Jonah Goldberg on Arnold & Recalls.

The below comes from Jonah Goldberg's - Tinkertoy Terminator. In it he argues the Califonrnia GOP and Arnold are now in the hot seat for California's problems. Why? They should have not demanded a recall and then Gray Davis and the California Democrats would properly come to be associated with California's problems.

He likens recalls to "do overs" where one is never serious about concentrating and making the correct decision the first time.

I was against the recall on the grounds that the people of California elected Gray Davis and therefore they deserved to be punished. Seriously. Democracy isn't merely about "the people" getting what they want, it's also about the people getting what they deserve. Mobs get what they want every time. Citizens make informed choices and then live with - and learn from - the consequences. Those lessons inform how we view not merely candidates but parties and philosophies. "We gave those guys their shot and they blew it, I won't be voting for that crowd again," is an indispensable reaction in democratic politics.


Californians, accustomed to getting their way, demanded a "do-over" when they held their recall. The problem with do-overs, as any grade school teacher will tell you, is the moral hazard they create. They diffuse responsibility and make it that much more difficult for people to understand that this test counts and if you fail, you'll have to work twice as hard to make up for it next time.