Hey Larry Elder! If you don’t want to accept the recall voting results, why are you in the race?
An opinion piece by Vivek Mohan, a write-in candidate for Governor as an Independent. My website is https://LetsMakeCAWork.com .
In August, I raised my hand to get engaged because I have had it with the shouting, yelling, or fighting about things that don’t really move the needle, while California and the US slowly descend into mediocrity. As an independent, I call BS on both sides when I see it. This one is on the Republicans.
Imagine a football game. Close game. We are at the 2-minute warning. It has been a rough game, with cheap shots by both sides on opposing players. Late hits, and more….
Suddenly the quarterback and coach of the losing side start yelling and shouting. The measuring chains are not accurate. They want to play the next 3 downs with 20 players on the field.
There is an extremely disturbing facet of the great game of American politics. The losing side starts claiming the game is rigged. They want to change the rules during the game.
This is not how things work. Any game, including democracy, needs clear rules of engagement. Some lines should not be crossed. Because once crossed, the integrity of the game is gone. Players don’t know what to do. Fans are lost, and angry.
Over the past few days, an alarming and annoyingly predictable problem has raised its head in the California Governor Recall race.
The Republican front-runner, Larry Elder, and Donald Trump have said that they will not accept the results of California’s recall election on Sept 14th.
Really? You won’t accept the results?
You threw your hat in the ring. You campaigned for the past few months. There was a time when you seemed to be ahead. No peep about results then.
Why the drama now?
Like him or hate him, in my view Trump has an amazing and unerring instinct for what is happening on the ground. His statements telegraph results before they are in.
It was the same last year. Trump started making noises about elections being stolen early in the pandemic cycle. He went after Biden at a time when Biden was behind in the Democratic Primary because he just knew Biden was his likely opponent.
So all this complaining about California results means one thing. They know they are going to lose. And possibly lose big.
Larry has tied his future to Trump. If he loses, so does Trump. So let’s start questioning the game itself.
Why is the richest, most powerful state in the richest, most powerful country descending into the theater of the absurd? Why are our politicians allowed to make us the laughing stock of the world?
At a time when there is so much work to be done to get California back on track, why is there no line in the sand left around decency and true patriotism?
Here is the Problem:
Today, politicians (most of them lawyers who understand the law) can say almost whatever they want and go hide behind the First Amendment. They can play with the rules of engagement of this great game called Democratic elections. They do so without any consequence. Referees and spectators are helpless.
In the past few years, politicians in DC on both sides have accused others of being spies, cheats, liars,….there are riots on the streets of various capitals…..the list goes on. There are impeachments and a media circus. With zero prosecution of the folks at the top.
The players of this great game seem to think they can change the rules mid-game and still keep it going.
Here are 2 examples of what is wrong in politics today.
In our California state elections, in the past 4 days, we had a lady suddenly accuse Gavin Newsom’s spouse of doing something sleazy. We don’t know the facts. But the timing is yawningly predictable. Every election cycle has some last-minute attempts at character assassination and dirt-smearing. This is the equivalent of taking cheap shots during the game. It is an attempt to bend the rules.
We also have Larry Elder saying he will not accept the election results. This is more dangerous. It is the same as wanting to cast doubt on the game itself. You can not have a game if you change the basic rules. Voting, and its integrity, is the bedrock of democracy. Once you question it, without facts, you have condemned the game itself.
The irony is that while Larry makes these statements, there are constant emailers and campaign rallies by him, and others, asking voters to vote Yes on the recall. So they are playing the game but trying to confuse the opposing side and the fans.
Questions for Larry:
If you truly don’t believe in the fairness of the process, why are you even in the race, instead of dropping out and fighting for the truth?
Do you want to have it both ways? To try and win, and also set up an alibi for your loss?
Do you realize the deep damage it is doing to public trust, at a time when people are already worked up?
If Larry Elder has true integrity, if he is truly the ‘sage’ from South Central LA, he should have the courage to fight for the truth.
Don’t hide behind, or attack women. Don’t play the game of saying you won’t accept the results, which means you won’t accept results that go against you. If you truly believe the polls are fixed, shine a light on where the process is broken, and try to fix it.
Here is another irony. There are 2 good, moderate Republican candidates in the recall race, Kevin Faulconer and John Cox. Both are ex-Mayors of big cities with good track records.
They are not getting time of the day. Maybe those two should also start complaining about the rules of the campaigning process?
Step up, Kevin and John. If you truly believe in the Republican party ideals, you have to rid the party of the folks taking your party down. The leaders are doing damage. Most people I talk to on the Republican side say the same in private.
The party is messing with heads of good, decent Americans.
It is the party that is supposed to be all about law and order.
It is the party of Abe Lincoln. It is supposed to be the party of compassion, of equality, or law and order, of good people.
What’s going on?
In the interest of fairness, I also want to point out that the media has not spent time on the attack on Larry in Los Angeles a few days ago. The Gorilla lady did not bring the egg to condition and nourish Larry’s hair!
I do agree that if some right-wing person had done a similar act, there would have been hell and fury for days and weeks all around the country and state.
But again, To whom much is given, much is expected. The expectation from a leader should be at a level different from someone off the street. Larry saying things has a different impact than a regular person. Trump or Gavin’s statements have a deeper effect than mine today.
Don’t question the game if you are playing it. If you think something is fundamentally wrong, point it out. Let’s fix it.
Maybe that is the lesson for us all. Our leaders are slowly turning into small, bitter people. We need leaders to stand tall and share a vision for the US and California to climb the next mountain. We are a nation of dreamers and restless entrepreneurs. We lend helping hands to those in need but don’t want to be taken advantage of. We thrive on finding and breaking barriers.
We need new frontiers to fulfill our souls. Without channeling our energies, we will mill around. We need to find leaders who will nourish our soul, and take us to the next Promised Land.
I close with 2 quotes/statements. The first is by Abraham Lincoln:
On Jan. 27, 1838, Lincoln spoke before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, about “the perpetuation of our political institutions.” During that address, he said: “At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
Michael Burlingame, a chair in Lincoln studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, told us Lincoln “was denouncing mob violence which would lead to chaos, provoking the public to demand law and order, which would be provided by an ambitious leader who would rule tyrannically.”
The second is a message of hope:
Don’t ever bet against America (and California)!!
Based on this article, some folks might accuse me of a bias towards Democrats. I think we need to have a proportionate response to issues. An egregious fault needs a stronger response than a smaller one. Casting doubt on the voting process itself, which is the bedrock of democracy, needs a harsher reaction than someone calling the other a schmuck.
In the past, I have expressed similar concerns on Democrats and Republicans accusing leaders on the other side of being spies. That is just not acceptable, and should not be tolerated, without a much higher burden of proof.
I would love it if you send me your thoughts and feedback. @LetsMakeCaWork on Twitter or via email contact@letsmakecawork.com
For more details, please go to my website:
Let’s Make California Work. For All.
