Libertarian: Recalling the Recall

California Gov. Gavin Newsom survived the recall vote, but the “recall mechanism itself, however, may not prove so lucky,” warns Reason’s Matt Welch. “Why? Because Democrats and their empathizers in the media and academe are talking themselves into the conclusion that one of progressivism’s crowning electoral achievements, originally aimed at a democratically unaccountable machine, has become an anachronism now that Democrats are the ones pulling all the levers.” Yet six successful recalls out of 11 attempts, including one out of two for governors, in a century isn’t “evidence of a ‘dangerous’ and ‘outlandish’ anachronism, overrun by ‘manipulation,’ ” as the left has it. The “infrequently used recall mechanism” is “a between-elections check on corruption, incompetence or whatever the relevant voters deemed a firing offense.” But “California Democrats want to make it harder for voters to challenge their power.”