Recall causes chaos for Dems

Republicans probably don’t care too much whether they win or lose the recall because the ultimate goal is to create chaos for Democrats. In those 19 states that allow gubernatorial recalls, California’s is comparatively easy.

For this particular one, only 1.5 million signatures were needed, and there is no requirement to state a specific reason. Clearly, the California recall is a high-profile low-hanging fruit for those disgruntled enough to force one.

Although current polls indicate Gov. Gavin Newsom will prevail, recent history indicates that Republicans might get lucky and pull it off. And if that were to happen, you can bet the national Republican base will be fired up to go after any elected official anywhere who smells vaguely progressive, whether that be a school board member or a city council.

Indeed, recalling Newsom would be a huge Republican coup. But regardless of the outcome, California citizens will have wasted a lot of taxpayer money, time and attention on something that should never have been allowed to happen. No one is perfect, but Newsom’s performance hardly demands a recall.

Susan Thompson, Petaluma