I Know Who Can Rescue California Democrats (and Maybe Gavin Newsom, Too)

The Answer to the Democrats’ Recall Predicament Is a Man Who Couldn’t Save His Own Seat

The most head-scratching political puzzle in California has only one solution:

It is, of all people, Gray Davis.

Yes, perhaps paradoxically, Gray Davis, the former governor who voters recalled in 2003, may be the most important ally Gavin Newsom and California’s ruling Democrats have in defeating this year’s recall.

On Election Day this fall, voters will face two questions. First, they must choose, yes or no, whether to remove Newsom from office. Then, they will have the option to vote for one person from a list of candidates who would replace him.

The …

Why Californians—of Both Parties—Should Embrace the Recall | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Why Californians—of Both Parties—Should Embrace the Recall

Even When You Don’t Want to Remove a Politician, the Vote Provides a Healthy Democratic Dose of Self-Examination

Californians should love me, even when I’m used against a politician you like.

At the very least, I hope you’ll appreciate me if Gov. Gavin Newsom, who won office overwhelmingly in …

How Tibetan Buddhists Helped Me Seek Enlightenment at Howard Jarvis’s House | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

How Tibetan Buddhists Helped Me Seek Enlightenment at Howard Jarvis’s House

Revisiting the Former Home of the ‘Mad as Hell’ Tax Reformer as Another Fight Over Prop 13 Begins

Want to stop worrying so much about the future of California? Go and say a prayer at Howard Jarvis’s house.

No historic plaques mark the five-bedroom home at 515 N. Crescent …

Could The Politicians’ #Calexit Fantasy Bring Real Change?  | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Could The Politician‘s #Calexit Fantasy Bring Real Change? 

The Golden State Should Write a Fairer, More Equal American Constitution for the 21st Century

“Go to my website or use the hashtag #LetsGetTheCalOuttaHere,” shouts Gwyneth Paltrow in the Netflix series The Politician. Running for governor on a promise to lead California’s secession from the …

The Failings of Green Rush | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

California’s Cannabis ‘Green Rush’ Has Been a Slow Slog

Cities Like Los Angeles Face Steep Challenges When It Comes to Regulating the Cannabis Market

California has found that it’s far easier to declare cannabis legal than it is to create a well-regulated cannabis market, said panelists at a Zócalo/UCLA Downtown event titled “Will California …

California’s Housing Crisis Is a Nasty Intersection of the State’s Worst Problems

Behind High Rents and Ballooning Mortgages Are Challenges Ranging from Homelessness and Transportation to Taxation and the Environment

California’s sky-high housing prices haven’t just made it hard to find and afford a place to live. They’ve put pressures on the economy, the environment, transportation, and health that threaten …