Letters to the Editor: Democrats, stop complaining about the recall’s ‘unfairness.’ You can use it too

To the editor: There is plenty of carping about the recall election going on now — it’s unfair, it’s undemocratic, it’s too costly. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s supporters are going so far as to have out-of-state Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts make their case.

But, it is legal. If the people opposed to the recall don’t like the process, then they can change it. They have the votes to do so.

Maybe the reason why there is no real move to change the process is because when the shoe is on the other foot, they want the opportunity to use it.

Ed Krojansky, Lake Balboa

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To the editor: If the Democrats are so sure Newsom has been a good governor, then what are they worried about? Why all the complaining about the recall being unfair? They should be kicking back in their confidence, not worried about a thing, right?

Well, they’re not.

Their desperate complaint about how this is some kind of Republican plot simply isn’t true. In fact, I have heard from far more Democrats than Republicans who are disgusted with Newsom’s handling of the pandemic, his flip-flopping on closures and the failure to prevent fraud at the state Employment Development Department.

And tell me why the recall procedure is problematic? The recall against former Gov. Gray Davis was done the same way. Of course Newsom isn’t on the list of candidates — if more people vote yes on the recall, they’re not going to choose him. And if even more people vote no, then Newsom has nothing to worry about.

Eileen Barnett, Canoga Park

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To the editor: You write in an editorial, “In our hyperpolarized time, sadly, decisive leadership has also enraged and galvanized the governor’s critics.”

In fact, that one sentence demonstrates both how hyperpolarizing the L.A. Times has become and how out-of-touch with good-governing practices you are.

In “hyperpolarized” times, a wise leader tacks to the middle and seeks, and responds to, input from all sides. Both Newsom and The Times stand for the exact opposite these days, furthering a hyperpolarizing agenda guaranteed to infuriate, and also not remotely represent, a substantive 30%-40% of the California population.

In Newsom’s case, I suspect we are going to see the result of this in several weeks. In your case, that same 30%-40% may scan The Times for topical input, but almost by default now knows to take the exact opposite opinion of what you advocate.

Michael Kaiser, Los Angeles