Total Recall

Over on Real Clear Politics, Andy Rotherham weighs in on the Walker recall election. His argument: whatever you think about Scott Walker, the recall is a bad idea.

Now, as polling shows the possibility of recalling Walker seems to be slipping away, there are a lot of Democrats who are starting to think that maybe this whole recall idea wasn’t such a good idea. But Andy suggests that there’s a larger reason to oppose recall elections: because they make our already toxic politics even nastier.

I used to tell people who were supporters of term limits that we already have term limits. They’re called elections. We have recalls, too. They’re held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (and in Virginia, they’re held every single year).

For the record, I think Scott Walker has turned a state that was known for its essential commitment to good governance into a polarized and angry place. I think he deserves to be defeated. But like Andy, I’d prefer that electoral thumpin’ (to use a GW Bush term) take place on a regularly scheduled election day.