No More Recalls!
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Ruminations on Running for Governor
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I've spent the past 2 months running for Governor of California. What a long, strange trip it's been!
When Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to run for governor, he said it was the hardest decision he'd made since getting a bikini wax. Now I've never had to get a bikini wax, but tossing my hat in the ring was a hard decision for me too. I asked a lot of people for advice. They responded with some obvious questions: Why run for governor if you have no intention of winning? Why lump yourself in with scores of can't-win candidates--a veritable gallery of ruffians, flakes, and oddballs?
I decided to run. Why? Because my candidacy gives me a platform to publicize the inequities in California's recall process. If I hadn't run, I would be simply a voice shouting into a hurricane. As a candidate, at least I have a megaphone. That megaphone has helped enormously; I have been able to help amplify the Reform-the-Recall message that is now being discussed all over the state.
My platform is simple: California's recall process is deeply flawed. We must reform it or repeal it altogether. On the surface level, the process is flawed because it generates comedic elections like this one, featuring 135 "clowns" of every political stripe. But far worse is the real travesty: how we will count the recall votes. Everyone has heard the numbers by now. If Governor Gray Davis receives 45% of the votes, and challenger Arnold Schwarzenegger receives 40%, wouldn't common sense dictate that Davis should win the election? Of course. This is a democracy. But under the recall provision, Schwarzenegger would win, even though he got fewer votes. As it turns out, under Article 2 of the state constitution, our flawed recall process will often let the candidate placing second win a recall election. The recall process subverts democracy, plain and simple. If Republicans don't agree now, they will agree in the near future, when this contorted election process is turned against a Republican governor.
Other states have better recall laws than California does. None of them allow for the #2 candidate to defeat the #1 candidate. California's recall provision can easily be fixed to match those in other states. A bill currently in the legislature, the Ridley-Thomas Amendment, would do that. Despite all the hype and hokum of this election, more and more Californians are realizing that for the future of our State, it is critical that we change the recall process forever.
I've done my best to inform Californians about the Reform-the-Recall message. The opportunities for publicity have been beyond what I'd hoped for. The much-publicized appearance on The Tonight Show was insignificant, although Mr. Leno did pretend to appreciate the tongue-in-cheek "Official Chris Ranken for Governor shirt" I gave him. Other media appearances were much more important. There have been in-depth newspaper stories; a number of television and radio features or profiles; significant bits in two documentary films; and scores of other snippets of attention here and there. I've also put together a decent presence on the internet to get my message across, both on my own website (www.ranken.com) and elsewhere. And of course, my Candidate Statement in the Voter Guide was sent out to 15 million Californians.
The majority of my statements and public appearances have been absolutely serious. But since my goal is to bring out flaws in the recall process, I've also been having some fun with parody. When else could I get away with dressing up like a clown to "discuss" my so-called candidacy with a million cable TV viewers? Television stations and newspapers have been only too happy to go along--we 130 "fringe candidates" are just comic relief for them, so they welcome a candidate willing to poke fun at the recall. There have been some other unusual ones...how could I forget the invitation to Tranny Talk, billed as the World's First Television Show for Transsexuals? Or the time I donned that bright blue wig for the KCRA interview? Of course, the vast majority of this publicity gets ignored or laughed off. But my hope has been to touch a number of people deeply enough that they realize I have a terribly important point. If enough of us take action accordingly, the sum of all our efforts may be enough to effect real change.
Sometimes I think back to that day two months ago, as I was deciding to run. In retrospect, I'd run again in a heartbeat. It's been all I hoped for and more. The public has been surprisingly responsive; I've met a number of interesting people; and I've gotten more publicity for my message than I ever could have dreamed of. I think I've had my own marginal effect on this election, by helping bring public awareness to the issue of our archaic and undemocratic recall process. And if I haven't reached enough people? Well, it's likely we'll have a "Recall Arnold" election next year...and yes, I fully intend to run again.