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Internet Puts the 'e' in Recall Who was that techno-enthusiast? California Gov. Gray Davis, writing in a newspaper article he co-authored with New York Gov. George Pataki in 2000. The governors were hopeful that citizens could be empowered to vote electronically one day. But when the power of a technology is unleashed, its effects are unpredictable. Davis is finding that out as the technology he championed — and defended against taxation and other burdens — is being harnessed in an effort to remove him from office. What would have only recently seemed "the impossible" to Davis — that he would be the first governor in the United States in three generations recalled from office — has very quickly become a distinct possibility. How did this happen? There are those who think Davis is being hoist with his own petard. The Democratic governor poured millions of dollars into the last Republican primary to defeat then-Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who Davis believed was his strongest potential opponent. Peter Schrag, author of "Paradise Lost: California's Experience, America's Future," recently wrote that in doing so, Davis contributed to "the anything-goes atmosphere" in California political life these days, an atmosphere that now threatens to overwhelm the unpopular governor. But there's more to it than that. California has long been known for its affection for direct democratic politics, especially the initiative process. There have been 31 attempts to recall California governors, but so far none has gotten the requisite number of valid signatures to make it to the ballot — 12% of the number of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election. But combine direct democracy with technology and the process gets a goose. For instance, there is a proliferation of Web sites, such as http://www.RescueCalifornia.com , that makes the once-arduous process of signature gathering a lot easier. At http://www.RecallGrayDavis.com , the Web site for the recall organization started by former California Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, it's possible to download and fill out the petition form in a matter of seconds. You have to mail it in, but it still means that if you're listening to the radio at work and another story about the California budget crisis airs, you no longer need to vent your civic frustration at the water cooler. Instead, log on and turn your anger into action. Pat Knepley, a California resident, recently wrote to the Los Angeles Times, proudly claiming that she had done just that: "I signed the recall petition against Davis. I took the initiative to download it through my computer because I am so frustrated with what he is doing and has done to our state." Political revolutionaries, especially of the armchair variety, never had it so good. Or consider how new technology can steamroll the traditional dynamic between business and politics. The California Business Roundtable, made up of California chief executives, came out against the recall effort, believing the tumult would not be good for business. But in short order, the Roundtable and its member businesses such as Safeway and Southern California Edison were inundated with complaints about their position. "I've gotten besieged with e-mails," Doug Kline of San Diego-based Sempra Energy told The Times. "Most of them say something like, 'We can't believe you've opposed the recall of Gray Davis. He's hurting small businesses.' "
Not that long ago, establishment groups like the Roundtable would have spoken for business interests in California. But with
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