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.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Riordan would be flattered as to the importance you ascribe to him methinks.The human race is in his hands.

The fight against evil is a full time job. Riordan is on the side of evil, even if he is only Saruman, not Sauron.

[rdf]

You are right. The RINO's and much earlier, the Progressives, killed party activism in CA. Grassroots politics means nothing here, except in the initiaitve process.

Riordan will win the nomination, with the tacit blessing of Rove and co. and then he will lose the general.

I should add that I have endorsed Simon, and I will not vote for Riordan in the general. Like 3 past GOP party chairmen.

Gloomily,

Richard F.

[Torie]

Well I'm voting for Jones, but it appears we will be voting the same way in the general (unless you are abstaining). :) Do you want to guess who the last Dem I voted for is? It is pretty ugly. No, not Clinton. I almost voted for Clinton in 1996 until those FBI files showed up on Livingstone's desk, and was saved from a great folly.

[rdf]

Do you want to guess who the last Dem I voted for is?

Sure, I'll take a shot.

Let's see ... you have a mind, and you don't like those who don't ... How about Carter over Ford?

Or were you speaking of CA politics? If so, Tom Bradley over Deukmejian?

Cheers, and generally for the stupid party, when it's not also evil ...

Richard F.

[Orange Peel]

Republicans had a winning issue with Prop 187, but those who believed the lies that 187 was a bad long term issue took over the California Republican Party. Lundgren would have won last time around if he'd made an issue of 187, but he was opposed to it!

[Torie]

Nope, it was Alan Cranston. His opponent was an idiot, so I lashed out. Ford over Carter was one of my easiest votes, although not as easy as voting against Gore, which was my easiest vote of all. I would have voted against Nixon in 1972, but then his opponent was even more dangerous than he was. That election offered up probably the worst choices of all.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Well said.

[ledzep75]

I am voting for the only real conservative for Governor in California:

Nick Jesson

[goldstategop]

Oh on that we agree. The fact he had to try to mend fences ahead of the primary shows the crisis he's in. A successful GOP candidate shouldn't have to do that. Dickie Pooh's violated all the rules and he thinks he can break one more! Hunhhhhhhn. Maybe he could pull it off, but if he does I'm not gonna vote for him twice. Nothing he's revealed so far has made him earn the vote he's looking from me.

[poet]

I will write in Simon or Jones if dickie wins the primary.

[goldstategop]

Yes he got publicity but from what you make it sound, its like he doesn't consider this crowd to be his constituency! So what was he doing there putting in an appearance for? This is the first time in history, by your account, where we've heard of a Republican candidate who wished he was somewhere else. And conservatives will be more than happy to make sure it comes true for him come primary day.

[goldstategop]

Sweet music to my ears is seeing that DIABLA go down in flames to defeat in November.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

Ugh! Those pictures! California is doomed! In my opinion we were treated to a wrestling match warm up. It's just a show.

I saw about half the debate. Jones sounded the best, which could be meaningless given current intelligence levels.

If, in the end, photogenics is all it takes to win, then it would be between Jones and Riordan.

Now neither of these pictures of Jones or Simon are very flattering, possibly due to a partisan cameraman. Jones usually looked beter than this.

Yet the really sad thing is this picture of Simon is better than most any I've seen of the man. And still he looks like The Dork. (Or maybe it's just me not being able to shake his appearance in the debate).

But the point I wish to make is that this situation suggests to me that the powers (moneyed and political movers) who offer up these selections to voters are laughing their asses off. (I suspect the California GOP has too many people who are happy enough with Davis they don't want to rock the boat unless they can stick us with the even more clubbish Riordan.)

Simon's backers ought to have known what he looked like, so much in fact, that I think they MUST HAVE known. They would've screen and sound tested and knew how he looked under the camera. So what is he? A foil against the conservative Jones so that Riordan can win?

As a small start, if they really wanted to help the man, you'd think someone could have lost his glasses and put contacts on him. With TV, the image is what counts. It shouldn't but it does. Just as voters should be more intelligent and protective of having their vote watered down by illegal voting, but they aren't.

Simon may have all the right answers to conservative issues, but as long as he has those goofy looks and mannerisms, he won't gain enough traction unless his supporters can get people to look past his appearance. How? Think moneyed Steve Forbes and you get my drift at how difficult this will be. And he neutralizes the more sedate Jones so that Riordan wins the primary.

