Newsom Versus Davis: A Review of Two Very Different Recalls

My column in the Epoch Times…

July 11, 2021 Updated: July 12, 2021

Commentary

I wrote Orange County Register editorials for the 2003 recall of then-governor Gray Davis and his replacement with then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. We supported the recall. But at that time, the paper’s commentary section didn’t support specific candidates for office, although it does now.

Things today are a lot different. With the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom scheduled for Sept. 14, I’ll lay out some contrasts between the current recall and the Oct. 7, 2003, ousting of Davis.

When Schwarzenegger took office, it had been four years since a Republican led the state. It’s now been 10 years since California has had a Republican governor.

At the time of the 2003 recall, 43.7 percent of voters were registered Democrats, compared with today’s 46.2 percent. Conversely, the number of registered Republicans has dropped from 35.3 percent in 2003 to 24.1 percent today. The number of independent voters has increased from 16 percent to 23.7 percent.

Of California’s 21.8 million eligible voters in 2003, 15.4 million, or 70.5 percent, were registered. Of today’s 25.2 million eligible voters, 22.2 million, or 88 percent, are registered.

The state’s population has grown from 35.2 million in 2003 to 39.7 million today.

It appears that Californians have gotten wealthier between the two recalls, with 9.3 percent belonging to the top marginal individual income tax rate in 2003, compared with 13.3 percent now.

Today’s median house price of $818,260 is more than double the 2003 median price of $371,530, although the latter figure grows to $550,435 when adjusted for inflation.

THE REST HERE:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/newsom-vs-davis-a-review-of-two-very-different-recalls_3896617.html