CA: Bill Jones' Campaign Quandary

LA Times ^ | 9/5/04 | Scott Martelle

[NormsRevenge]

Bill Jones strode to the podium at the Republican National Convention last week and, in a speech that lasted two minutes, took a telling verbal detour.

Whereas fellow Republican Senate candidates delivered tag-team endorsements of President Bush, Jones mentioned the head of the Republican ticket only once, almost as an afterthought, while praising a certain former movie actor three times.

"The California dream is alive and well with Arnold Schwarzenegger as our new governor," Jones said during the convention's opening hours, his voice echoing through New York City's mostly empty Madison Square Garden. "With his dynamic leadership, and that of President Bush, we've seen a reinvigorated economy and an increased stature for the Golden State, and we're not going back."

As the campaign for California's U.S. Senate seat enters its final two-month run, Jones' short speech a continent away accented one of the key difficulties of his quest to unseat two-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Support from Bush — which seems tepid at best — won't do Jones much good in a state where only two of five likely voters say they back the president. And though a public embrace from Schwarzenegger, whose job-approval rating stands above 60%, might help, the freshman governor so far has kept Jones at arm's length.

[NormsRevenge]

This is Jones' quandary. Despite campaign swings by such high-profile Republicans as Vice President Dick Cheney, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party has not given Jones the kind of support it has given candidates in other states, a disengagement that has left the former Fresno-area rancher mired in a political bog of low name recognition, low fundraising and low voter interest.

Kind of makes one wonder just who does the CA GOP support anyway?

Obviously anyone who says they are a conservative can expect to be left hanging in the wind.. at least it sure looks that way in the last couple of elections.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Jones is far preferable to Boxer, but Republicans remember his role as tax-hike water-carrier for Pete Wilson, and his backstabbing turncoat behavior in his endorsements for President in 2000 (first for Bush, then for McCain when GWB looked weak).

I hope Jones wins, but he left a sour taste in a lot of peoples' mouths over the years.

[.38sw]

And though a public embrace from Schwarzenegger, whose job-approval rating stands above 60%, might help, the freshman governor so far has kept Jones at arm's length.

And yet Arnold enorsed him in the primaries.

"Jones is going down to defeat and Schwarzenegger can't save him," said Shaun Bowler, a political analyst at UC Riverside. "Arnold only backs winners. That way he can claim to have helped them win in the first place. Once he begins to back losers, then that image fails. So Schwarzenegger going down with him would hurt the governor's standing and the carefully polished image that he can bend public opinion to his will."

Well, is appear that Jones doesn't have the support of the party, not just Arnold. So why was he supported in the primary, and now, apparently, is left to his own devices? Not being a party insider, I simply don't understand what is going on.

[newzjunkey]

Jones was already political roadkill:

As a legislator, he authored the largest tax increase in the state's history.

As Sec. of State he endorsed Gov. Bush for the GOP nomination and a week before the CA primary, switched loyalty to John McCain.

So, thanks to another LOSER candidate from the CA Stupid Party, we'll have SIX more years of that Marxist extremist Barbara Boxer in the US Senate.

[TaMoDee]

You have absolutely nailed it! Well done.

[newzjunkey]

It's simple. There was a candidate who might have won against Boxer, former Bush Treasury Secretary Marin (20% - The White House asked her to run), but she was slandered from the right (and left, as a Latina & woman she was such a "danger" to Boxer Boxer was claiming to be a member of the Senate Latino Woman's Caucas when there is no such animal!) so the *right* went off and supported the little known Howard Kaloogian (11%).

Those unplugged Republicans who only knew Jones (45%) as having been ex-Sec of State supported him and he came out on top.

Jones also *HID* from debates and scored big with Arnold's endorsement (he was returning the favor).

We have a modified open primary as well. And with so many "Independents" (16% vs 43% Dem vs 35% GOP) you can ask for either party's ballot... you can imagine some mischief could take place.

[newzjunkey]

Depressing, isn't it?

[.38sw]

I'd heard Rosario Marin several times in interviews, and I was unimpressed. Maybe she could have beat Boxer, I don't know. I guess I'm on the *right* because I supported the little-know Kaloogian.

[NormsRevenge]

You didn't like Howard K.? Im shocked, I tellya. Shocked.

He helped lead a recall effort that empowered the New Majority to slip Arnie in the back door.

OOps, that's right , he is too conservative, tho, huh, very unelectable. ;-)

and how can you blame the 'right' for forsaking Rosario, maybe indies and dems found her equally as vapid as many of those polled.

[goldstategop]

Bill Jones doesn't stand a chance in liberal California. The party's decided to cut its losses and even Arnold's not stumping for him.

[goldstategop]

Republicans turned aside Howard Kaloogian. Well they got the candidate they deserve.

[ken21]

california politics 101:

1. there is no republican party.

2. whatever white male the pubs put up against baba boxer, she'll level on the last weekend in the la times and on tv.

[farmfriend]

Obviously anyone who says they are a conservative can expect to be left hanging in the wind.. at least it sure looks that way in the last couple of elections.

You're not the first to say it and you won't be the last.

We need new party leadership in this state something awful.