Q and A on Recall and Impeachment
with Bill Currier, Allen Alley and Bob Moore

Recall and impeachment are such blunt instruments, yet they are now being applied to what are essentially political disputes, both locally and nationally. Why the rush to impeach President Trump? Or to recall Gov. Brown here in Oregon? Why not respect the public's wisdom as applied via the ballot box and wait for the next election? That process has worked fairly well for the duration of our Republic. Impeachment and recall efforts have produced mixed results, at best.

This month, we pose questions about our Oregon recall effort to three important statewide voices: Bill Currier, current Oregon Republican Party Chairman; Bob Moore, well-known pollster and founder of Moore Information Group; and Allen Alley, past Oregon Republican Party Chairman, 2011-12.

 

Bill Currier
Oregon Republican Party Chair

In July, the Oregon Republican Party began circulating a petition to recall Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. Why have you sponsored this petition? What is the case for recall against Kate Brown?

The people of Oregon recognize that government derives its just power from the consent of the governed. They demand a governor that honors the will of the voters and works for the good of all citizens, not just special interests and political agendas. They understand that it is their right to alter government when it does not abide by these principles. Gov. Brown has subjected the people of Oregon to a long line of abuses of power while at the same time refusing to address their legitimate concerns. She has fostered a toxic political environment that stifles meaningful discourse. She has threatened retaliation against her own citizens when her political agenda is not successful legislatively and has threatened to usurp legislative power with executive orders to accomplish her highly controversial goals, thus circumventing our system of representative government and deciding for herself what is best for Oregon. Instead of changing hearts and minds, she wants to change the rules and the process, single-handedly. Gov. Brown has abused the office of governor and failed the people of Oregon.

 

 

At least 280,050 valid signatures are needed for the secretary of state to call a special "recall" election of Gov. Brown. Will you get them by the October 14 deadline? If there is an election, when will it be held?

Due to the immediate and enthusiastic involvement of thousands of volunteers around the state, we were on track for collecting the required number of signatures starting the first day of the signature collecting effort. However, our biggest challenge now is receiving the collected signatures in time to process them before submission to the Elections Division. If we don't get them at least one or two weeks prior to the October 14 deadline, we may not be able to finish validating the required 280,050 signatures. The process requires many volunteers working around the clock validating signatures to ensure they are by registered voters and that there are no duplicates. This is critically important to reduce the number of invalid signatures, each of which has the potential to invalidate many more if not caught and removed. The election would be late November or early December.

 

 

In the past, Oregon Republicans haven't necessarily trusted the secretary of state's office to be an honest broker in verifying signatures on conservative petitions. Are you confident that Secretary of State Bev Clarno and Deputy Rich Vial will be fair (especially given that Clarno was appointed by Gov. Brown on a Sunday night and Dennis Richardson's top three aides were unceremoniously sacked the following Monday morning)?

It is true that past Democrat secretaries of state have been very partisan in the execution of their duties. Thankfully, despite Gov. Brown's demonstrated disposition for avoiding transparency and accountability, Dennis Richardson instilled a new standard of fairness that I believe is still in effect. I can say that in all aspects of this recall campaign, from the initial filing to the inevitable daily questions that arise, the staff at the Elections Division has been most professional and competent. At this point I have no reason to believe that we will not be treated fairly and in a non-partisan fashion.

 

 

In the last 20 years, there have been two high profile recall attempts of governors -- one successful, and one not. In 2003, Democrat California Gov. Gray Davis was recalled by a vote of 55 to 44 percent and replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2012, Wisconsin voted 53-46 to retain Republican Gov. Scott Walker, after public employee unions attempted a recall to thwart his reforms. What's your takeaway from those two historic recall efforts? If the recall election happens, what will be Oregon's outcome?

