California: 'Republican' gubernatorial candidate Riordan faces conservative backlash

Contra Costa Times ^ | Feb 8, 2002 | Daniel Borenstein and Sandy Kleffman

[John Jorsett]

Former Gov. George Deukmejian is quite clear: He won't support Richard Riordan in November even if the former Los Angeles mayor is the Republican Party nominee.

"I couldn't vote for him," Deukmejian told the Times this week. "I don't believe in him. I don't believe that he would support Republican principles."

[Frohickey]

However, a conservative candidate does not guarantee conservative voters will turn out on Election Day. When Lungren was the Republican gubernatorial nominee four years ago, the core voters stayed home.

That because these core voters remembered who's name it was under Attorney General when they turned in and received their assault weapon registration letters.

[Asclepius]

Nevertheless, if Riordan is the party nominee, said GOP consultant Wayne Johnson, most in the party will decide to "stop fighting" and support him.

Gee, Wayne. Are California Republicans really that stupid and short sighted?

Perhaps another term of Davis mismanagement and abuse is precisely what the CA GOP requires to engineer a state-wide, and not simply party-wide, "conservative backlash." (When Yang is ascendant, Yin is on the rise.)

[I_Love_My_Husband]

I'm also voting for Jones.

[lewislynn]

Perhaps another term of Davis mismanagement and abuse is precisely what the CA GOP requires to engineer a state-wide, and not simply party-wide, "conservative backlash."

Don't worry after Bush comes out and endorses him the conservative sheeple will be falling all over themselves to vote for Riordan, who, in many opinions, mine included, is WORSE than Davis.

A Riordan win in California will be the first day of the last days of the Republican party as you perceive it.

[The Old Hoosier]

Riordan would be far worse than Davis. I'm not one of those kinds of people who won't vote for someone who doesn't agree with me 100% -- but I agree with Riordan about 0%. He's even more liberal than Davis, and I hate to see FAR-LEFT LIBERALS gain power in the Republican party.

[The Old Hoosier]

Riordan would be far worse than Davis. I'm not one of those kinds of people who won't vote for someone who doesn't agree with me 100% -- but I agree with Riordan about 0%. He's even more liberal than Davis, and I hate to see FAR-LEFT LIBERALS gain power in the Republican party.

[ibbryn]

This is a great example of how the "10% Solution" as proposed by Larry Pratt can work (NOTE: I may have the title of this proposal wrong, and it may not be by Pratt. Anyway...)

Basically, the idea is to inform fencesitting RINOs that they will no longer get the automatic vote of Republicians. If the RINO does not support the Repubician platform and values, your vote goes to an Independent.

This may give the election to the Rats. So what. The RINOs are no better and at least the Repubs will not get the blame for the Rats programs, as they would if a RINO was elected.

The idea is to get the RINO to realize that they will lose the public teat if they do not get with us.

I am stongly opposed to Riorden and would prefer a socialist to him for Kali.

[vbmoneyspender]

Former Gov. George Deukmejian is quite clear: He won't support Richard Riordan in November even if the former Los Angeles mayor is the Republican Party nominee.

Do you think Deukmejian is stupid? I don't. I think he has Riordan nailed. Riordan is at least as liberal as Davis is. And if I am wrong, I would like for Riordan to prove it.

[Antoninus]

Go Bill Simon! Dick Rear-dan must NOT be the nominee in California. His nomination will mean an automatic second term for Gray Doofus. With Liberal-dee versus Liberal-dum in November, you can bet most conservatives will stay home. And Rear-dan will lose.

The key to defeating Rear-dan in the primary is for one of the two challengers to drop out. Bob Jones do the right thing... please...

[Free the USA]

bump

[Redcloak]

[Toidylop]

The key to defeating Rear-dan in the primary is for one of the two challengers to drop out. Bob Bill Jones do the right thing... please...

[Gophack]

State voters have elected Republicans in top-of-the-ticket races only twice since 1990; in both cases, that was moderate GOP Gov. Pete Wilson.

Revisionist history again! In the last 5 governor races, a Republican won 4 times.

Since 1990, we have had the following Republicans elected statewide:

Pete Wilson, Gov (1990, 1994)
Dan Lungren, A.G. (1990, 1994)
Bill Jones, SOS (1994, 1998)
Chuck Quackenbush, IC (1994, 1998)
Matt Fong, Treasurer (1994)

We really have to get on the media ... they will rewrite history again and again and we'll have to start debating irrelevent points.

[Gophack]

Bush IS NOT endorsing Riordan. He hasn't and will not.

[Gophack]

Ping

[lewislynn]

Bush IS NOT endorsing Riordan. He hasn't and will not.

You're not only a GOP hack but a spokesperson for Bush too?

[Gophack]

GOP pollster Stephen Kinney disagrees and predicts a repeat of 1998, when Davis defeated conservative Republican Dan Lungren by 20 percentage points. "Riordan will lose by as many votes as Lungren did," said Kinney, who is polling for conservative businessman Bill Simon Jr.'s campaign.

The last three Republican governors -- Ronald Reagan, Wilson and Deukmejian -- all worked on securing the GOP base. "Riordan isn't doing anything to secure the base," Kinney said.

Riordan CAN NOT beat Davis. Riordan is so far to the left that he makes Jim Jeffords look positively saintly.

Davis will clean Riordan's clock. Democrats aren't going to vote for Riordan when they have a great liberal of their own. Conservatives will stay home. What is Wayne Johnson thinking? That we're all a bunch of lemmings who will jump off the cliff for anyone with an "R" by their name?

Bill Simon has the only chance of beating Gray Davis. He is principled, pro-life, pro-gun, thoughtful, smart, and has the experience and background to lead our state into greatness. I'm tired of career politicians who think that they can say one thing and do another and the Republican "faithful" will simply roll with the punches.

Bill Simon has proven he can raise the money necessary to beat Davis, and has the ideas, common sense, and conservative convictions to solidify the Republican Party, and bring conservative and moderate Democrats and others into the fold. Bill Jones, please drop out and endorse Simon! He's really our only hope.

[Gophack]

I don't speak for Bush, but I know he hasn't endorsed him. I also think that Bush is not going to endorse someone that would pit the majority of Republicans against him. Bush isn't that politically stupid.

I like Bush, and I know alot of my fellow freepers don't. That's fine. But I think that he is a man of God, means what he says, and has basic conservative principles.

Now, if he endorses Riordan I may change my mind, but I really don't think that he will.

[Libertarian_4_eva]

Count Deukmejian among them. He is backing Secretary of State Bill Jones and will attend the convention to show his support. The former governor hasn't forgotten that Riordan loaned and contributed more than $500,000 to his Democratic opponent, former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, in the 1982 and 1986 gubernatorial campaigns.

I do not know why conservatives would turn out for this guy he seems to be another Michael Bloomberg (r)EPUBLICAN.