Quotes about Recall Elections

Samuel Langdon

If the great servants of the public forget their duty, betray their trust and sell their country, or make war against the most valuable rights and privileges of the people; reason and justice require that they should be discarded, and others appointed in their room, without any regard to formal resignations of their forfeited power.

Bill Clinton

I don’t want you to be a laughing stock … a circus where we just throw people out the minute they make a tough decision. Don’t do this. Don’t do this.

The California Constitution had a provision whereby a relatively small number of Californians could by petition trigger a special recall election of any statewide public official. In 2002 just after Democrat Gray Davis had been re-elected Governor, a small Republican group financed a petition drive and forced the special election. That in turn drew over 150 candidates for the Governorship, including actors, porn stars, politicians and wannabes since if the Governor were recalled, a candidate could win with a small minority of the vote—as long as he/she had a plurality. Clinton and many other leading politicians urged the citizens of California to vote No to the recall.

Massachusetts

In order to prevent those, who are vested with authority, from becoming oppressors, the people have a right, at such periods and in such manner as they shall establish by their frame of government, to cause their public officers to return to private life; and to fill up vacant places by certain and regular elections and appointments.

Angela Giron

No matter the cost of our political positions, common-sense gun-safety legislation is achievable. Colorado’s newest gun-safety laws have been in effect for months, and the recalls have no bearing on them.

She and other legislative leaders in Colorado, took on the NRA and the gun lobby, and passed major gun safety legislation. The pro-gun forces lost this major battle, but then went after Senator Giron and another Colorado senator who had led the winning effort. The gun lobby got them recalled from the Senate. Giron thought that a small price to pay to pass such important safety legislation.

Martin O'Malley

Oh, I think the biggest lesson in Wisconsin is that 60 percent of the people do not believe that recall elections were proper for policy differences, short of some criminal offense.

Mohamed ElBaradei

In a democracy, when you have 20 million people in the street, you resign. Unfortunately, we don’t have a process of recall or impeachment as you have. It was a popular uprising rejecting Mr. Morsi’s continuing in power. Unfortunately, people had to call on the army to intervene. The army had to intervene because short of that, we would have ended up in a civil war.

Al Sharpton

We are on the verge of seeing an actor who couldn’t win an Oscar win the governor’s race of California.

Tom DeLay

… judges need to be intimidated. They need to uphold the Constitution. If they don't behave we're going to go after them in a big way.

This shameful quotation was shocking to most readers. It is subject to two interpretations: One that judges who did not rule on Constitutional issues the way conservative extremists wanted would come to physical harm. The other, that conservatives should pressure judges by withholding appropriations for the courts, impeachments and recall elections where they exist, as well as funding potential opponents for those jurisdictions where judges are elected. Both meanings were disgraceful in the view of most Americans. Later, DeLay was convicted and sentenced to jail for money laundering and illegally spending and raising campaign funds. He was also reprimanded by the House Ethics Committee for unethical methods of fund raising for other earlier actions.

Ray Stafford

I want you to know that I'm not only in charge of the newspaper but every piece of news that goes out, and I don't like these gun laws, and I don't want you to vote for them.

This quotation is typical of the kind of pressure that is put on politicians who vote for gun control laws. Stafford made good on his threat. When Senator Giron voted for the gun control law, Stafford and the Pueblo Chieftain lead a petition for a recall election against the Senator.

Recall Elections Quotes