No worries, folks...!

According to today's LA Times, Gray Davis, the first California governor to face a recall, is going to "fight like a Bengal tiger" to remain in office.

I saw that sub-head and cringed. Bengal tiger? Mentioning "Davis" and "tiger" in the same sentence only serves to highlight what a hopeless milquetoast he is.

As governor of the most populous state in the union, doesn't he employ speech-writers? If so, why did he go on to say this?

"One of my greatest strengths is that people have underestimated me since I was born," Davis said shortly before [Secretary of State Kevin] Shelley's announcement. "Every time they say I'm road kill, I continue to win, because I have great faith that the California voters are fair."

That's right, remind voters that they don't respect you. Leave them with the winning image of "road kill."

As you can surmise, the recall has qualified for the ballot and things are happening very fast. Barring a California Supreme Court challenge, which seems unlikely, voters will be choosing a governor in late September or early October--less than one year after Davis was reelected.

As furious as I am at conservative Republicans for blatantly hijacking the democratic process, I am equally dismayed at Davis' hitherto lame response. Why have mainstream Democrats become so pathetically incompetent?

Under Terry McAuliffe's corrosive leadership, the Democratic Party is a gutless and conservative machine, concerned more about cozying up to wealthy donors than taking principled positions and fighting for constituents. What baffles me, though, is how utterly inept they are. Look at the way Al Gore, following a two-term Democratic president and given a healthy economy and burgeoning federal surplus, still managed to blow the 2000 election. If it wasn't so tragic, it would be comical.

And now Davis. If he wants any hope of clinging to office, he better get himself a new speech writer and stick to a script.

Complete sad story here.