I agree with you. Simon needs to stay on the path that has been sown. I think that he naturally is how he seems to us: a quiet conservative who isn't completely comfortable being in the public eye, but determined to get his message out and not be sidetracked by the personal attacks and petty games of the Left.
Davis can't win talking about the issues California voters are thinking about. He's TRYING to make the election about abortion. But no one really thinks that Roe v Wade is going to be overturned, and no one really thinks that abortion-on-demand is a "good" thing (most people probably are someplace in between). The election is not going to be won or lost on abortion: if Davis doesn't start addressing the economy, energy and education, he's going to continue to see huge disapproval ratings (the latest is 58%.)