No matter what happens with this recall effort, the voice of the people will be heard. The message that is being sent to Gov. Brown and the Oregon Democrat legislators is loud and clear: Represent the best interests of your constituents or face being removed. Gov. Brown, as did Gov. Davis, has tried to characterize this recall as an attempt to override the will of the 51 percent of voters that elected her, as if being elected gives her a mandate to do whatever she pleases, even if it goes against the will of those voters. This is just one example of the extreme arrogance she displays toward voters. The union attempts to remove Gov. Walker were not broad-based enough among voters compared to the growing strength of the many Oregon grassroots movements that have mobilized in the wake of the Republican Senate walkout.

 

 

In 2016, Kate Brown barely received 50 percent of the vote against Bud Pierce. Two years later, Gov. Brown again barely received 50 percent of the vote against Knute Buehler --- this time in an election where Republicans lost control of the U.S. House. Registration numbers haven't improved -- the state still leans left about 47-21-32. Do you worry that a recall election might backfire and create a more sympathetic and solidified electorate for Gov. Brown?

On a recall ballot, Gov. Brown won't be running against a Republican. She will be up against her own performance, which even her own supporters and the liberal media have denounced. Voters will remember that she has repeatedly overturned the will of the voters on immigration and tax issues, denied citizens constitutionally guaranteed protections, attempted unsound environmental policy that would have severely damaged the economy, attempted to deprive families of medical and religious freedoms, failed to address the looming PERS crisis, failed to protect foster children, and pursued costly and politically-motivated multi-million dollar lawsuits against the federal government. In most of these egregious acts, she utilized the "emergency clause," effectively denying the voters a voice on legislation they were sure to oppose. And the voters won't forget, as they mark their ballots, how she not only failed to deliver transparency, as she so solemnly promised in the wake of Gov. Kitzhaber's sudden departure, but worked at every turn to block and oppose it.

 

If Gov. Brown is recalled, who will succeed her? Secretary of State Bev Clarno or State Treasurer Tobias Reed? Explain the legal process.

In a nutshell, the Oregon Constitution says that the secretary of state fills a vacancy in the office of governor, whether or not appointed. The exception would be if they are acting in a temporary capacity, such as filling in for a disability. The latter is not the case here. Secretary Clarno is the fully sworn in secretary of state. Tobias Reed would only succeed to governor if the secretary of state is not available to do so. Ultimately, due to the one-party rule of the Democrats in Oregon, the courts may end up deciding the question. But, for sake of argument, even if Tobias Reed were to somehow replace Gov. Brown, the people of Oregon would have been heard. The message will have been sent, and those legislators that supported Gov. Brown will be on notice that the voters demand that they will be respected.

 

How serious were the threats made against you and your family last summer for supporting the 11 Republican senators who left the state to stop the "Cap and Trade" bill? Do you blame Gov. Brown for the threats made against your family?

Any time someone calls and threatens to shoot members of your family and tells you to watch your back, you take it seriously. When it happened, our family discussed how we would react, and we decided, without hesitation, that in addition to taking precautions to protect ourselves, we would not be intimidated or curtailed in our support of the brave senators who had walked out. They had put everything on the line to represent their constituents' best interests, and they needed our support. Eventually, the authorities did identify the suspect, who is now facing federal charges. We learned during the investigation that the suspect had held several official positions in the Democrat party. While I don't blame Gov. Brown personally for these crimes, I do hold her responsible for her extreme political rhetoric, which I believe inspires people to threaten violence.

 

 

Bob Moore
Moore Information Group

As a veteran Northwest and Washington, D.C., pollster you are in a unique position to comment on the Oregon Republican Party's attempt to recall Gov. Brown? They need 280,000 valid signatures by October 14 to make the ballot. Will they make it?

My guess is they won't make the ballot. There isn't much time and a successful signature drive could require 300,000 or more. I am not sure the ORP has the time or the money. And remember, getting the signatures is only the first step. If they are able to get the signatures, it will go on the ballot and that's when the real work begins. Gov. Brown will have unlimited resources to fight the recall. I'm just not sure where the ORP gets the money for a recall election.

