Gay Rights Flap Engulfs Simon

LATimes ^ | 9/4/02 | MICHAEL FINNEGAN and MATEA GOLD, TIMES STAFF WRITERS

[Aunt Polgara]

Politics: Under pressure from conservatives, the GOP candidate for governor denies signing supportive responses to questionnaire.

SACRAMENTO -- Under pressure from conservative supporters, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon Jr. on Tuesday disavowed his campaign's response to a gay rights questionnaire, saying someone signed his name on it without his approval.

The response to 24 questions from a gay rights group, the Log Cabin Republicans of California, included pledges to sign a Gay Pride Day proclamation and to support job benefits for partners of gay state employees.

[onedoug]

"I am still amazed that Simon's campaign was so clueless. I know Simon is a neophyte...."

Frankly, I think Simon's an idiot. Though better an idiot than a communist, I guess. What a stinko state of affairs.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Sorry I don't request your 'trust' and I don't need to provide you any basis for 'trust'. OK? Now, go on with something else productive. I'm sure there are plenty of things to do on this nice September evening (or day, depending on your time zone). ;-)

[The Vast Right Wing]

I don't think this was intentional. The reality is that this was a set-up by the liberal media from the get-go. The strategy is called divide and conquer, Democrats play it better than anyone.

[The Vast Right Wing]

This is an important lesson. The liberal media will try to sow discord and division amongst the right. Too often we just play into their hands by going ballistic before we get the whole story. The fact is we never get the whole story form the media. People need to have some faith in Simon and other conservative candidates and cut them some slack. We must realize that we will always be demonized by the media and the sheeple will usually believe it. That requires us to present our views with a bit more sugar and honey than we usually do.

[The Vast Right Wing]

Did you ever think there might be some people on his staff that are not loyal to him?

[The Vast Right Wing]

Perhaps he did and they didn't report it. Naw, the LA Slimes would never do something that dishonest.

[Dave S]

Why, we just throw up our hands and quit without questionning further what the other side is up to!!! It's classic!

The joke among Democrats used to be that a Democrat firing squad was shapped in the form of a circle with the convict placed in the center. Apparently they are not the only ones whose "true believer" fringe elements focus more on purity than winning. Republicans also form their firing squads in the same manner. When will we quit eating our own.

[Dave S]

I doubt very seriously that the GOP is very interested in what conservatives think anyway. They seem more interested in going mainstream.

Why should they? How many strong conservatives are there in California? Do they represent 15% of the electorate? You dont win many state wide elections with that kind of pull.

[goldstategop]

What's not necessary is to observe that Bill Simon ended up shooting himself in the leg and is dancing in political limbo having enraged both his new found friends and leaving his base wondering what judgment he's going to exhibit in the event he does become Governor. As far as I'm concerned I have zero tolerance for a candidate who fails to do his political homework. Simon has been in this race for months and he or someone on his staff should have alerted him to head off this kind of a political disaster that was looming. And if there's one thing you should never ever do on the eve and in the aftermath of Labor Day, its spending your fall campaign engaging in political damage control.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Another important lesson: When framed for something that risks corroding your important political base (like a Gay Cabin survey), IMMEDIATELY refute it through e mail. website, press release or other methods to your bedrock supporters, go to the press, whatever it takes. Don't let things fester on like they did for nearly a week and only let intermediaries do the talking for you. This is a recoverable jab in the face; next time, though, with lousy crisis management, Simon is liable to be sucker punched and on the mat for a longer count.

[Aunt Polgara]

Did you ever think there might be some people on his staff that are not loyal to him?

That still doesn't excuse the length of time it took his campaign to refute the survey. These things never go away. They have to be dealt with.

[Torie]

Simon denying he signed something a week after the flap began (who forged his signature?), is the final straw. Under no circumstances am I voting for Simon. Period. He is either an unbelievable incompetent or a liar or both. He is also craven.

[Torie]

The man is a nebbish. He is finished. This is absolutely mortal. I hope he loses by the largest margin in the history of mankind. I hope he moves out of the state. I hope he moves out of the country. Off damn spot! Out, out, out.

[Sabertooth]

We have to be able to trust that moderates will not stab our people in the back after the primary. The leadership (and the moderates) need to be able to trust us not to do the same thing.

I was pinged to this thread by another, but this statement of yours is pricless. We have a new word in the political lexicon:

hchutchpah.

[hchutch]

If what Poohbah pointed out elsewhere about Mr. Thomason is correct, then we have a serious problem with folks like him. I personally prefer Club for Growth conservatives, but if my guy loses the primary, I'll vote for whoever wins the nomination.

Sorry if you don't like it. But I have no tolerance for back-stabbers of ANY stripe, be they RINOs or "conservatives."

[Sabertooth]

Simon denying he signed something a week after the flap began (who forged his signature?), is the final straw. Under no circumstances am I voting for Simon. Period. He is either an unbelievable incompetent or a liar or both. He is also craven.

Dang, Torie... I'm trying to be Mr. Serene lately and here you are being decidedly un-Torielike.

The article said the questionnaire was signed by auto-pen. Someone needs to be canned, this was absolutely amateurish it its handling.

I don't know why you're quite so hot on this, though... you've been voting Davis since the Spring.

[Torie]

Simon was questioned twice about this questionaire in the last week without denying he signed or saw it or agreed with it, or expressing surprise about its existence. Now suddenly, it is all someone else's doing? What does that suggest to you? I was slipping into the undecided column in recent weeks, and planned if Davis was winning comfortably to vote for the libertarian kook or some such. Now I will vote for Davis. I want Simon to lose by as large a margin as possible. Regards.

[Saundra Duffy]

This never was a controversy. Let's move on!!! Go, Simon!!!

[rb22982]

Now I will vote for Davis. I want Simon to lose by as large a margin as possible

You've lost your marbles.

[Sabertooth]

Simon was questioned twice about this questionaire in the last week without denying he signed or saw it or agreed with it, or expressing surprise about its existence. Now suddenly, it is all someone else's doing? What does that suggest to you?

Disarray, as the best case.

I just don't get why that bugs you more than what we've seen from Davis.