Simon Loss From Walsh-Lapsley Missteps - An Analysis

The Sacramento Bee ^ | November 7th, 2002 | Jamie Fisfis

[Impeach98]

Bill Simon's political team inadvertently accomplished what no one thought possible just two years ago: They ran a campaign against Democrat Gov. Gray Davis without mentioning the energy crisis.

Team Simon tried to run the Republican candidate for governor as an ethical standard-bearer in moderate California. The strategy wasted four years of work by Republicans in the Legislature, who hammered Davis on energy missteps and then heroically sustained a budget debate until September even as it was obvious that Team Simon was doing nothing to take advantage of their efforts. Instead, the Simon campaign defied the wisdom of all its polling, its extensive focus groups and even recent California political history. It entered the ethics minefield.

[Impeach98]

I was sick of reading Arnie Steinberg's analysis of why Bill Simon sucks - which again are printed in National Review. Arnie Steinberg worked for Dick Riordan's primary campaign and was fired. He then was rejected apparently by the Simon campaign. So ever since he has seethed with acidic acrimony against Bill Simon which drives me crazy.

A week before the primary I remember Arnie Steinberg wrote how Simon was a loser and couldn't win and predicted victory for Bill Jones (who came in last).

After that he began whining about how Bill Simon never deserved to win the GOP nomination. Now he has all these reasons why Bill Simon lost.

Instead I prefer the analysis of a former Simon staffer I knew who was much more keen than Mr. Steinberg. He helped elect Simon during the primary and would have been a wise adviser for Simon had the Sean Walsh-Rob Lapsley failed Jones advisers not taken over the campaign.

.

[truth_seeker]

You may not like the messenger, but the sad truth is that Simon ran about as bad of a campaign, as anyone possibly could.

Several different sources made that observation, during the campaign. Simon supporters told them 'they were wrong, Simon was doing well, just wait and see, Simon will win, blah, blah, blah.'

Well, Simon was doing poorly, and they were right. I was among them, and I didn't work for Riordan or Jones.

The top guy is responsible. Simon showed himself to not be smart enough, to simply manage and DIRECT a campaign staff.

To Direct. To Direct. To Manage. To Manage. To Lead. To Lead. You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility.

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

To be honest, the "consultant" advice that GOP state candidates have gotten over the past half-dozen years has been disastrous. The overriding principle has been run from the right to the "center" (i.e. political left). That's what Arnold Schwarzenegger is already doing.

The advice has been so bad that it makes me wonder if there aren't Democrat "5th columnist" agents of influence on the payroll of the CA state GOP (CRP). Hate to venture into the "conspiracy nut" category, but California is NOT a monolithically Democrat state. There are one heck of a lot of Republicans out here who could make a run of things. But it seems like the state GOP organization trashes every opportunity.

Simon was a good candidate. His "political" instincts were immature, but he was a solid candidate. God Himself would have a hard time running effectively if the Devil had a $60 million head start to define Him as evil.

[Impeach98]

I do like the messenger - Mr. Jamie Fisfis! I do wish Bill Simon could have waged a campaign more appropriately focused on the energy crisis, budget crisis, etc...

These were the issues that Mr. Davis was most vulnerable on. And these will surely be the areas of his failures in his second term. Too bad Mr. Lapsley and Mr. Walsh did not understand this.

[Impeach98]

"God Himself would have a hard time running effectively if the Devil had a $60 million head start to define Him as evil. "

This part I do agree with. No matter who it was who guided Mr. Simon it would have been tough against that much money thrown at him... constantly defining who Bill Simon was instead of who Mr. Davis was and his failed track record.

Let us all now focus on ridding ourselves of Ms. Barbara Boxer!!

[Greybird]

Let us all now focus on ridding ourselves of Ms. Barbara Boxer!!

Not gonna happen with THIS crew. If the same people manage the campaign of the anti-Boxer candidate, that woman will be so entrenched that she'll one day be Senate Minority Leader.

Five months ago I predicted that the California GOP leadership, and Simon, were so inept that what should be won by more than 15 points would be lost by about five points. I take NO pleasure in being right. I have lived in three other states, and none of them remotely approaches the abysmal quality of this state's GOP officials.

[Kenny Bunk]

On the Money!

Republicans would often do better to hire ad agencies from the yellow pages instead of the crews of misfits they all too often wind up with.
If it weren't so serious, the campaigns of Lazio in NY, Forrester in NJ, and this Simon guy would be funny! And not one word about voter fraud in CA? How the hell would anyone know who won anything in LALA LAND?

[Coleus]

William E. Simon, Sr. & Jr. Devout Catholics, Philanthropists and Politicians


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/784782/posts

[AmericanVictory]

Through our California partner, former State Senator Don Rogers, we talked to some Simon folks about an environmental/energy policy emphasizing breakthrough technology to solve the energy shortages and bring cleaner, cheaper, better mileage fuel to California along with cheaper, cleaner crude production, elimination of 80% of water usage through true recycling for energy and agriculture, and other such pioneering efforts. After several talks, the Simon folks, some of whom served with Don in the legislature, stopped talking. Don't bother them with solutions.

[navigator]

Thanks for your post. Do you have anything more to add?

[Impeach98]

No - I wish I did. I just find it all fascinating because it bothered me that the Simon team did not go after Davis on the issues of the energy crisis, education and the economy. I had a lot of friends who worked for Simon's campaign in some capacity and they all lamented the obsessive focus on "pay-to-play" as it was called.

This OpEd seems to explain in better detail why that was and it makes me feel better about Bill Simon. Although he did hire and entrust Mr. Walsh and Mr. Lapsley so I guess he has to accept that blame.