Maybe this is democracy, after all
I'm pretty sure the gubernatorial recall in California is a farce. It smacks of an unhappy political party wanting to reverse the results of a legitimate election. (Where has that happened before? Oh, wait a minute ... ) I was all ready to jump on and join the rest of you in lamenting the ridiculousness of the entire thing.

And I still think it's ridiculous, but only becuase of the election-reversal thing. It's not because actors and wackos and a 100-year-old woman and a "self-described porn star" have filed papers to be on the ballot. Why shouldn't wackos have access to the American political process? Why shouldn't some girl with a cute smile and $3,500 to burn be treated a like a legitimate candidate for a governor of a big state? Hell, even Schwarzenegger has a degree in international economics (did you know that? I didn't either.)

This is the people speaking, and you know what? Thank God they are. It's refreshing to see the people attempt to wrest control from the politicians. Was Jesse Ventura good for Minnesota? No. But his presence was good to energize a stale political system, and that's really more important -- and necessary.

Somebody in California lost control of this situation somewhere. The only certainty is that the chaos that will surround this election is going to make Florida 2000 look like a minor historical blip. By the time they finish counting those votes in Sacramento, Gray Davis will have finished his term and none of this will matter.

But it sure will be fun to see Father Guido Sarducci run for governor. Maybe it will take a farce to force change in the system.