Total Recall

People seem to have forgotten that elections have consequences. Efforts to recall recently-elected Republican governors are underway in both Wisconsin and Michigan. No Democrats have put forth their own ideas to fix the economy...they just don't like what the other party is doing. I suppose they figure that simple dislike justifies the recall movement, but I'm not convinced it does.

My parents recently attended a planning meeting for the recall of Michigan governor Rick Snyder. They haven't decided if they want to be part of such a scheme, in part because the people behind the recall don't actually have any alternate ideas. Michigan is in financial trouble, clearly. Unemployment is still high and the state has a cash flow problem. Even if you don't like what Republicans are doing, at least they're attempting to do something. 

Additionally, recall efforts in Michigan started two weeks after Snyder was sworn in. At that point, the recall effort can't possibly have been about any specific legislation or plan, but rather a reaction simply to the fact that Snyder is a Republican.

The effort to recall Scott Walker in Wisconsin is a little more understandable. He pushed through legislation to end collective bargaining for public employees and he did it in a way that completely thwarted the political process. The law was just struck down, in fact, for violating the Wisconsin open meetings law. It has also become apparent that this "budget repair bill" actually had very little to do with fixing the state budget. If Walker is recalled (probably unlikely given that most of the state still supports him), it could at least be justified as getting rid of someone who concealed his true motivations and ignored state law. 

I'm curious to know how many people who support recall efforts actually voted last November. Voter turnout numbers in the U.S. are frankly embarrassing. Far too many people take their freedoms for granted. If you don't vote, I don't think you have much right to complain.

Furthermore, it seems to me that simple dissatisfaction with election results does not mean that those who are elected should immediately be recalled. Furthermore, unless you have a better idea, what's the point? Might as well let the Republicans screw up and use that to feed the fires of 2012.