Posted on 03/17/2002 2:21:26 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
The White House may have pushed former LA mayor Dick Riordan into running for the GOP nomination for governor of California, but is now putting its full weight behind Bill Simon, the man who beat him, and President Bush will be leading the parade.
In April, a full seven months before the crucial November election, the president will head for California to hit the campaign trail on behalf of the conservative Simon - a sure indication that the White House sees GOP chances of capturing the state as better than good.
According to the Contra Costa Times, the president will headline at least one major fund raiser for Simon next month, who polls show running head to head with incumbent Governor Gray Davis.
"We've had a lot of communication with the White House," Simon campaign strategist Sal Russo told the Times' Sandy Kleffman. "It's a high priority for the White House to make California competitive."
Political observers say the president has a lot to gain from a Simon victory in a state which in recent years has voted heavily Democrat.
"An incumbent Republican governor would be a very powerful asset for them," Michael Schroeder, a former state GOP party chairman told Kleffman.
"If Simon wins, Bush will win California in 2004," Schroeder, now co-chairman of Simon's campaign, told Kleffman
With the president popularity still running an astounding 82 percent, Bush's appearance in the campaign could prove to be a big asset for Simon, who already is showing far more strength than the experts believed he'd have in a statewide race against a tough, experienced campaigner like Davis. According to Russo, the campaign's internal polls now show Simon with 48 percent and Davis with 41 percent.
Democrats hope to topple Simon by attacking his pro-life, pro-Second Amendment position, picturing him as an extremist out of touch with California's voters.
Simon, however, has taken aim at the bread and butter issues as education, taxes and energy - three issue dear to the hearts of the state's voters.
"That's always been the place where Republicans do best, being principled and conservative but compassionate and caring about people," Russo told the Times.
Also on the plus side is Governor Davis record of failure in dealing with the state's energy crisis and his inept handling of the economy with California now facing a $14 billion budget deficit.
With Bush taking an active part in the campaign, and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, now enjoying the status of a national hero, stumping hard for him, Simon could repeat his upset of Riordan by knocking off Davis.
And you won't so long as the poll numbers are favorable to Simon. I'm surprised the liberal media don't just make up some numbers and put them on the air.
They called Florida prematurely in 2000 to derail the Republicans and it almost worked. I'd be surprised if they don't try it here.
How pray tell did he do that? Was it anything like Clinton making a recess appointment of Bill Lann Lee to Solicitor General after he had been rejected by the Senate? Or the illegal break-in to kidnap Elian Gonzalez?
I kind of suspect that myself. In that case, let's look forward to no polls on the California gubernatorial campaign at all!
No. However it would introduce a large enough element of doubt that Democrats would no longer be able to take California for granted. They might have to expend resources to make sure California remains safely Democratic.
Bush could win California in 2004, but only if he remains so enormously popular that he sweeps virtually every state in the union. In which case California would be irrelevant anyway.
Keep it up and I may choose to vote for you in the next presidential election year.
I guess JimRob won't mind that, as long as we don't post to each other, is that true Jim?
I refuse to give in to cynicism or pessimism like so many on this forum. Maybe I might end up disappointed a time or two, but at least I'll know that I tried. Predicting failure pretty much guarantees it. I won't accept failure that easily.
Add Lott to the same list and maybe we will have common ground.
Well said!! Even were our cause hopeless, which is far from the truth, we are obliged to do right as we see it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.