THE FACTS MACHINE 2003 CALIFORNIA VOTER GUIDE
or, as Ahhnuld would say,
"WHEN A WOMAN VOTES NO, SHE REALLY MEANS YES"
Well well well, California, we may have a big collective episode of buyer's remorse come wednesday. And when I say "we", I mean "you", cuz I'm not voting for that groping airhead.
But, hoping to stave off such a possibility with my microbe-size soapbox that I call a blog, I hereby present the TFM California 2003 Voter Guide:
RECALL: QUESTION ONE . . . This, of course, being whether or not to remove Governor Gray Davis from office. Yes, there is a reservoir of negative public opinion for Davis, and it was that reservoir that gave right-wing republicans the confidence that they could pull off this scheme. But then there are the facts. Recalling Davis will not do a thing to solve California's budget situation, Davis hasn't been corrupt or incompetent, and is really something of a moderate. The Dem-controlled assembly and senate are not going to lay down for Arnold, who would likely be a governor elected with a far lower percentage than those who vote against the recall. The recall is undemocratic, is being used for a purpose other than the prescribed one, and constitutes a right-wing power-grab, in the tradition of recent right-wing power grabs (Clinton impeachment, Florida 2000, Texas redistricting, crashing Wellstone's plane, etc . . . ooh did I say that?). So in short, vote against the recall. TFM SAYS: NO.
RECALL: QUESTION TWO . . . I'm an intelligent voter, at this point I've already voted no on the recall, so it can't hurt to pick a possible successor. Cruz Bustamante has run a pretty lousy and stagnant campaign. Other than his great work opposing Prop 54, he hasn't done a thing to help the Democrats in this campaign. His performance in the debates was passable, if not very aggressive. Some pundits initially seemed to think he won, yet many Californians found him "condescending" (read, "intelligent"). Cruz gets my vote anyway, for he is the only replacement candidate with a chance of winning who will work to safeguard all the liberal progress made in the past few decades. I was never going to vote for Arnold before this week's events (then again, I knew about that stuff already), and I sure as hell won't be voting for him now. TFM SAYS: CRUZ BUSTAMANTE.
PROPOSITION 53 . . . One of the usual "let's set aside such-and-such money and require ourselves to use it to such-and-such end" initiatives that finds its way onto the ballot. In this case, the relevant such-and-such's are $850 million and infrastructure. In the current budget pinch here in Cali, this is simply not smart governance. This money will need to be taken from other programs, and we'll still wind up at square one with all the same budgetary problems. We need more flexibility to get out of the mess we're in. TFM SAYS: NO.
PROPOSITION 54 . . . Ah, the stop-recording-racial-data initiative.
I am a friend of the dramatic arts, and with that in mind, I present: "BE PROP 54!" This is a three-step training program where any Californian can learn how to properly portray the ballot initiative in a dramatic setting. You can too, if you follow these three simple steps.
So, to recap:
Recall 1: No
Recall 2: Cruz Bustamante
Prop 53: No
Prop 54: NO
See you at the polls tomorrow! I may be doing some doorknocking with the UCSB Dems.
or, as Ahhnuld would say,
"WHEN A WOMAN VOTES NO, SHE REALLY MEANS YES"
Well well well, California, we may have a big collective episode of buyer's remorse come wednesday. And when I say "we", I mean "you", cuz I'm not voting for that groping airhead.
But, hoping to stave off such a possibility with my microbe-size soapbox that I call a blog, I hereby present the TFM California 2003 Voter Guide:
RECALL: QUESTION ONE . . . This, of course, being whether or not to remove Governor Gray Davis from office. Yes, there is a reservoir of negative public opinion for Davis, and it was that reservoir that gave right-wing republicans the confidence that they could pull off this scheme. But then there are the facts. Recalling Davis will not do a thing to solve California's budget situation, Davis hasn't been corrupt or incompetent, and is really something of a moderate. The Dem-controlled assembly and senate are not going to lay down for Arnold, who would likely be a governor elected with a far lower percentage than those who vote against the recall. The recall is undemocratic, is being used for a purpose other than the prescribed one, and constitutes a right-wing power-grab, in the tradition of recent right-wing power grabs (Clinton impeachment, Florida 2000, Texas redistricting, crashing Wellstone's plane, etc . . . ooh did I say that?). So in short, vote against the recall. TFM SAYS: NO.
RECALL: QUESTION TWO . . . I'm an intelligent voter, at this point I've already voted no on the recall, so it can't hurt to pick a possible successor. Cruz Bustamante has run a pretty lousy and stagnant campaign. Other than his great work opposing Prop 54, he hasn't done a thing to help the Democrats in this campaign. His performance in the debates was passable, if not very aggressive. Some pundits initially seemed to think he won, yet many Californians found him "condescending" (read, "intelligent"). Cruz gets my vote anyway, for he is the only replacement candidate with a chance of winning who will work to safeguard all the liberal progress made in the past few decades. I was never going to vote for Arnold before this week's events (then again, I knew about that stuff already), and I sure as hell won't be voting for him now. TFM SAYS: CRUZ BUSTAMANTE.
PROPOSITION 53 . . . One of the usual "let's set aside such-and-such money and require ourselves to use it to such-and-such end" initiatives that finds its way onto the ballot. In this case, the relevant such-and-such's are $850 million and infrastructure. In the current budget pinch here in Cali, this is simply not smart governance. This money will need to be taken from other programs, and we'll still wind up at square one with all the same budgetary problems. We need more flexibility to get out of the mess we're in. TFM SAYS: NO.
PROPOSITION 54 . . . Ah, the stop-recording-racial-data initiative.
I am a friend of the dramatic arts, and with that in mind, I present: "BE PROP 54!" This is a three-step training program where any Californian can learn how to properly portray the ballot initiative in a dramatic setting. You can too, if you follow these three simple steps.
Step 1) Insert index fingers in earsAnd just like that, you'll show the world that you can emobdy, precisely, the effort to curb the inherent racism in our society by simply pretending it doesn't exist! You can talk about whatever exemptions they put in there until the cows come home (even then, there are questions as to the scope of those exemptions), but this turns a blind eye to too many things, the least of which being job discrimination, medical research, educational trends, and so on. This will not lead to a more colorblind society, as Ward Connerly tells us, but rather, it will solidify and further institutionalize the inherent racism in our state society. TFM VOTES: BIG FUCKIN' NO.
Step 2) Shout "LALALALALALALALALA!!!"
Step 3) Repeat without end
So, to recap:
Recall 1: No
Recall 2: Cruz Bustamante
Prop 53: No
Prop 54: NO
See you at the polls tomorrow! I may be doing some doorknocking with the UCSB Dems.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home