Random Thoughts, Notes, & Incidents

This just gets better every day! Word is that Arnold "The Governator" Schwarzenegger has pretty much decided not to challenge California governor Gray Davis in the upcoming recall election, but that doesn't mean we will be without a celebrity to vote for.

Larry "I took a bullet for the First Amendment" Flynt, pornographer and free speech activist, is throwing his hat into the ring as a Democratic alternative to holding onto the damaged (and damaging) Davis. The Hustler publisher plans to solve the state's budget woes through an increase in legal casino gambling. Crazy as that may seem, it's a more concrete idea, with a better chance of working, than anything any other candidates have offered so far.

Of course, if Flynt's campaign gathers any steam, it will bring in a lot of Nevada gaming money to the Republican challengers. Nevada likes to be the gambling destination of Californians and they won't take kindly to any major expansion beyond the occasional Indian Casino or card room here in California.

I'll have to rent The People Vs. Larry Flynt again this weekend. I remember loving the movie, but will pay closer attention to his politics this time around.

Meanwhile, what happens when you run a costly special recall election in a state that's already strapped for cash? You cut the number of polling places in half, of course! And where do you eliminate those extra burdens of democracy? In the urban areas populated mostly by the poor or minorities, of course! No, it's just a coincidence. We're not trying to emulate Florida's contribution to the 2000 presidential election, it's just sort of working out that way. Of course, that there may be over 50 candidates on the ballot isn't going to help much, either.

This just keeps getting better every day.