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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Republicans in California on Wednesday seized on a failed attempt by Democrats to tie Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed recall to the insurgency on the United States Capitol, portraying it as a dangerous act of desperation by Democrats and new evidence the governor must leave.
The criticism came as the Orange County Republican Party launched a new round of fundraising calls for the recall, saying Democrats were trying to ignite political tensions at a time of national conflict.
“There is nothing more democratic than an election,” the party said in a statement, defending the proposed recall which could take place later this year.
A day earlier, state Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks and a group of elected Democrats claimed the recall effort was a “coup” to suppress Newsom, led by extremists from the extreme right, including white supremacists and neo-Nazis. However, they did not provide any evidence to support the claims.
The dispersion of claims and inflammatory comments even drew criticism from his fellow Democrats.
In the twilight of President Donald Trump’s administration, and following his unsubstantiated allegations of widespread electoral fraud, “we all have a responsibility to re-commit to the truth and the facts,” said Roy Behr, a Democratic strategist who has worked for California politicians, including the former US Senator. Barbara Boxer.
“While the other side has made it clear that facts and reality are irrelevant to their arguments, I believe our side can be effective without having to resort to this,” Behr said. “There are so many good reasons to oppose the recall, they don’t need to resort to this particular argument.”
Samantha Corbin, Democrat and influential state government lobbyist, wrote on Twitter that she was “extremely disappointed and disturbed” to see the party use such language, especially in times of national crisis and threats of violence, including at the Capitol in Sacramento.
“Tying a legal and constitutionally appropriate (California) recall attempt to the violent insurgency on the United States Capitol and the ongoing coup attempt is worse than a bad public relations call. It is irresponsible, will breed division and perpetuate ignorance, ”she wrote.
It seemed Democrats were trying to take advantage of the national attention on Washington, but the event also signaled that the party recognized the recall as a legitimate – perhaps even inevitable – threat to the governor.
The organizers of the recall say they collected more than 1.1 million of the nearly 1.5 million petition signatures needed to put the recall on the ballot, and they have until mid-March to meet the required threshold .
Newsom was elected in a landslide in the strongly Democratic state in 2018, but has seen his fortunes deteriorate, as many residents tire of long-standing coronavirus restrictions that have closed schools and homes. companies as he faces the fallout from a massive unemployment benefit fraud scandal.
He has become the center of public outrage after being caught dining with friends at an opulent restaurant – sitting tightly together and without a mask – after telling residents of the state to reject social gatherings and stay at home to avoid the risk of spreading the virus.
Unlike a coup d’état, usually a violent and illegal attempt to seize power, recall elections are permitted by state law. Then-Democratic governor Gray Davis was ousted in a recall election in 2003 and replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney said Democrats were trying to put an extremist label on the recall at a time when the movement remains largely unknown to the state’s nearly 40 million people. He noted that President Richard Nixon once wrote that the best way to draw your supporters is to rally them with a visible opponent. He said that a loyal supporter will fight hard for you, but “he will fight twice as hard against your enemies.”
Democrats “were trying to identify this enemy,” Pitney said.
But that can be largely forgotten, with the nation’s attention focused on Washington and Trump’s second indictment. “To the extent that people were paying attention, it backfired,” he said.
Randy Economy, a senior advisor on the recall effort, expressed dismay at the allegations. He said traffic to the group’s website hit a record Tuesday, which he attributed to the Democratic event.
“Are they going to go?” he asked, referring to the allegations. “That’s how bad the Democratic Party is in California.”
The event also made it clear that Democrats are concerned about a possible candidacy of former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a low-key, avuncular-style moderate Republican who came to power in 2013 after a sexual harassment scandal broke. terminated the term of his predecessor, Democrat Bob Filner. Faulconer has been criticized by Democrats.
Among potential GOP candidates, Faulconer created a committee to begin fundraising. Republican businessman John Cox, Newsom’s 2018 rival, has made it known he intends to run if the recall qualifies. Another name circulating in Republican circles is Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, who lives in California. Grenell did not respond to an email requesting comment.
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