Richard Riordan is neck and neck in a matchup with governor, a Times survey finds. (Simon Soaring)

LA Times ^ | January 29, 2002 | MARK Z. BARABAK

[ElkGroveDan]

Five weeks before election day, [clip]

[ElkGroveDan]

In a low turnout election, Riordan's lead slips to 26% to 21% for Simon and 14% for Jones.

This is AMAZING! In a low-turnout election (likely) Simon is only 5 points behind Riordan....and commercials have barely begun. Riordan looks like hes doing the big fold, Jones has disappeared and Simon has got the big mo!

[homeschool mama]

Simon bump!!!

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

centrist Riordan ...........Now that's funny.

Things are looking better and better for Bill Simon. Make sure you talk to every conservative California Republican you know and get them to the primary to vote for Simon.

[going hot]

Things are looking better and better for Bill Simon. Make sure you talk to every conservative California Republican you know and get them to the primary to vote for Simon

Working on it, daily!!

[ElkGroveDan]

PING

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Working on it, daily!!

I'm so glad for people like you. It's so very important.

I try to make it a point to bring up in nearly every conversation with a fellow Republican.

I just shudder to think of Riordan representing our party.

[ElkGroveDan]

*PING*

[snakebitevoter]

I just shudder to think of Riordan representing our party.

I like Simon, but I don't want to trash Riordan. He will probably be all we have in November.

[Antoninus]

Good news! Tell us, is Jones a 'conservative'? Is he eating into the anti-RINO vote? If he is, let's get started on getting him out of the race.

[Antoninus]

I like Simon, but I don't want to trash Riordan. He will probably be all we have in November.

Should Rear-dan win the primary, there's no reason to vote for him in November if you're in the least bit conservative. If he wins, he will do nothing to further conservative goals. Quite the contrary, he'll be just another cancerous, media-darling RINO, out to 'remake' the party in his own disgusting image.

Remember Jim Jeffords. Defeat RINO Rear-dan in the primary. If not, conservatives stay home in November.

[snakebitevoter]

Should Rear-dan win the primary, there's no reason to vote for him in November if you're in the least bit conservative. If he wins, he will do nothing to further conservative goals.

I'm with you. I won't vote for him in November for the same reasons. In fact, I would even consider voting for his opponent if Davis honestly believed in anything. But if it's Riordan v. Davis, the state will be choosing between two absolute frauds and I just won't vote for Governor. Despite all that, I will try to avoid trashing Riordan because that might hurt other candidates further down on the ballot. The big race this year is the Governor's race and that is why many Californians will be going to the polls.

[Carry_Okie]

It really pains me when the best we can say about a candidate is that he is likely to win and should be supported by default. It doesn't have to be that way. If Riordan goes down, the party will learn that it has to respect its conservative core.

[snakebitevoter]

It really pains me when the best we can say about a candidate is that he is likely to win and should be supported by default. It doesn't have to be that way. If Riordan goes down, the party will learn that it has to respect its conservative core.

Agreed. As I said in post #11, I just want to limit the damage done to other candidates.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I like Simon, but I don't want to trash Riordan. He will probably be all we have in November.

Then we have nothing. I have never sat out a vote and have always been willing to support any Republican, even if flawed, over a Democrat.

This time is an exception. Riordan is not an ounce better than Davis and in fact more harmful to the Republican party.

In a race between Davis and Riordan I don't care who wins. In fact I might prefer Davis so that Riordan doesn't become the "Republican to watch" in California. I think he is that bad.

We will gain absolutely nothing with a Governor Riordan. If you can think of something, tell me what it is.

[Impeach98]

WOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!

Go Simon!

[Gophack]

This is great news! As soon as people hear about Bill Simon, and hear about how awful Richard Riordan is, Bill Simon's campaign starts to take off. He's only been on the radio a couple weeks, and tv even less, and he's at 20%.

Let's get going people! I was talking to a lady at my church yesterday who doesn't know I'm a Republican or supporting Simon, and we were talking about Gray Davis, and she said that she liked Simon and would probably vote for him. We need to be talking up Simon at our churches, in our neighborhoods, and sending out emails and snail mail to all our friends!

If Riordan wins it's because we didn't do enough. Riordan's definitely vulnerable, Simon can win!

[snakebitevoter]

I think we agree. See post #11 and #13. I just need to learn how to say things more completely on the first try.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I think we agree. See post #11 and #13. I just need to learn how to say things more completely on the first try.

LOL.......I'm glad you posted this so it gives me a chance to apologize. I didn't read the other posts before I posted. I guess I need to read more completely too. :)

[goldstategop]

"Centrist" --- Slimesspeak for LIBERAL. Now THAT's funny. Fortunately, 4 in 10 GOP voters recognize a liberal when they see one and Dickie Pooh you're NO CONSERVATIVE. And that percentage will certainly rise by the time primary day rolls around. I can't bring myself to vote for a liberal and the thought makes my skin crawl. This dude is Bill Clinton in Republican drag --- an older version of him. Bye Bye Dickie Pooh.