In the last few months, the California political scene made even more headlines than usual. From the first echoes of a possible recall—unprecedented in American politics since its only other occurrence 80 years earlier, in Nebraska—to the ensuing super-sized candidate roster, it seemed at times to be all recall, all the time.

With its focused mission of preparing future leaders, CMC took a seat at the table of national discussion. Professors and alumni analyzed the situation and provided commentary; students on both sides of the aisle organized their compatriots; and Congressman David Dreier '75, trustee and House Rules Committee chair, stepped deeper into the spotlight as head of the Schwarzenegger transition team.

Whether prediction or prescience, CMC's voice in this unforgettable election season can be traced to Nov. 10, 2002, when Professor Jack Pitney's op-ed titled, "Ready for Next Actor-Governor? Check out His Political Muscles," appeared in the Orange County edition of the Los Angeles Times. Pitney envisaged Schwarzenegger accepting the Republican gubernatorial nomination in four years, drawing on the success of Proposition 49, the After-School Education and Safety Program Act, Schwarzenegger's initiative to steer more than $450 million a year to such programs.

It was during that campaign that Schwarzenegger first reached out to CMC, ultimately stitching another recall tie to the College by commissioning Steve Frates, senior fellow at CMC's Rose Institute of State and Local Government, to execute a study on the value of after-school programs, the results of which were folded into Proposition 49's political ammunition.

Pitney's predictions in the Los Angeles Times were one example of his outstanding media appearances, numbering more than 750 interviews this year and counting, in major media including virtually every leading broadcast network and wire service, as well as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Los Angeles Times.

"The recall was an important story and CMC faculty had important things to say about it. Though no one intended it that way, the recall was a gigantic exercise in civic education," Pitney said. "Californians learned a lot about the problems facing their state, as well as the mechanics of direct democracy."

A number of other faculty members joined the discussion, as well. In a Los Angeles Times opinion piece, Ken Miller, assistant professor of government, examined how efforts by Latino advocacy groups to delay the recall might ultimately diminish the chances of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. (In another case of recall links, Miller, a graduate of Pomona College and Harvard Law School, interned for Rep. Dreier as part of CMC's Washington Program; he was later a staff member in the California legislature and co-founder of the Sacramento office of Morrison & Foerster, LLP).

Gregory Hess, the Russell S. Bock Professor of Public Economics and Taxation and a member of the Federal Reserve Board Shadow Open Market Committee, threw light onto the recall from yet another perspective in his San Francisco Chronicle op-ed titled, "The Importance of Recallenomics." From an economist's perspective, Hess urged voters to consider the candidates' perspectives on key economic issues—cutting overall spending, lowering the cost of doing business, and raising educational performance.

Bringing analysis of a nationally watched race even closer to home, Professors Pitney and Miller, along with David Menefee-Libey, associate professor of politics at Pomona College, participated in a panel at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, California Politics: Losing Ground or Making Strides?, examining the recall drama and related issues in what may prove to be the ultimate teachable moment of a civics curriculum.

Student politicos Robert Carpenter '06 and Clark Lee '04 were also involved in the fray. Carpenter, president of the Claremont Colleges Republicans Club and communications director for the California College Republicans, co-directed a statewide GOP convention for Schwarzenegger, managed the largest campaign literature drop in California history, made phone calls, walked precincts, and encouraged people to vote. "The recall mobilized students who otherwise may not have had an interest in politics," Carpenter said. "It engaged students in the political process."

Lee, former vice president of the Democrats of The Claremont Colleges and communications director for the California Young Democrats, was actively involved in the anti-recall effort. As Asian American spokesperson for the Davis anti-recall camp, Lee participated in debates, interviews, and discussions about the recall—some televised internationally—and personally advised the governor and first lady on Asian American affairs during the campaign. "It was very important for students to understand and to be involved," Lee said. "CMC's vitality influences California politics."

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Professors Jack Pitney, Ken Miller, and David Menefee-Libey participated in a panel at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, California Politics: Losing Ground or Making Strides?, during which Pitney performed his famous Nixon impression.