When Californians’ voted to recall Democratic Governor Gray Davis and replaced him with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, there was speculation that it would become a popular maneuver. Professor Bruce Cain with U.C. Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies says that hasn’t been the case. 

 “It turns out it’s going to be a fairly rare thing because of how expensive and how difficult it is to put one of these recall efforts together” 

Cain says a combination of issues including the energy crisis and voters’ dissatisfaction with the negative 2002 campaign brought about the unusual move… He says he believes voters wanted to send a message. 

 “They wanted an attempt to reach across party lines and do something that was more independent of the usual rhetoric.” 

Cain says he hasn’t seen a similar combination of issues that would prompt another recall but notes timing is everything in politics.