One of my listeners wrote back to say, Hey, enough with the stuff about California! Get back to the national scene! I can understand that. After all, if you’re in Michigan or Ohio, why would you want to hear about California all the time? I do try to vary the subject matter. But the recall is an emergency form of term limits. What happened in California is so dramatic that it can only embolden champions of citizen control of government elsewhere. In other words, this is a national event. It’s not like dropping a pebble in the middle of the pond. It’s dropping a boulder.
Then a reader of my Townhall column, which appears on Sunday at Townhall.com, wrote in to say that I was right on in my defense of the California recall. Did I mention that column was at Townhall.com? Yeah, Townhall.com. This reader wanted to know, “Hasn’t anyone ever heard of ‘the consent of the governed’?” She went on to opine that “Not since the days of mad King George has there been such imperialistic nonsense. Even Chris Matthews, hardly a member of the ‘vast right-wing conspiracy’ … pointed out that the recall is an escape clause. And as for those who argue that Arnold can’t be a good governor because he’s Only An Actor … just look at the utterly rotten job Gray Davis, the pro, did.
A cat couldn’t do a worse job. Because at least a cat wouldn’t raise taxes.” Close quote like a bear trap snapping shut! Gosh, that’s a bit tough on Davis. But you know, I hate to argue with any of my readers.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.