California: Early primary, low turnout could skew GOP gubernatorial vote

Sacramento Bee ^ | Feb 19, 2002 | Dan Walters

[John Jorsett]

Californians will be voting in a primary election two weeks hence -- three months earlier than decades-long custom -- because Democrats thought an early primary would help them overcome Republican resistance to a partisan redistricting scheme in 2001.

Ironically, while Democrats concocted the early primary to thwart any GOP plans to challenge redistricting via referendum, it eventually gave a Republican attorney general authority to hold up new legislative and congressional maps, and therefore compelled Democrats to seek a bipartisan deal.

[John Jorsett]

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[Lancey Howard]

bttt

This is encouraging news.

[goldstategop]

... inadvertently help re-elect a Democratic governor.

Actually it could help to dethrone Gray Davis as Governor. That's assuming Dickie Pooh is dumped and Davis faces Bill Simon in November. Now there's an early primary irony for the Rats.

[TheAngryClam]

Down with Riordan!

GO SIMON GO!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[paul544]

As we lose another election.....

[BlackElk]

The purpose of this exercise is not merely defeating Greyout Davis but to elect someone who is worth having as governor. Like Davis, RINO riordan favors baby killing, gun control (with door-to-door searches, no less!), higher taxes, and, if the pattern holds, gay marriages, no doubt. How is it again an election victory if RINO riordon wins????

First, RINO riordon is not going to be in the finals in November in any event. Even if he were, people who hate babies and want them dismembered are going to vote for Greyout as the brand-name item in a general election with scum like riordan as an opponent. Likewise disarmament obsessives, taxaholics, Lance and Bruce. Meanwhile, no self-respecting Republican would be caught dead voting for the RINO so Greyout would win by about 3 to 1 (don't believe the polls suggesting competitiveness produced by newspapers which want California to be safe for baby-killing, high taxes, gun confiscation and the love that nowadays cannot shut its yap). After Greyout by a 3 to 1 margin, RINOs will have Brook Firestone try to recruit Mikhail Gorbachev (offices at the Preasidio in San Francisco) as their candidate next time so that "we" can "win".

When Simon has won the primary, he may win and he may lose. If the morally and intellectually challenged polo player wing of the California GOP takes a walk as they did in New Jersey on Bret Schundler, Simon may not have enough time to make it up among people who work with their hands for a living who would vote Demonrat if the RINO were the only alternative. Then again, he and only he can win. Win or lose, there will be a Republican Party to pick up the pieces for California after Davis.

[Impeach98]

Last night on Channel 10 they showed that Simon has not only vaulted into the 30's now but that he and Davis are now essentially tied in a head to head matchup!!!!!

Davis: 44%
Simon: 42%

[nickcarraway]

Announcement to all Riordan voters: The election has been delayed by one month.

Riordan is supposed to be skiing ing Idaho. That just seems so right.

[let freedom sing]

step taken by Democrats to help them in redistricting, one that later backfired,

could inadvertently help re-elect a Democratic governor.

If Riodan loses, Davis will win in November? We'll see.

Simon needs to punch up his PR-- the ads are soft-- who notices?