On Sept. 14, or thereabouts, California voters will decide whether to recall the Democratic governor of California, the singularly unpopular Gavin Newsom, and replace him with someone who, at best, most of us have never heard of.

Vanilla, he has been labeled by the Los Angeles Times, a title which earned him their endorsement.

Labor Day is the usual kickoff of the political season, particularly on the Democratic side, but this year, it is the kickoff of the silly season.

What makes this potentially interesting to those who don't live in California is that this is the bluest state in the nation, which makes it an unlikely place to be on the verge of recalling a Democratic governor.

But if Newsom manages to beat the recall, it will almost certainly be because there is not a single Democrat among the 46 candidates running to replace him, leaving the majority in this state the choice between keeping an unpopular Democrat in office and replacing him with a right-wing Black talk radio host, Caitlyn Jenner, 40-odd folks no one has ever heard of or the candidate best known as "vanilla."

As in, "Who is the plain vanilla guy who is running?" That's his would-be supporters asking.

The plain vanilla guy is Kevin Faulconer, the Republican former Mayor of San Diego who is best known for not being to the right of Attila the Hun (that would be Larry Elder, the radio guy), not a member of the Kardashian Klan (that would be Caitlyn Jenner) and does not bring a bear with him to rallies.

There are probably two words that capture the reason that Newsom is in trouble: "French Laundry." No, that is not an alternative to less fancy kinds of laundries. It is a restaurant that 99% of Californians, yours truly included, have never been to, with reason. The base meal is $355 per person. There are supplements — I checked today's menu, FYI, and for truffle lovers, the supplement is $125 — not to mention wine, I expect, in wine country. The French Laundry has three Michelin stars.

Frankly, it sounds way too fussy for me.

But not, as every registered voter in California could almost certainly tell you, for our governor, Gavin Newsom.

Last November, he and the "first partner" attended what a spokesman for his lobbyist pal described as a "small, intimate" gathering at the priciest restaurant in wine country, a gathering of 12 people in the sort-of-outdoor indoor section of the restaurant, to celebrate the 50th birthday of the governor's BFF, a lobbyist for health care companies. What else, in the middle of a pandemic, hours after telling the rest of us to avoid holiday gatherings in our own homes with our own relatives.

The governor and the first partner proudly announced that they paid for their own dinners and followed the "restaurant's health protocols" (sanitizing between all nine courses, perhaps?). "I should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner," the governor said later.

I should have modeled better behavior?

How about, I should have gotten down on my hands and knees and begged forgiveness? Pled insanity?

A thousand dollars for dinner for two for the governor and the first partner, while all the junior partners are FaceTiming with the grandchildren?

It's not easy to be running neck-and-neck with one of the above and "what's the name of the vanilla guy," a question I was actually asked twice yesterday.

My friend, Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, recently penned an article arguing that the recall system is unconstitutional because it would allow a candidate who receives way fewer votes than does Newsom to be elected governor (if he or she beats Newsom, say, 41-49, and then Jenner or Elder wins with only 20%). Minority rule is dangerous, as every Californian who has ever railed against the Electoral College will tell you ...

To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Free-Photos at Pixabay