Far-right movements including QAnon, virus skeptics linked to Newsom recall

[TomCADem]

Source: LA Times

SACRAMENTO — As the pandemic continues to shutter businesses, close schools and upend lives in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has become a target of angry frustration for some, driving a grassroots effort to recall him from office. What once started as a pipe dream is beginning to look like a political threat for the Democratic governor.

But a Times investigation found that recall campaign leaders, seeking to capitalize on the darkening public mood, allied with radical and extreme elements early on to help collect signatures. Those included groups promoting distrust of government, science and medicine; peddlers of QAnon doomsday conspiracies; “patriots” readying for battle and one organization allied with the far-right extremist group, the Proud Boys.

The recall gave those fringe factions a higher profile and a shared villain. They helped energize the campaign with large and often inflammatory rallies over masks, in support of Trump and against the election they falsely say was stolen from the former president — ripe venues to harvest petition signatures.

Many supporters of the recall are not extremists and may not be aware of the far-right groups involved with the effort. But with the violent insurgency at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, organizers are grappling with the consequences of their alliances. They now insist the extremists don’t represent the values of the recall movement but continue to associate with them, amid a national debate about how far is too far when it comes to winning in politics.

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-23/recall-newsom-effort-qanon-antivaxxer-extremist-ties

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You may wonder why would Republicans bother with a recall when the general election is in 2022? The answer is that Republicans do not like Democracy and figure that the only way to win the Governorship in California is through a low turnout recall election, which is why they are investing millions of dollars to try to recall Democratic State officials in California. Not surprisingly, it is the same type of tactics that have been embraced by Trump supporters.

[kimbutgar]

1. In all elections now in California Ballots are sent to all registered voters

It won’t be low voter turnout. The repukes are hoping that it will mimic the recall of Gray Davis which got us Arnold who messed up the state. The voters remember this and I bet Jerry Brown will come out of retirement and speak out against the recall,

[nwliberalkiwi]

2. What is the real idea behind recall

Appointing a Republican Senator, and swinging the Senate control to the Republicans.

[Marie Marie]

3. To our California DU-ers: Does this have a chance of success?

How do most residents of your state feel about Newsome and this recall?

[padfun]

6. It's not going anywhere

It's just a RW pipe dream.

[Hekate]

8. That's what I thought about the anti-gay measure that passed *at the same time* as we elected Obama

It was a seriously ugly wake-up call about the energy of the haters.

[Hekate]

7. No idea. We are as exhausted as everyone else is, so folks might not pay enough attention...

...and that would be dangerous.

[BigmanPigman]

4. San Diego's ex-GOP mayor signed onto it

since he plans on running for govern or soon. He also would not allow the police to enforce Covid restrictions in the city. This is as GOP as it gets. Fuck them!!! They pushed to reopen too early in the Summer since these rocket scientists said it was a hoax and they couldn't go to a bar or get a tan at the beach. Now we are fucked and dying from Covid and they still are pushing this GOP BS. The GOP are murderers, plain and simple.

[AllaN01Bear]

5. the rs are mad because newsome has locked down the state again and they cant go party

and not wear masks .

[DonaldsRump]

9. Do not put anything past the RWNJs

Gavin Newsom has done a great job, but in order to destroy the hated California, the Rs will go all out here. Don't think they won't.

We need to do everything we can to fight this off. With effort, it can easily be fended off. However, that's the issue: effort, time, and money need to be expended.

Trump tried his might best to destroy CA with punitive tax measures, dereliction on covid, and complete failures on the fires. I am so glad Kamala Harris is in a real position to help this wonderfully wacky state!

[Xolodno]

10. It's not going anywhere.

The last recall was a fiasco and a mess. I'm glad Arnold cock blocked that crooked son of a bitch Darrel Issa. He was the one who pushed the first recall as he wanted to take the Governorship and spring board to the national stage.

Issa saw an opportunity when the state GOP sent an ultra conservative to run against Davis instead of the moderate Riordon, all he had to do was wait for the right crisis.

Shit, the Davis campaign was already running against Riordon as the presumptive GOP nominee. When they didn't send him, it was pretty much over. Riordon stood a decent chance at winning against Davis, guess he wasn't conservative enough in a state that obviously turning more progressive.

The only people asking for Newsom's head are ultra conservatives and if they even managed to get it going, doubt they win. The last thing I saw from conservatives complaining was; one, the state population went down a bit due to companies relocating...and if you've been on our freeways, its not necessarily a bad thing. The other, "the train to nowhere"...ironically, its being built in the red part of the state and providing jobs for them. And one last one, demanding more "water storage"....the farmers already get the lions share of water for flood irrigation and refuse to adopt more effective conservation techniques such as drip irrigation. In their simple mind, if they don't take all the water allotted to them, they will get less next year...if they need it or not.