Wingnut Coalition Seeks to Recall Newsom & Infect the Rest of Us
In the week where California saw more new cases of COVID-19 than at any other point of the pandemic, opponents of Gov. Gavin Newsom have announced a rally in San Diego as part of yet another drive to recall the state’s chief executive.
(As part of my "mask it or casket" campaign, I'm not sharing information about the time and location of this event.)
A quick scan of their literature indicates the recall effort is hoping to capitalize on resistance to measures being taken by the state to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Protests during the past weeks have been attended by what seems to be a blend of patriot and vaxxer regulars.
“Gavin Newsom placed us under house arrest for three months by unilateral decree – ignoring the Constitution and mercilessly trampling our rights. He is exactly the tyrant that our Founding Fathers warned us about. It is our duty to remove him immediately.” --Brad from San Diego County, as quoted on the group’s website.
Two previous recall drives over the past year have fallen more than a million signatures short of making the ballot. The California Patriot Coalition sponsoring this drive says they’ve created a network of over seventy Facebook groups to facilitate their efforts.
This movement to recall Newsom is all about faux victimization created by illusions based on conspiracy theories popular in far right circles.
Bringing vaxxers into the fold has proved to be a public relations bonanza as they tend to project a better image (front teeth intact, no history of racist nuttery) in media interviews.
California has seen a 69% rise in coronavirus cases in just two days, rising from 4,230 on Sunday to 7,149 by Tuesday, according to public health data. The weekend also saw a record number of hospitalizations due to the virus.
https://twitter.com/jameshamblin/status/1275954429062242305?s=20
Five of the seven recall petition drop off locations in San Diego County are either gun retailers or shooting ranges, so that’s a decent clue about which local kclans are involved with this effort.
Reporter Ken Stone with Times of San Diego revealed their plans in an article published on Wednesday:
Before the state Secretary of State’s Office gave the go-ahead June 10 to circulate petitions, a 500-person virtual meeting saw organizers vow to collect 100,000 signatures in the first 10 days.
Tom Del Beccaro, a KUSI political contributor and former chairman of the California Republican Party, was quoted as telling recall backers: “Newsom is a failed governor who mismanaged the pandemic and threatened the state’s economy by shutting down businesses. We don’t truly have a (coronavirus) crisis.”
Organizers list the National Patriot’s Union as the fundraising committee for the new recall effort. But as of Wednesday, the state FPPC lists “No Contributions Found” and “No contributions received found.”
One tactic common to both parts of the recall coalition is stoking fear of personal safety in public figures they deem to be the opposition.
Threats toward public health officials happening throughout the country have led many to require personal security for protection.
Here in California:
Orange County's Health Officer Dr. Nicole Quick resigned earlier this month amid threats to her personal safety.
During a live public briefing on Facebook last month, "someone very casually suggested" the Los Angeles County's public health director should be shot
At least one Los Angeles County health official has a sheriff escort in the community because of threats, according to CNN
At a County Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday a woman critical of San Diego health official Wilma Wooten used a virtual testimony broadcast live to recite her home address. Not once, but twice. She, of course, denies any intent to cause harm. Riiight.
At the bottom of all this bullshit rhetoric is a desire to undermine society’s institutions (not just government) with the goal of promoting a libertarian nightmare that these folks think would be beneficial to themselves and detrimental to those who are “othered.”
Their acceptance of conspiracy theories and faux facts, along with a desire to belong to something bigger than themselves, makes them easy prey for a wide variety of grifters and sociopaths. Hence, the almost universal attraction to the Cult of Trump.
From the Washington Post:
Coronavirus infections have surged in a number of states, setting the United States on a markedly different pandemic trajectory than other wealthy nations.
There are many reasons our response to the pandemic tied to nearly 120,000 U.S. deaths has faltered, experts say, including the lack of a cohesive federal policy, missteps on testing and tracing, and a national culture emphasizing individualism.
In recent weeks, three studies have focused on conservative media’s role in fostering confusion about the seriousness of the coronavirus. Taken together, they paint a picture of a media ecosystem that amplifies misinformation, entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking concrete steps to protect themselves and others.
The end result, according to one of the studies, is that infection and mortality rates are higher in places where one pundit who initially downplayed the severity of the pandemic — Fox News’ Sean Hannity — reaches the largest audiences.
Given the high bar needed to put a recall of the California governor on the ballot, it’s likely this effort won’t succeed. Indeed, I doubt it was ever intended to work. But it will continue to feed the fantasies of fanatics, who in turn will make the lives of decent people more difficult.
And the not-so-public advocates of passive eugenics will undoubtedly cheer these efforts.
It will make no difference to these folks if and when thousands of people are hospitalized or dead. Their freedom to infect is all that counts. I’m afraid social avoidance is, for now, the only cure for their disease.
Do your part to support people who are doing the right thing.
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1276161751223021570?s=20
And this is worthy of your consideration.…
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1276152764763197444?s=20
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