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Gov. Gavin Newsom defeats recall in landslide election

September 15, 2021

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will remain in office after defeating the state’s recall initiative by a 64 percent to 36 percent vote on Tuesday.

A majority vote was needed in order to recall Newsom. Proponents of the effort to remove Newsom from office did not come close to achieving that feat.

Had there been a majority vote to recall the governor, the candidate with the highest vote total in the race to replace Newsom would have been elected. Among the numerous candidates who ran to replace Newsom, conservative radio host Larry Elder garnered the most votes. Elder, a Republican, received 46.9 percent of the votes cast for candidates who could have potentially replaced Newsom.

Newsom characterized Tuesday’s election as a “Republican recall.”

“Tonight, California voted no on the recall and yes to… science, women’s rights, immigrant rights, the minimum wage, the environment, our future,” Newsom stated in a tweet. “We rejected cynicism and bigotry and chose hope and progress. Thank you, California.”

Newsom’s anti-recall campaign raised more than $70 million, well exceeding the $50.2 million his 2018 gubernatorial campaign brought in over a period of four years. The governor reportedly now has $24 million left in his war chest as he prepares for the 2022 gubernatorial election.

While California’s campaign finance rules prohibit donations to individual candidates of more than $32,400 per election, there are no contribution limits for committees that merely promote or oppose a recall. That affords individuals and groups seeking to influence state policy the opportunity to make large contributions to the incumbent governor.

California’s only previous gubernatorial recall election took place in 2013, when voters recalled Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and replaced him with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican.


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Recall math (with an Excel Spreadsheet): It appears the majority of the vote is in. There were 9.5M total votes on the recall as of 10pm 9/16/21. There were 3.46M votes “YES” to recall and 6.07M votes “NO” recall. If you add all the R candidate votes together the total is 3.6M, so a few D’s, N’s, G&L’s voted for R candidates. If you add all the D, N, G & L candidates votes together the total is 1.69M. If you add all the R,D,N,G&L candidate total votes that depict 100% of the candidate votes there are 5.29M total votes. To cross-check if you add the candidate percentage totals the 5.29M votes received do in fact equal 100%.

One conclusion can be made about these totals: 4.21M voters didn’t bother to select a candidate, even though “NO” voters could select a candidate. If accurate, that lack of candidate selection does seem cavalier to not make a candidate choice just in case the “YES” camp wins. I can imagine a half million voters were confused whether they could select a candidate when they voted NO, but not 44% (4.2M/9.5M=0.44) of all voters? Really? Hey, that’s the math! Then, it looks worse if you look at 6.07M “NO” votes versus 1.69M total votes for D,N,G&L. That’s 27.8% participation in picking a candidate by “NO” voters or 72.2% of “NO” voters not picking a candidate.


0

Newsom didn’t want dems to vote for a candidate just vote no.


-3

The local people who voted to keep Newsome are the same people who voted for Harmon.


-5

I didn’t vote for Harmon. Or trump either time.


2

White Republicans overwhelmingly vote for a black man that has worked his way up, which debunks the racist stereotype of Republicans. Conversely, the diverse rainbow Democrats voted to keep a privileged from birth elite that gives handouts and entitlements to thwart the nuclear family.


1

Politicians are similar to a leach, too slippery to hold on to but, always trying to suck the blood right out of you. Take any politician and analyze their comments and policies, the stench of self dealing will be unbearable. The trail they leave follows them where ever they go no matter how well the hide their motives. We don’t need anymore of these back room secret types, we need transparent officials who have shorter term limits all the way to the local level.


4

Everyone who follows political science knows that “recalls’ almost NEVER succeed, so my great caution to those dancing and feeling that their team “is just superior”. Realistically, it means very little because recalls do not work. There is no mandate or anything else for the Gov to celebrate, except to galvanize and energize even further those who hate the Dems in power. The real winner is Elder because he now has name recognition, millions of followers. He must now demonstrate that he can do more than just “talk”. I have NO idea if this man has governance skills, and that is why we get the fools we elect constantly. The ball is in your court now Larry Elder. His consultants will not let him go. Congress attempt next, watch.


-4

Things would be much improved if only those that paid taxes, which in CA if you own a home is an effective rate of way over 50% when you add income, property, sales, etc. were allowed to vote. How about only those that actually CONTRIBUTE to society get to vote where their money is spent. If any of these people that vote for more government spending were giving up over half of their paycheck, they would see things differently. Nothing is free, eventually everyone will pay, even those on the receiving end.


-5

Not all valuable work is well paid, and some very well paid endeavors and investments are actually detrimental, prey on society.

Further, the lowest taxed worker pays a higher percentage of income in taxes than tax dodging billionaires who have bought our gov’t.

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax

THERE are your unpatriotic leeches.


1

If you buy a pack of gum at the store, you’ve paid taxes. Felons, the insane, non-citizens, illegal aliens, foreign tourists, all pay taxes. You think they all should be allowed to vote? TERRIBLE idea, username1.


