Former Jones' Staffers Walsh + Lapsley Blocked Simon from Attacking Davis on Energy Crisis

Orange County Register ^ | 11/8/2002 | JOHN HOWARD

[Impeach98]

Former director of communications says attacking Davis on ethics wasn't enough.

SACRAMENTO

[VetsRule]

If Simon had run only a slightly better campaign, he would have won for sure. Sigh.

VR

[Impeach98]

I know - I can't believe it was as close as it was. That was bittersweet in a way :^\

[evilsmoker]

Or if people in the GOP had acted like we were all on the same team. It's one thing to do a post mortem on why a campaign lost (like this Fisfis guy did), it's another to trash the campaign only weeks before an election like the RNC crowd did.

[Dan from Michigan]

There's a reason I don't give to the RNC.

[Impeach98]

Why would the Simon people hired failed Jones' staffers to take over the Simon campaign I dunno. I'm just glad this guy waited until after the election was over.

[X-Servative]

So drink the Kool-Ade when it's obvious to everyone that the campaign was a mess? It wasn't one or two missteps that had people questioning the campaign, it was repeated, easily avoidable mistakes. Once is a learning experience, twice is incompetence!

[Reeses]

a deeply conflicted campaign with little direction from the candidate.

Simon doesn't have the leadership it will take to save California from its impending financial ruin. In a way I'm glad all Democrats are at the helm, there's not a single token Republican available to pin the blame on. After California runs up $100 billion in new bond debt, uses the money for short-term expenses, and *still* is in financial tailspin, the socialist government of California will finally implode. This is how socialism always comes to an end, and there's no sense prolonging the process. Let Davis run the state into the ground. Socialism will be dead for the next 20 years and conservatives will be employed to rebuild the state.

[dalereed]

"Walsh, a top aide to former Gov. Pete Wilson, and Lapsley, a veteran Republican political consultant, joined Simon last summer at the urging of the Republican National Committee"

Can you spell Carl Rove, they wanted Simon to fail from the start, they have absolutely no use and actually contempt for conservatives.

[Saundra Duffy]

Simon won in 40 of the 58 counties. Los Angeles & San Francisco counties did him in. However, if only REPUBLICANS had gotten off their lazy butts and VOTED, Simon would have won. Oh, well, it's behind us now. Those of us who volunteered our butts off for Simon are left feeling pretty bad but we'll get 'em next time!

[Saundra Duffy]

Riordan and his goons/stooges played a role in all this ugliness, too. As for Bill Jones, I can't figure out why he would want Simon to lose. Doesn't make sense. Riordan, yes, I get that; Jones, no. But then WHAT DO I KNOW?! I supported Jones in the primary. I'm for whoever wins the GOP nomination!

[VetsRule]

Totally agree. There were a few party hacks who absolutely trashed Simon during some of the most important weeks of the campaign.

I was like, "Whatever happened to the damn 11th Amendment?"

VR

[VetsRule]

Err, that's 11th Commandment, of course. :-) (Although I wouldn't be against a constitutional amendment to that effect either! Just kidding. Kind of.) :-)

VR

[Reeses]

San Francisco counties did him in

I currently live/work in San Francisco, am one of about two people that voted for Simon. I'm now moving to the suburbs, 10 months living here was about 6 months too long. A few of the restaurants here are superb, and with the slow economy reservations are not needed. But that’s the nicest thing I have to say about the place. I’ve come to realize that liberals want to live their whole lives as if they’re still in high school. The city is very dirty, noisy, smelly. You cannot walk far without being greeted with an outstretched hand for drug money or seeing someone smoking crack. The SF you see in old movies, when adults ran the city, has long since passed. I was curious so I tried it. Now I know and will never live in a big city again.

[oc-flyfish]

I was wondering why that was never leveraged.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

I'm for whoever wins the GOP nomination!

Ditto. Though I would have had serious trouble supporting the likes of Riordan... taxing-and-spending, Barbara Lee applauding, homeschooler bashing, Gray Davis-contributing snake-in-the-grass virtual 'rat that he is.

All in all, I blame Riordan more than anyone for Simon's loss. Davis' entire margin of victory came from LA County, where Riordan's sour-grapes muttering about mounting a write-in candidacy were well-publicized just a few short weeks ago. Had Riordan sucked in his ego and stumped enthusiastically in his home county For The Team, Simon would've won, pure and simple.

[breakem]

Your headline puts the blame on the campaign managers. Actually, Simon must be responsible for the decision. It was his campaign.

[Impeach98]

And we might still get McClintock!

I think Simon acted graciously at the end and I am proud of him for that!!

[Impeach98]

Your headline puts the blame on the campaign managers. Actually, Simon must be responsible for the decision. It was his campaign.

Fair point!