Simon Leads Davis by 8 in Labor Poll

San Fran. Chronicle - Matier & Ross Column (near the bottom) ^ | June 12, 2002 | Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross

[ElkGroveDan]

FIRST STRIKE: After five days of "positive" ads, Gov. Gray Davis unleashed the first in what will likely be a series of attack ads on Republican opponent Bill Simon -- and with good reason.

There's a new poll floating around Sacramento that shows the embattled Davis trailing Simon by a whopping eight points.

[libertyhoundusnr]

A poll of "likely" voters? Someday a poll of "legal" voters would be nice. What percent of the groups members are actually elegible to vote. How many are convicted felons? The BS warning light system just went to orange.

[Jean S]

Ping.

[Gophack]

Well, in light of these numbers, Simon should expect Davis to start spending his war chest carpet bombing the state with negative ads.

That's what Davis is starting to do. He plans on spending $12 million over the next few months. But the fact is, he has to. His negatives are so strong that he needs to not only convince people that they are wrong about him -- remember, these people are already made up their mind to not like him -- but has to convince them that he has done a GOOD job. This is be difficult.

Negative campaigning works, but Davis has to push himself up not just tear Simon down.

And, few people are paying attention to the election right now. Summer is here, there's a major budget problem that will take up most of these hot days, and Davis is going to have his hands full. Simon should sit back, watch any movement on Davis' negatives, and organize the grassroots. Then hit Davis -- HARD -- when people ARE paying attention -- after Labor Day.

Davis is wasting money, but he has the money to waste after shaking down contributors, businesses, unions, etc for the last three and a half years.

[CubicleGuy]

So when was the last time California actually elected a Republican governor?

Wouldn't that have been George Deukmejian?

[ElkGroveDan]

Summer is here, there's a major budget problem that will take up most of these hot days,

...and remember everyone start a load of laundry and set your thermostat to 58 degrees before you leave in the morning.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

So when was the last time California actually elected a Republican governor?

Davis is the only Dem to be elected governor of California since Jerry Brown left office in 1983. In fact, he is the only Dem not named Brown to be elected governor there since before WWII, if I am not mistaken.

[BibChr]

The last governor before Davis.

Dan

[Gophack]

So when was the last time California actually elected a Republican governor?

Republicans have held the governship more often than the Democrats for the last 40+ years:

DEMOCRAT Davis elected 1998 (hopefully only one term!)
REPUBLICAN Wilson 1990-1998
REPUBLICAN Deukmejian 1982-1986
DEMOCRAT Brown, Jr. 1974-1982
REPUBLICAN Reagan 1966-74
DEMOCRAT Brown, Sr. 1958-66

So, for 16 of the last 20 years, Republicans have held the governorship. Hmmmmmm.

[Gophack]

There is still approximately 19% of those polled who are apparently in the undecided category. Plenty of room for either candidate to rise.

True, and there is nearly 5 months until election day. In addition to swaying those fence sitters, it's important that we work to GET OUT OUR VOTE!!! We need to increase the turnout for conservatives, Christians, gun-owners, pro-lifers, SUV-drivers, homemakers, homeschoolers, etc., etc.

Turnout is key. Davis is a total failure. We can't let him steal this election. And he will try.

Go Simon!

[Black Agnes]

I'm afraid supporting the Greenies would have the effect of driving the pubbies to the left in order to pick up the 'moderates'. The perception of the 'leftwing' orientation of your state would become even more so. (if that's at all possible in Kookifornia :))

[Sword_of_Gideon]

Wow... I had no idea, but then of course I live in the Midwest.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

...it is clear now that hard working Californians will be free of that corrupt megalomaniac after November

From your lips (or finger tips) to God's ear......

[NormsRevenge]

The Pay To Play Guv ..
DUMP DAVI$ & the Den of Socialists



GO SIMON

[Irene Adler]

Incumbents are the known quantity in a race. Once voters have formed a strong negative impression of an incumbent, that impression rarely improves enough to translate into a vote for the incumbent. If Davis really is at 34 percent with likely voters, and Simon runs a decent campaign and avoids Davis's dirt machine, Simon should win. What Davis is trying to do is to increase Simon's negatives into something close to his own. With his huge war chest of funds, he may be able to do enough attack ads to smear Simon significantly, but he runs the risk of honking off the people who already don't like him even more so he can't win them back.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

So when was the last time California actually elected a Republican governor?

Wouldn't that have been George Deukmejian?

Didn't Deukmejian run on the RINO (Republican In Name Only) ticket? ;-)

[madison46]

Great news !

[Gophack]

We love the midwest where most people are great conservatives. But you guys have a (sometimes) false perception of California. If we had a major earthquake and the five miles of coastline from Oregon to Mexico broke free and sank to the bottom of the Pacific, California would be the most conservative state in the union!

Of course, sometimes you guys are right on ...

Go Simon!

[Gophack]

Deukmejian was a pro-life, pro-gun conservative.

[Nachum]

Well looky looky...

[Mo1]

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