-5

Effective tax of 0 when you are being subsudized, 8.xx% sales tax that you are referring to is nothing, barely enough to only support local services. Tax dodging “billionaires” is a straw man argument, you are talking maybe hundreds of people in the US, when there is only around 40% of the population that pays income tax to pay for services for the other 60%.


-2

Hey all of you Newsonite’s, You will always own all that’s happened and continues to happen. The high taxes, horrific drug epidemic, while promoting them as good, the largest homeless population in the nation, mass exodus from the state by taxpayers, and businesses, hateful rhetoric, lies, deception, corruption, killing of innocent children, the destruction of the family unit, along with the promotion of sinful and deadly life styles. Nice, really good things to rally around and stand in self-righteousness about. You own them all, and all are the author’s of them. Welcome to your Californiastan.


2

When the republicans get off trumps nutsack I will start voting republican again. You are free to leave this disastrous state anytime it is a free country.


12

Need some well thought out, wise, frugal solutions. Competent leadership


1

I agree.


1

“You [Newsonites] own them all, and all are the author’s of them.” What an extreme.


1

If facts and truth are extreme, then so be it.


-7

I hear about this “putting country before party” rhetoric, but I see damn little of it from either side. I also don’t see anybody willing to compromise. Americans like to think of ourselves as “uncompromising” when it comes to our beliefs, but it has been the willingness to compromise politically that has made our system of government successful in the past.

When President Johnson was trying to get Congress to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act to end segregation he had to enlist the help of Senator Everett Dirksen, the Republican leader, in order to overcome the objections from southern Democrats. Johnson knew he needed so many Republican votes and Dirksen knew in return for delivering those votes the President would accept an equal number of Republican nominees to various federal commissions, such as the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Power Commission.

Each of them got something for helping one another and the country was better off because of it; we ended racial segregation and the country was governed from the center, where it has always been the most comfortable.

Unfortunately, our elected leaders, on both sides, have adopted the “my way or the highway” philosophy of governance and it is that continued attitude that will further deepen the divide until I fear we will Balkanize with the United States simply disintegrating into regional governments that reflect the attitudes, values and culture of the people that live there.


17

On 5/5/2021, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said “100% of our focus is on stopping this new administration. We’re confronted with severe challenges from a new administration, and a narrow majority of Democrats in the House and a 50-50 Senate to turn America into a socialist country, and that’s 100% of my focus.”

He did the same to Obama.

There is your problem, the Republicans. The want the country to fail so they can be returned to power and gain the money.


-2

Your example of Republican cooperation is over 55 years ago. What a joke.


-1

I used that example of bipartisanship because it made a change for the better in the lives of millions of Americans. I could have cited more recent examples, but chose that one. One difference between now and then is that our elected officials often had a common experience that bound them together and allowed them to see the potential of this country; they were veterans. A few of the current crop of elected officials who give me some hope are veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Although you can debate the wisdom of engaging in those conflicts you can’t doubt the courage and the love of country of those who volunteered to serve. Maybe more veterans getting elected from both parties will turn it around because this winner takes all mentality in politics is going to kill the Republic.


3

I swear, you republicans are the biggest bunch of crybabies ever. If you don’t like something you whine like hell about it instead of being straight and trying to change it. Same goes for candidates. Just send up a better candidate with better policies and win. Instead you cry about liberal policies then start a recall. Such a waste of time and money trying to throw out a Governor that has approval of an overwhelming majority of Californians. Just move to Texas and join the American Taliban where church and state are one and you can carry your guns into church.


-3

“whine like hell”…at least we don’t break windows block traffic riot and burn down small businesses….


23

Republican Members of House of Representatives roused, aided and abetted the Capitol insurrectionists.

Democratic Representatives did not do the same during the BLM protests.

At this juncture, the Democrats are much better than the GOP. They are the Voting Rights AND Law and Order Party.

The GOP needs to de-Trump and de-extremist itself.


-8

Kamela Harris and many other Democrat/Socialist donated funds to help bailout the Marxist blm, and Antifa insurgent groups all across this nation. If that’s not aiding and abetting, then what is it? In addition, many of the far-left Democrat DA’s in the major cities refuse to prosecute the above mentioned terrorist/insurgent groups for the maiming and killing of many, not to mention the million’s of dollars in the destruction of businesses and residential areas. Pull your head out of the sand.


1

Tell that to Ashley Babbitt. Wait. She got shot doing those things at our Capitol.


You lament a Dunkin Doughnuts getting burned down but don’t seem to have a problem with storming our seat of Government. Sad really.


-4

The rioters are lucky I wasn’t capitol police because I would’ve been out of ammunition


-6

No you verbally and physically assault our teachers and board members over a mask.


6

OK people I hear a lot of Trump and Elder bashing so I challenge you who think Newsom is great to list just 3 things he has done to help this state. While you are at it do same for Biden as they represent the same views. Don’t be shy can’t wait.


6

Biden

https://oliverwillis.com/joe-biden-accomplishments-the-full-list/

Not too bad


-2

Not sure putting a pile of executive orders in front of him and telling him to start signing would qualify as “accomplishments” I bet he could not tell you about any of these even at a summary level.


1

It was choosing the lesser of 2 evils. Elder=trump=end of democracy


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