Simon Says--Surprise!

The Weekly Standard ^ | 03/18/2002 | Stephen F. Hayes

[GeronL]

... Simon wins is music to our ears...

[Ohioan]

but I'm not nearly the great communicator he was," says Simon. "Yet."

It is important that he learn to smile like Reagan, when he makes a principled Conservative point. That was the real key to Reagan's success. He always seemed like just too nice a guy to be the evil reactionary the Left needed to demonize. It was a happy, smiling manner that gave Reagan the edge over other Conservatives of his era.

Most people are not ideological. With the right smile and a firm commitment to your principles--necessary to convince those who may not share those principles that you are sincere, and therefore trustworthy--what Reagan did remains doable.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[Bubba_Leroy]

I like Simon, but I'm very afraid that Grey-out Davis will win.

[GeronL]

If Simon runs a competent campaign, Davis is gone

[uncbob]

well at least the majority of California GOP voters have sense

Unfortunately a state that went heavily for Gore doesn't exactly have democrats with the same .

Leftism will stay entrenched on the left coast

[nutmeg]

ping!

[uncbob]

Most people are not ideological. With the right smile and a firm commitment to your principles--necessary to convince those who may not share those principles that you are sincere, and therefore trustworthy--what Reagan did remains doable.

So that's how Gore was able to get a double digit victory--His winning smile and commitment to principle

[vbmoneyspender]

Parsky was not "on board" for a Simon candidacy initially and, even after the primary victory, is publicly doubting Simon's chances. "If you are an extreme conservative, you cannot win in California," Parsky told the New York Times late last week.

Even though Riordan seems to have been cured of his aversion to conservatives, it appears that Riordan's disease has spread to other high-level California Republicans.

[dalereed]

Davis, don't let the doorknob get stuck in your backside on your way out the door!

[House of Stone]

Simon is toast. California voters are so ignorant most of them simply should not be allowed to vote. Most of these people refuse to accept Bush's win. They still have the Clinton/Gore stickers on their cars. They will vote for Osama Bin Laden before they ever vote republican.

[Ohioan]

So that's how Gore was able to get a double digit victory--His winning smile and commitment to principle

Had Gore in fact a winning smile, and had he remained the apparently principled moderately Conservative, he appeared as in the Senate, rather than a cyncial Clinton clone pandering to degenerates and professional minorities, he would be President today. Had Bush not allowed the political dysron, Karl Rove, to distract him from the Bush that fought the South Carolina Primary, Bush would have won by an immense landslide, including California.

Again, most people are not ideological. If you meet the Leftwing ideologue on the issues, but with an engaging smile and an obvious sincerity, many of those who ordinarily respond to the Leftwing pitch will be won over--not to necessarily agree with your argument--but to your personality.

Reagan is the best example of the smile factor. There are legions of examples of the sincerity factor.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[let freedom sing]

"If you are an extreme conservative, you cannot win in California," Parsky told the New York Times late last week.

Let's not parse words-- Parsky's opinions are not shared by a majority of voters, who recognize a critical need for LEADERSHIP in CA.

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to and descriptions of the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[sgaspar]

I like Simon, but I'm very afraid that Grey-out Davis will win.

Davis is extremely vulnerable, a poll came out this week showing Simon 2 points ahead. Davis is going to have an uphill battle, considering that he is the incumbent, those are horrible numbers for him.

When Davis starts calling Simon an extremist that's not going to stick, because Simon is going to have Dubya and Giuliani campaigning for him, and no one can call them extreme (they are the most popular politicians in America).

[daviddennis]

You know, his affability is awfully similar to Reagan's; it's hard not to like him, and that's going to really hurt Davis the Drab.

Gray's unwillingness to answer questions on his record won't help either.

I see the LA Weekly(*) crowd sitting this one out. The Weekly is going to endorse Davis, in a lengthly article saying how much they hate him. Then they'll say they hate Simon even more, but I think the end result is going to make lefty voters apathetic. (Sometimes, ironically enough, the Weekly is their own worst enemy).

Throw in the traditional higher Republican turnout and I think Simon can win this one, and by a surprising margin, too.

D

(*) The LA Weekly is the West Coast Village Voice; in fact, it's owned by the same people. It runs lengthly, high pretentious political articles by noted lefty authors.

[Bonaparte]

Let Davis talk about abortion, gays and guns all he wants. Nobody in California believes for one minute that she won't be able to get as many abortions on demand as she wants for the forseeable future. It's just not an issue. And "gay rights?" Davis seems to forget that California is the state in which the definition of marriage amendment passed by a whopping 2/3 of the electorate. Nobody here is staying up at night worrying about the homosexuals. Also, gun sales have been way up in California since 9/11 and even before that time. Californians want guns (obviously, or else why are they buying them?), and as the polls here have consistently shown, the most important issues in this state are the economy, the energy crisis and education -- none of which Davis is talking about because he looks bad on all these issues. All Simon has to do is keep pounding him hard on these. Questions he should relentlessly pose are --

Have you looked at your energy bill lately?

Are you really satisfied with the public school your kid attends?

Are all the layoffs in this state making you just a little bit nervous about your job?

Simon should also start challenging Davis to a series of debates right now, and continue to do so until he gets them. If Davis refuses, Simon should emphasize over and over that Davis is afraid to let California voters see the two of them side by side and decide for themselves who is the better man.

[The Old Hoosier]

The polls have Simon even. Don't count him out yet.

[bybybill]

I`m confused...Simon won cause he apealled to the base of the party...Simon won cause Davis spent $10 million convincing the base that Riordan was a bad guy...the parties base won`t believe a word out Davis..I`m confused

[SteveH]

Not even the Weekly Standard uses the adjectives "left-wing" or "liberal" to describe Davis. Not to mention "extremist". (What's wrong with this picture, hmm?)

Simon can answer any charges of social-issue extremism by countering that Davis has a demonstrated record of drastically mismanaging the energy crisis, and the economy in general. If there is such a thing as economic policy extremism, Davis embodies it. (He's also a social policy extremist, but many Californians miss that.)

Simon can drag up the spectre of Davis asking Californians to trust him blindly during private negotiations with the likes of Enron. If he can stay on message, it should be a slam dunk...