is flowing to people remaining on unemployment. Newsom is also giving away lottery money to entice more people to get the COVID shot or stay shut down, and he’s allowed the teachers’ unions to call the shots on when schools reopen.
Related: ‘Our City’s a Sh**hole’: 40% of San Francisco Residents Say They Want Out
Courthouse News Service reported that Democrats believe that moving the election calendar by 30 days will help Newsom.
Initially it was presumed the election would be set for November, but in recent weeks California Democrats have indicated it could be pushed up earlier. The majority party is looking to set the election as early as possible as coronavirus restrictions have largely been lifted and Newsom continues to enjoy relatively strong polling numbers.
To speed up the process, leading lawmakers last month said they will push for nearly $200 million in the next state budget to cover the costs associated with the to-be-determined recall date. Furthermore, Newsom on Monday inked legislation that will allow Weber to certify the recall before lawmakers and finance officials have completed a formerly required 30-day review of likely recall costs.
The rule change was introduced earlier this month by Democratic lawmakers after it became crystal clear the recall had qualified. Critics have accused the majority party and Newsom of “changing the rules during the middle of the game.”
Newsom changed the rules of the game with the help of his super-majority Democrats in the legislature to rig the election in his favor.
The governor also sued his own secretary of State for his own team’s failure to properly fill out his recall ballot paperwork, which means his political party designation is not on the ballot. The governor and his cronies had previously changed state law to include political party designations, in his case Democrat, believing the brand would help him and hurt the Republican candidates on the same ballot.
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California Republican Party Chair Jessica Milan Patterson tried to downplay the effect of all the rule changes on the recall election outcome.
Democrats will change their own recall rules and sue their own Secretary of State if it means making the recall election easier on @GavinNewsom
But Californians will be ready to recall him whenever & however Democrats decide to let them.
Democrats will change their own recall rules and sue their own Secretary of State if it means making the recall election easier on @GavinNewsom.
But Californians will be ready to recall him whenever & however Democrats decide to let them. https://t.co/r7qd5Q0S7l
— Jessica Millan Patterson (@millanpatterson) June 29, 2021
Newsom frames the recall effort as the work of Republicans and QAnon conspiracy theorists, as he believes that will help him and hurt the Republicans. Of course, hundreds of thousands of the 1.7 million people who signed the recall petition were from other political parties or unaffiliated. Considering only 43 people asked to be taken off the petition, that QAnon message is ringing particularly hollow–because it is, of course.
State Representative Kevin Kiley, who has helped lead the recall effort and is Newsom’s own state rep, wrote about the election rigging on his widely read blog this week:
Last night we got some crazy news. Newsom’s team messed up his paperwork so he won’t appear as a Democrat on the Recall ballot. He’s now suing his own Secretary of State to ignore the law and let him reclaim his cherished partisan label
That capped off a surreal day at the Capitol. It started with California announcing a boycott of five states for supposed civil rights violations. Yet hours later, the Legislature itself violated international human rights standards by changing rules in the middle of an election.Then, in the dead of night, Newsom made it official: by signing SB 152, he changed the timing of his own Recall in an attempt to suppress votes against him. It’s possibly the most corrupt act in California history.
As I blasted Newsom on the Assembly Floor, one legislator actually stood up and protested that I shouldn’t be allowed to criticize the Governor. This was too much for even the presiding Speaker, who dismissed him.
On Monday, Newsom signed the bill changing the date of the election.
Related: Governor Gavin Newsom Has a New Plan to Beat His Recall: Flat-Out Bribery
Fox News reports that when voters get their say two questions will be on the ballot:
On Sept. 14, California voters will be asked two questions: 1. if they want to recall Newsom, and 2. if so, who should replace him. If 50% or more of voters answer “yes” to the first question, the candidate with the most votes in question two becomes the next governor of the U.S.’s most populous state.
[…] Newsom’s recall effort will be the second that comes to a vote in Golden State history. The first brought Arnold Schwarzenegger into office in 2003.
So far, at least 60 candidates have filed preliminary paperwork to run in the race, the most notable being Republican former Olympian and Keeping up with the Kardashians star Caitlyn Jenner. Other notable Republicans include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, multimillionaire businessman John Cox, and former House Rep. Doug Ose.
Democratic challengers include Kevin Paffrath, a real estate agent and social media personality, former U.S. House hopeful Frank Wade, and more than a half-dozen others.
On Monday, Newsom signed a bill put forth by Democrats to move up the timeline for the recall and allow it to proceed 30 days earlier than under previous state law. Republicans cried foul, accusing Democrats of trying to take advantage of what they view as favorable conditions for the California governor as the state moves on from lockdowns.
Reporter Emily Hoeven of CalMatters had a word for this maneuvering:
The @GavinNewsom recall keeps getting more surreal.
First, Newsom sued his own elections chief over his lawyers’ filing mistake that could result in his party preference being omitted.
Then, he signed a bill changing the procedures for his own recall.
The @GavinNewsom recall keeps getting more surreal.
First, Newsom sued his own elections chief over his lawyers’ filing mistake that could result in his party preference being omitted.
Then, he signed a bill changing the procedures for his own recall. https://t.co/wev4WlFhnA
— Emily Hoeven (@emily_hoeven) June 29, 2021
There’s another word for it: corrupt.
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