An THAT would appear to be the club arrangement. Under neither of those men would California governing slow down is slide to the left.

Hence, unless there's some miracle, California is doomed for another 4 years!

[goldstategop]

I guess for you the perfect Republican would be someone who combined Bill Simon's stands on the issues with Bill Clinton's good looks. Oh yeahhhhhhhhhh. We all know now good looks isn't a guarantee of one's good character. Its just human nature though that many people will judge someone by how they look outside than by the qualities they have within. Good point though: no one would consider voting for Winston Churchill today cause he isn't exactly a dream telegenic candidate. <sarcasm

[Avoiding_Sulla]

You practically agreed with me with every sentence. Just like me, you don't like it either, and you recognize the problem we face. By all means vote your conscience. But you'll have to work overtime to speak to everyone you know WHY they should vote for Simon.

So, I'll bite: what does Bill Simon specifically offer besides not being Dick Riordan?

And be espeially convincing, because pictures speak louder than words, you've gotta dig him outa that hole his handlers helped put him in.

And if either he or you can speak like Churchill, I'd feel a whole lot more reassured.

[cartoonistx]

I'm sorry to say this to all you fellow Ca. conservatives out there, but... This year I'd vote for a Joseph Stalin look-alike if it means that the @$$++()L# we suffer with now is UNELECTED!

[tinacart]

Hi CCC, haven't talked to you since our SF freep! Hope all is well... My little grandsons still talk about that experience and I hope they never forget what we were out there trying to say. California is so socialist, it is scary, because as goes California so goes the rest of the nation. I'm fighting for Simon, because I can't vote for a liberal (Riordan, another Jefford's in sheep's clothing!). I sure hope we don't get another liberal, don't you Saundra? Can this state take much more? M. Savage says the people will at some point revolt, do you think this is possible? Or, do you think we will just shrug and take it, as we've been doing???

[Carry_Okie]

You shuold have seen the Riordan people: they were mostly angry young kids, fat cats, or gays. NOBODY was coming to their table. They had LOTS of literature left on the table. Simon's people ran out of literature, whistles, stickers, whatever they had people were getting it (ably assisted by FReeper NattieShea (her smile cannot be refused)). Simon's people were enthusiastic, and whoever issued the whistles on yellow ribbons was a genius. When Bill showed up across the street it was a party complete with brass band. As he sifted through the crowd, it was a bedalm of whistles. When Riordan showed up in the lobby it was a bedalm of whistles there too (hehehehe). From reports, Bill aquitted himself well in the debate (I was busy elsewhere).

Jones' people had one thing going for them besides the NRA endorsement, a poster-sized photo of Riordan whooping it up with Gray Davis. It was great. I asked them to put it up on their website. Hopefully I can post it here... OK so I'll email it too!

Finally, there were the parties this evening. Simon's was hopping, even Riordan flunkies were coming by to see what was going on. Made some great contacts and met some fine people. It was definitiely a profitable experience, especially for the kids.

[Carry_Okie]

It is all money, television, and hit mailers.

If the base doesn't turn out for him (it won't), Dickie goes down in flames, especially when the media bring out LADWP.

Bet on it.

[Califreeper]

Gee -- Unlike yourself, I thought Dick Riordan was a pretty good mayor! Let's see...he spent millions of his own dollars providing various supplies for the schools, he took only $1 per year in salary, he saw to it that grafitti became easier to report and have removed, kept an office staff in the San Fernando Valley that was extremely helpful when called upon for assistance, saw to it that much-needed street improvements were started, etc., etc., etc. No, he's not as conservative on issues like abortion and guns as are most of the Free Republic posters. He doesn't LIKE abortion yet supports a woman's right to choose. That's the LAW, and I agree with it, too, as do millions of "moderate" Republicans. A LIFELONG Republican, I voted for Riordan twice and will do so, happily, again. He is REALISTIC about such matters as immigration (the illegals are HERE, so we had better try to get them educated and assimilated!) and is a stand-up guy. Clinging to right wing religious "values" won't go very far in this state -- many of us realize that we are conservative on many issues yet a little more liberal on others. We still identify much more with the Republican party than any other, and are sick and tired of being condemned by the far far right.