An Open Letter to Howard Dean

Exploratory Committee, Armor for Congress ^ | 16 September 2003 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[Congressman Billybob]

Money alone cannot make a petition drive succeed. Absent a minimum level of public outrage, the money is pushing uphill against an insurmountable barrier.

On the other hand, widespread outrage cannot, by itself guarantee the success of a petition drive. Absent mechanics, staff, offices, printing, etc., the anger festers but accomplishes nothing.

But above the limits of the minimum necessary anger and money, the factors are interchangeable. More anger can make up for less money, or vice versa. That's why I say to average the prior, comparable campaigns. The only prior successful recalls in California are state legislative, county or local ones. None of these are comparable to a statewide campaign.

The only prior successful recall against a Governor was in Nebraska in 1921, as I recall. Nebraska is a small state. So that isn't comparable.

Chase down, if you choose, the statistics for money and people involved in prior referenda campaigns in California. These are your "comparables." They are statewide, in the nation's biggest state.

This campaign went way over the top, gathering 1.6 million signatures when only about 1.1 million were safely enough to make the ballot (with the usual 30% cushion for rejected signatures). That tells you that the combination of money and anger in this recall was more than was needed to accomplish goal one -- putting the matter on the ballot.

As for how much more, I haven't the slightest clue. Other than a 70-0 blowout, I have never seen a football coach tell his team to hold off and not score again. This was not a "piling on" situation. This was a "making sure" situation.

That's about the end of my contribution to this interesting discussion. I don't have the time to do the research to dig up more information, nor the time to write an article that might be published for pay as a result.

Cordially,

John / Billybob

[merry10]

I saw Dean deliver the line to Kerry and saw his face sort of pucker up when he did it. I don't want a dem in office - Kerry or Edwards - but I find myself siding with them due to this guy's tactics. The blatant blatant lie about him being the only white politician who will talk about race...come on, what politician, Democrat, Republican or even Green DOESN"T talk about race?

[massadvj]

Self-evidently, Presidents Andrew Johnson and William Clinton, the only ones subjected to impeachment and trial, had been elected the last time they ran. Otherwise, the impeachment terms of the Constitution could never have applied to them.

Ummm... you may know the subject "nine ways from Sunday," but Andrew Johnson was not elected. He was Veep and attained the presidency as a result of the Lincoln assassination. Clinton was and is the only elected president to be impeached.

[Congressman Billybob]

Andrew Johnson was "elected the last time he ran" exactly as I said. He was elected Vice President, unlike Gerald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller, both of whom became Vice President without having been elected to that office.

John / Billybob

[BullDog108]

In a way you are both correct. Semantics!!! Clinton was the only elected President to be impeached. Johnson was an elected Vice-President that was impeached after ascending to the office.

[Congressman Billybob]

I hope it will be seven years before I write for money again. That's one year to campaign, and then six years in office as a Member of Congress. (I believe FIRMLY in term limits for Congressmen.)

John / Billybob

[.cnI redruM]

Dean thinks the Constitution offers invaluable guidance to mere mortals.

[gogipper]

If you insist on calling it a reversal, then lets say that it is a California Constitutionally sanctioned reversal to be enacted by a majority percentage of the citizenry far beyond the republican part of the electorate. They are en masse 'reversing' the grave mistake they made by electing him in the first place.

If you don't like it, there are surely there are ways to change the California Constitution by the rules, rather than getting a bunch of nut job judges to make way-out rulings.

[XJarhead]

Dean didn't just say that it was an effort to "overturn an election." He's also claimed that its an attempt to "thwart democracy". That's ludicrous. Since you need a majority to remove him from office, that would seem to be the very essence of "democracy".

[Bigun]

LOVE your website and especially the Washington quote so prominently displayed there. Here's another one of his gems (my all time favorite)you might care to work in somehow:

"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence. It is force, and like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

[Carolinamom]

I beg you to mail this "letter" to Dean with "personal" written on the envelope. Please.

[Congressman Billybob]

I'm fairly sure the Dean people have seen my "Open Letter." I've already gotten some nasty e-mail from some of his people, using words like "sh*t." The spelling and grammar weren't too hot, either. But no one ever accused the lib-Dems of being thoughtful people. LOL.

John / Billybob

[pogo101]

That (impeachment success likely would have led to Pres. Gore today) is what I always point out in response to this "impeachment was an attempt to re-do an election" nonsense.

What I love??? is that Democrats who are intellectually honest have to concede that this is likely. (Nuanced ones also say, grudgingly, Yeah-but-it'd've-harmed-the-Constitution. To which I say: fine, but how 'bout if Clinton just "resigned for the good of the nation" and still thereby installed Pres. Gore? They don't have a good answer to that. And they all have to agree that Gore likely would have won outright election in 2000 as a sitting pres.)

[Elsie]

I've already gotten some nasty e-mail from some of his people, using words like "sh*t."

---

BB, I've gotten worse than this from the the Virginia grassroots coordinator for Howard Dean.

We just happen to be OPEL (car) collectors and our clubs mailing list is supposed to be apolitical. well, a BIG nasty fight developed over 'signatures' on the bottom of e-mails.

If you'd like to see them, I can privately mail them to you.

[iopscusa]

Yeah, a good HorseWhipping would be just what the dear (may I call you dear) Dr. Demented needs. From your words to Heaven.