 

 

There have been two high profile recall attempts of governors in the last 20 years, the 2003 California recall effort against Democrat Gray Davis (successful), and in Wisconsin the 2012 recall attempt against Republican Scott Walker (unsuccessful). Your company worked on the Davis recall campaign. What services did you provide? Judging by the issues and political climate at the time in California, did you know you were going to be successful?

California's recall system is different than Oregon's. In California, voters choose the replacement in recall situations. In Oregon, voters simply vote "yes" or "no" to recall the incumbent and the State Constitution provides for the replacement. In California, Moore Information Group polled initially for a candidate who was considering entering the recall race and after that, we polled for an organization supporting the consensus GOP candidate, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Our polling showed that Gov. Davis could lose the recall election to a number of candidates, but Arnold Schwarzenegger was the clear favorite. Arnold had the charisma and ability to raise the funds required for an effective recall campaign.

 

Less than a year after her 2018 reelection, both the Oregon GOP and the "Flush Kate Brown Down" committee began circulating petitions to recall Gov. Brown. What is the case they are making, and do you think it is a reasonable case? Are these recall movements (and impeachment movements) just howls of desperation from groups that have lost elections?

It looks to me like they just disagree with the governor on a number of policy issues, including "Cap and Trade," immunizations, drivers' licenses for undocumented immigrants and others. Recall websites also charge that Brown is ignoring voters and the Constitution and that she is corrupt. In order for a recall to be successful, voters need to believe there is a compelling reason to recall Brown. My guess is that a poll would not find support for a recall among a majority of Oregon voters today.

 

 

This month, the grassroots Timber Unity group filed a petition to recall State Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell (D-Astoria) for voting to support "Cap and Trade," among other political crimes. Two weeks later, the 35-year-old announced she is donating a kidney to no particular recipient. Are the two events related? Is the recall movement out of control? In the future, will legislators be able to make tough political votes and keep their organs?

I have no idea if the two events are related. Two recall efforts in a year doesn't mean the recall movement is out of control.

 

How much damage does the Oregon Republican Party sustain, if any at all, if they fall far short of the needed signatures? Is there any chance of success if they make the ballot? Is there any upside to the effort, in any case?

The ORP leadership will look weak if they are unable to get the signatures needed for recall. Not only that, they run the risk of energizing Democrats and making Gov. Brown look stronger. I haven't seen any indication that a recall effort will be successful. Brown's image simply isn't negative enough. The upside would be showing the ORP as a strong political force in the state and energizing Republicans.

 

 

Allen Alley
Oregon Republican Party Chairman 2011-2012

Do you support the Oregon GOP's participation in the effort to recall Gov. Kate Brown?

Kate Brown is doing a wonderful job representing only a small minority of Oregonians, including her friends in the far left, ultra-progressive environmental lobby and her public employee union donors.

She has abandoned all of the mainstream Democrats, Independents and Republicans in the state. Small business owners, farmers, ranchers, students, retirees are folks who are not on her agenda. In fact, it is worse than abandoned; people actually feel like they are the target of her anti-private enterprise, anti-rural, anti-timber, anti-second amendment, anti-growth, anti-road, anti-life agenda.

She has simply forgotten that government is supposed to be "of the people, by the people and for the people." She is jacking up taxes, fees, fines and regulations on average Oregonians as our schools under-perform, and our public employee retirement obligations threaten the financial solvency of the state.
 

How bad is it? The Republican senators staged a walk out to prevent passage of an extremely regressive tax on transportation fuels. Timber families came together as Timber Unity to occupy Salem to express their displeasure with the radical out-of-touch agenda of Gov. Brown. Beyond that, several counties have formed "State of Jefferson" groups to resurrect a plan from the 1940s to actually secede from Oregon. They are so disenfranchised that they would rather go it alone, without the financial resources of the North Willamette Valley, than stay and continue to be victims of Kate's ultra-progressive agenda -- an agenda that ignores Republicans, Independents and even many pro-enterprise Democrats to cater to the demands of an ultra-progressive minority and union bosses. And you ask if Kate Brown should be recalled? Absolutely, yes.