Posted on 05/02/2002 7:50:07 AM PDT by GSWarrior
President Bush's much-heralded two-day trip to California may have reaped millions for his party's candidate for governor, Bill Simon, but it was more of a political windfall for the president himself.
Sitting with 22 community leaders in South Central Los Angeles, Bush managed to impress African American and Latino leaders who traditionally represent the Democratic voter base.
That meeting, and the president's speech in San Jose outlining his political philosophy as a "compassionate conservative," also provided a contrast between Bush and Simon, who faces a tough contest with Democratic Gov.
Gray Davis in November.
Robert Gnaizda, general counsel for the San Francisco Greenlining Institute,
said Bush presented a moderate message during the Los Angeles meeting -- and distanced himself from Simon's comments supporting Proposition 187, the state's anti-illegal immigration measure.
Gnaizda said Bush told the group, "You know my position: I'm totally supportive of immigrants, their rights and their enormous contributions. You know what I did in Texas. I welcome immigrants."
The president won raves from the minority leaders for skillfully handling questions on a wide range of issues, from immigration to financial practices that could benefit minority communities, Gnaizda said.
"This showed that Bush -- probably more than any Democrat -- can establish an effective relationship with the African American community and the Latino community," Gnaizda said. "Bush expressed his feelings, and established a rapport."
Gnaizda's positive review of the popular president came in a state dominated by Democrats that Bush lost by 1.3 million votes in 2000 to former Vice President Al Gore, who won large majorities among minority voters.
But Republican insiders say the president was sending a signal that he intends to fight for California's minority voters before the 2004 election.
"He has great personal charm and he can singlehandedly turn around the Latino vote in California for Republicans," said Ken Khachigian, a veteran GOP strategist. "If you look at the Texas template on this, Latinos are wired in, and he understands this. I want to get him into Orange County and San Diego County. . . . He ought to be out here 20 times before the (2004) election."
Reporters were barred from Bush's talk Monday at the First African Methodist Episcopal Renaissance Center in South Central Los Angeles, which included the Rev. Cecil "Chip" Murray of the First AME Church, Charles Kim of the Korean American Coalition, Antonia Hernandez, president of MALDEF -- the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund -- and former Huntington Park Mayor Fidel Vargas.
Bush was clear "he favors inclusiveness," Gnaizda said. To community leaders, he noted, it appeared that "everything he said repudiated what Simon stands for" on the controversial issue of Proposition 187.
The Chronicle reported last week that Simon, in an unpublicized radio interview before the March primary, said he "supports the concept" of the anti- illegal immigration measure and would "have my legal experts look at" revisiting the issue should he become governor.
The 1994 voter-approved initiative would have ended government services for undocumented immigrants. Federal lower courts declared most of the measure unconstitutional. Most of what was left of the measure was effectively quashed by Davis, spurring supporters to suggest they might seek a new court challenge.
Simon's campaign said last week that Simon supports legal immigration and is "pro-Border Patrol," but the candidate has sidestepped questions about whether he supported a controversial aspect of Proposition 187 -- barring children of illegal immigrants from schools.
The comments spurred the Greenlining Institute, a nonprofit agency supporting minority business and housing interests, to send the GOP candidate a scathing letter urging him to reconsider the stance.
Gnaizda, of the institute, said Bush never mentioned the Republican candidate in his meeting with the California minority leaders. And to many of them, Gnaizda said, the president's statements didn't appear to be a vote of confidence.
But the Simon camp pronounced itself more than satisfied with Bush's visit - - noting that the president's commitment to two days of fund raising that produced $4.5 million spoke volumes about his support. Sal Russo, Simon's chief strategist, said Bush has promised additional visits -- and the candidate will be assisted in fund raising and campaigning by Bush Cabinet members in the coming months.
Hehehehehe...
That's because it was an anti-Simon article. There's still plenty of column space left to bash the President later on.
Will wonders never cease?
Thanks for the ping!
Stay focused on his message. Answer other questions, but turn everything back to his theme: Davis' failed leadership.
Set loose pit bills unaffiliated with his campaign to attack Davis's individual failings (Oracle, fundraising, "pay-to-play", energy, education, economy, taxes, etc.)
Be emphatic but not angry in the debates; watch Kennedy and Reagan.
Get Davis angry.
If Davis loses it, he'll REALLY lose it. Apparently, it's not all that hard. The guy is insane.
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