The recall effort will need more than bears and generic Republican gripes to prevail, because right now that\u2019s not working.<\/b>
\nSupport for recalling Gov. Gavin Newsom remains stuck around 40%, according to newly released survey results from the Public Policy Institute of California. As the state reopens and Newsom promises politically popular, if questionable, spending proposals, this consistent ceiling doesn\u2019t bode well for the recall campaign. Two weeks ago, the Institute of Governmental Studies noted that support for the recall stood at 36% in surveys it conducted in late January and late April. The PPIC\u2019s more recent survey came after the governor\u2019s announcement of a $100 billion plan marketed as \u201cCalifornia Roars Back.\u201d As gimmicky, over-the-top and fiscally imprudent as the spending plan is, the PPIC survey confirms key elements of Newsom\u2019s plan are politically popular. In politics, the soundness of a plan matters far less than its popularity. According to the PPIC survey,70% of Californians and 61% of likely voters support Newsom\u2019s proposal to send stimulus checks to households with incomes under $75,000. If Newsom\u2019s announcement that he wanted to cut checks to most Californians was in part a politically savvy move to influence the electorate, well, it worked. According to PPIC,55% of Californians and 54% of likely voters approve of how Newsom is handling his job overall. And on the key issue of how Californians perceive his handling of the coronavirus pandemic,64% of Californians and 61% of likely voters approve of how Newsom\u2019s handled the pandemic. There are major problems for the recall. The first is that Newsom\u2019s approval rating remains high despite the many things to legitimately complain about. Yes, the tens of billions of dollars lost to fraud in the Employment Development Department is a big deal, but it hasn\u2019t really hurt Newsom. Yes, it is certainly true more jobs, businesses and livelihoods were lost than was necessary over the last year. Yes, Newsom should have pressed for school reopenings sooner and the amount of learning loss and social deprivation students suffered is a scandal. And yes, the French Laundry scandal showed how big a hypocrite a politician such as Newsom can be. All of that taken together has still left Newsom with nearly double the levels of support Gray Davis had before his recall. Related Articles Taking action against sand erosion at Orange County beaches\t Biden should terminate Trump\u2019s tariffs, not continue them\t Chaos and fame in the internet age\t One-party rule corrupts California\u2019s election process\t The sleight of hand of costly carbon credits\t On top of that, not only has support for the recall remained stuck roughly in the same percentage range as the last three Republican gubernatorial candidates have received at the ballot box, but 57% of Californians polled by the PPIC say they\u2019d vote against the recall. Of course, as we all know, things can change quickly. With California at high risk of rolling blackouts over the summer, it\u2019s possible positive sentiment among some Californians toward Newsom will turn to resentment. Other possible risks include the spike in homicides over the last year in big California cities. Any sort of economic downturn will likely be harmful. But either way, the recall effort will need more than bears and generic Republican gripes to prevail, because right now that\u2019s not working.<\/p>\n