Riordan defends his views before tough GOP crowd in San Jose (CA GOP Convention Day 2)

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 9 February 2002

[CounterCounterCulture]

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Riordan attempted Saturday to calm the doubts of party conservatives about his loyalty.

Riordan faced Secretary of State Bill Jones and businessman Bill Simon, along with an audience of the GOP's most faithful activists, during a debate at the Republican state convention less than a month before the March 5 primary.

[CounterCounterCulture]

If you were there today, please report in. Thanks.

[CounterCounterCulture]

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Dick Riordan rattles GOP convention unity (California Republican Convention - Day 1)

[goldstategop]

I don't think Dickie Pooh had a warm reception coming in and when he left, I don't think he sold any body on his candidacy. His remarks about abortion only told people that he has no principles he'll defend when he's asked what he does believe in. Gray Davis' attacks on the abortion issue is really a Willie Horton surrogate for questioning what Dickie Pooh stands for. What he really does he believe in as a Republican? I don't think he answered those questions in San Jose and I don't think he got backing of those in the grass-roots he needs to win the primary. To put it bluntly, he's in the wrong party.

[Torie]

Riordan doesn't need the grass roots to win. In fact the grass roots is a myth in California. It is all money, television, and hit mailers. But then you aleady knew that.

[Sloth]

``I felt very strongly then, I feel very strongly now that abortion is not right,'' Riordan said. ``But I regret using the word murder.''

Aargh. If it's not murder then why the #3!! would it be wrong??!!

[CounterCounterCulture]

California Secretary of State Bill Jones, left, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, center, and Los Angeles businessman Bill Simon, right, shake hands before their Republican gubernatorial debate at the GOP convention in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 9, 2002. The lunchtime debate, the second of three debates scheduled, was not televised and the only audience was a loyal GOP crowd. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

SOURCE

[goldstategop]

Really? Then why he did he bother appearing at the state convention in San Jose if we're all just a myth, hmm? Something in your statement doesn't click here. Either he thinks we're important enough to try to win over or he can get all the liberals and moderates in Gray Davis' camp to flock to his banner and vote for him. Dickie Pooh's theory is if he runs Left enough he'll get the Rat Left to vote for him because they think Davis' isn't liberal enough for them. An interesting application of Republican politics I've never in my entire life seen successful any where. If Dickie Pooh wins the state on his formula I'll won't begrude him his victory. All the same I will never vote for him cause I could never vote for a straight liberal. I'll always be to the last breath a conservative.

[Cicero]

Nothing Riordan has to say at this point will convince anybody. If he says he is a conservative, he's obviously lying. His poor credentials are thoroughly established.

[CounterCounterCulture]

• BILL JONES PIC FROM DEBATE
• BILL SIMON PIC FROM DEBATE

[Sabertooth]

Riordan doesn't need the grass roots to win. In fact the grass roots is a myth in California.

Forget grass roots for a moment... if Riordan's "moderateness" costs him some percentage of his base, and he doesn't win, what would you conclude?

[Dan from Michigan]

Usually on election strategies, we don't disagree that often, but I have a VERY hard time believing the grass roots is a myth.

California is not Michigan(It was the grass roots that beat Bush here Ironically), but I can't see grass roots being a myth anywhere. Are Californians that caught up in TV?

[CounterCounterCulture]

PING

[David]

"Riordan doesn't need the grass roots to win. In fact the grass roots is a myth in California.

Forget grass roots for a moment... if Riordan's "moderateness" costs him some percentage of his base, and he doesn't win, what would you conclude?

Correct. The real bottom line is that almost all these elections beginning at least as early as 1976 can be analyzed like this. Forget the term grass roots--there is a relatively solid base of Republican support that subscribes to some basic Constitutional government free market economics principals. We are not a national majority--maybe we are only 35% +/-. When Jerry Ford ran; when George Bush I repudiated his commitment on taxes; when we nominated the tax collector for the Great Society to run against Clinton in 96; a significant fraction of the 35% stayed home (or would have stayed home in 92 except that they had Ross Perot to vote for). Riorden is not going to get those votes against Davis and for that reason, he isn't going to win.

[=Intervention=]

*L* I'm afraid you've fallen victim to the usual Torie snare...stating something ludicrous and usually pessimistic in an attempt to stir up debate. All of our actions impact each other (so no action is truly futile), and besides, how do all those leaflets, ideas, money, get-out-the-vote efforts get going, if not through the grass roots? The passionate ones are the ones most likely to vote, thus their support is always critical. But then again, we already knew that.

[Area51]

In Michigan, Grass roots consisted of UAW members on a paid day off Busing the "core" Democrats to the polls.

Wayne County Carried Michigan for the Democritters.

[Orange Peel]

In case nobody noticed, California's state government is a real mess and all in California will suffer if it is not fixed. Richard will make a much better governor than what we have now. I do not plan on voting for him in the primary, but if he is the nominee I will have his sign in my yard. He did an excellent job as LA mayor and will be an excellent governor. The leftist cultural war will have to be fought in the battlefield of state propositions, though.

[nickcarraway]

Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Riordan attempted Saturday to calm the doubts of party conservatives about his loyalty.

After this he should have calmed everyone's doubt. If you doubted he was a Republican, stop doubting, he's not.

[dalereed]

"He did an excellent job as LA mayor and will be an excellent governor."

He was a lousy mayor and I for one won't vote for him in the General Election.

I've never voted for a democrap in 43 years of voting in Glendale, Los Angeles, and Oceanside but there's always a 1st.

[Sabertooth]

In case nobody noticed, California's state government is a real mess and all in California will suffer if it is not fixed.

True, but that's just one part of the picture. The country is a mess, and it's the Republicans who have a shot at fixing it. But first we have to fix the RINO mess in the Republican Party.

Riordan can't do that, he'll make it worse. His victroy would only embolden the moderates. Consider that Jack Kemp is a social and illegal immigration coward, and one of the worst back-stabbers of California Republicans in the past 20 years... Yet even he didn't endorse Riordan.

I voted for Prancing Dick twice for mayor, but I don't think I can carry chad for him this year.

[sasquatch]

If you were there today, please report in. Thanks.

Ping Carry_Okie in the morning; I spent the day fueling chain saws.