Live action heroes, porn stars, former child actors and thong panty peddlers — we’ve got ’em all in our great state, and they’re all running for governor.

Though the three-ring circus that has become the Oct. 7 recall election may have people across the country doubled over with laughter, waiting with bated breath to see just how the absurd plot will thicken, this unwarranted legal debacle — estimated to cost our state between $53 and $66 million — is nothing to joke about.

No matter how frustrated any of us might be with the current economy or the two-party political system, putting a “Terminator” or “Father Guido Sarducci” in office would be a grave mistake and an embarrassment to our state. That the California Supreme Court refused to intervene and put a stop to this ill-fated free-for-all is not, as President Bush has said, “interesting” or “fascinating,” but rather a travesty that will likely have a long-lasting, negative impact on our state. Rather than getting caught up in the sideshow, we should all stand resolutely against this recall and the dangerous political precedent that it sets for California and for the democratic process.

As far as the GLBT community is concerned, Gov. Davis has repeatedly proven himself an ally, appointing eight openly gay judges (including one from San Diego) during his time in office. He has also signed legislation that established the state’s first domestic partnership registry, as well as legislation that affords gay and lesbian couples some of the same rights and responsibilities as marriage and protects GLBT students from harassment and discrimination. Most recently, the governor signed AB 196, which protects transgender Californians from discrimination in housing and employment.

On Aug. 18, the Senate Appropriations Committee will review AB 205, which would grant same-sex couples in California all of the same rights and responsibilities as marriage at a state level. Should it pass the Senate, it is hoped and expected that Davis will sign this landmark piece of GLBT legislation — second only to Vermont’s civil union law — before this year’s legislative deadline (Oct. 12), as well as AB 17, which would require contractors doing business with the state to provide domestic partner benefits to their employees. Despite all of the time and energy Gov. Davis must now spend on fighting this recall, we believe he will continue to prove himself a champion of equality and sign these bills.

But opposing this recall runs much deeper than merely sticking by a proven ally of our community. Regardless of how anyone feels about Gov. Davis’s performance while in office, to blame the entire state budget crisis on him or his administration is illogical. It is also an expedient and manipulative means to hand the governorship over to the Republican party and special interests, who aim to push their agenda behind the guise of millionaire movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Though other governors across the country have been at the helm during rocky fiscal periods, none have been subject to a recall. If we are to apply this same logic across the board, perhaps U.S. citizens should vote to recall President George W. Bush, under whom the economy took an immediate nosedive after he and his administration took control of the White House. And though Bush has said he would not make an endorsement in the recall election (he merely thinks Schwarzenegger would make a “good governor”), there is no doubt that handing California over to the Republicans would be a major victory for his reelection campaign.

More alarmingly, pundits have repeatedly decried Gov. Davis’s deficit in personality and inability to resonate with California voters as a reason to hand the governorship over to a Republican not supportive of our community. If we are to recall an elected official on such flimsy grounds, then what’s to stop special interest groups with a couple million dollars in their pockets and a candidate with name recognition from taking charge — with costly special elections held on a yearly basis?

Though San Diego Assemblymember Christine Kehoe was unavailable for comment at press time, during the Pride festival she was actively handing out flyers opposing the recall. Speaking with the press last month, Kehoe wisely predicted, “If … Arnold Schwarzenegger become(s) governor, all the progress we’ve made will be ‘terminated.’”

Would Schwarzenegger necessarily be bad for GLBT Californians? As of press time, he had been keeping mum about his positions. Though a few years back he reportedly gave his tacit endorsement of same-sex marriages, stating, “It’s all legitimate to me,” a better indicator of his potential administration would be his hiring of former Gov. Pete Wilson to chair his campaign committee. (As governor, Wilson opposed both domestic partnership benefits and gay adoption).

Of course, we must be pragmatic. According to polls conducted at press time, were the recall election to happen this week, Gov. Davis would be recalled and Schwarzenegger and the Republicans would be handed the governorship.

We should ultimately urge friends, family members and co-workers to vote no on the recall election. However, despite Davis picking up former president Bill Clinton as his advisor this week, we cannot bank on the recall being defeated — we must make an alternate choice on the ballot. We believe that alternate choice is current Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, the only major Democrat running on the recall ballot.

Bustamante has both experience running the world’s fifth largest economy and a realistic shot at winning. Beyond that, Bustamante has also proven himself a friend and ally of the GLBT community. Not only has he appointed three open lesbian legislators to key state leadership positions (including Kehoe), Bustamante went out of his way this year to lobby legislators in support of GLBT legislation, specifically defending the passage of AB 205. At a San Diego reception last fall for the American Veterans for Equal Rights, Bustamante vehemently decried anti-gay discrimination and the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

While it will be almost impossible to turn away from the recall wreckage over the next few months, let’s keep our perspective and recognize this recall for what it is — a threat to GLBT Californians and the overall democratic process. Vote no on the recall and yes on Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.