California: Bush faces dilemma in Calif. (Latest poll shows Simon ahead)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | October 21, 2002 | Robert Novak

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Davis whines "..you may not agree with everything I've done, but I'm working hard.."

Guess his momma never taught him that when he was in a hole, he should stop digging!

[daviddennis]

Isn't it funny that we still have "beleaguered Republican candidate Bill Simon" even when he's winning?

What kind of press do we have around here, anyway?

Wasn't this the same guy who wrote off the Simon campaign for dead a few weeks back?

D

[DiamondDon1]

Our mission is to get more on that Davis the Controller scandel...who do we need to get off the stick and reveal the documents. If we can get them UNSEALED just prior to election day (i.e. no time for Davis to respond effectively)...Davis is TOAST!!! Let me know what research needs to be done and I will do what I can...

DD

[Carry_Okie]

Bush's dilemma:

'How do I look like I am supporting Bill Simon in such a way that he loses so that Carl can claim that conservatives can't win, thus justifying ignoring them and moving toward centrist socialism so that I can buy votes and pay off the big corporations just like the Slave Party does?'

[daviddennis]

A SFGate article on the letters.

The letters include obviously explosive allegations. Unfortunately, we have to tread carefully because they are from an obviously untrustworthy party, and will be attacked as such.

I strongly suspect the letters contain the truth, but they would be easy to discredit until additional evidence emerges.

D

PS To get more information, try a google search of

Nathanson "coastal commission" Davis

and see what comes up. I got that article from the search and I'm sure there's much more.

[Cicero]

Bush has been consistently misled on California by his advisers, who first told him to go with that loser Riordan and impose a Republican chief on the state who has been ineffectual at best, destructive at worst.

Bush should definitely make a high-profile visit to California. What does he have to lose?

If Simon loses after a Bush visit, no doubt the liberal media will laugh, but people of good will will still think well of Bush for loyally supporting the Republican candidate. If Simon narrowly loses because Bush just sent the lowest and most obscure member of his cabinet for a stealth visit, then Bush will be blamed for the defeat.

If Simon wins without a Bush visit, Bush will really look stupid. Simon is not a vindictive man, but Bush will still look bad. He will be seen as the man who constantly and ham-handedly interfered in California politics and almost blew it.

If Simon wins after a Bush visit, Bush will deservedly get much of the credit. And Simon CAN win, because Gray Davis has such a burden of negative feelings surrounding him and still has problems reaching 50% approval.

So, looking at the upside and the downside, the conclusion seems obvious. Sure, Rove and the other advisers may say Bush should give his precious time to other races first. But California is so overridingly important, it makes no sense to write it off, even if the gesture fails.

[Dems_R_Losers]

The poll for the teachers association (by Washington-based Republican pollster Jan Van Lohuizen)

Don't mean to throw cold water, but the source does have to be considered.

Maybe I can reassure you! I used to work for a firm that shared offices with Jan Van Lohuizen. He is one of the best and most reliable pollsters around. He is a low-key guy that does not do any TV or radio shows and so is not as well-known as other crappy pollsters like Zogby. But I know his techniques and have seen how he does his polling and I would absolutely trust any poll he does, especially tracking polls. I am sure this result is highly reliable, that's why the CTA and the Democrats and their friends in the California media have shut it up.

[TheSpottedOwl]

YES!!!!

He's up in the polls, so Bush coming out here could make the difference!

There was a thread a while back asking what we were doing to help Simon win. I have a "Dump Davis" sticker on my beige car; it's parked on the outdoor, upper level parking lot at El Camino college, plus I'm in horrid traffic jams at the elementary and high schools that my kids attend. Every other weekend it's the 10 fwy to pick up the kids at their father's house. The sticker is out in everyone's face :)

About teachers; I had to do a narrative essay as a class assignment. At the last minute I decided to do it on the FReep in Century City, because I was originally doing it on my dad and it was getting depressing (I still miss him). Got an A, with favorable comments :) The egray site was listed, and freerepublic was mentioned. Maybe teachers at community college are different from the elementary school breed? Oh, the assignment that we just turned in was a political cartoon, and our analysis of it. Of course it was the latest Gray Davis hooker cartoon ;-D Hopefully I did a good enough job to get another A!

[alwaysconservative]

I agree with your well-stated points and strategy for a Bush visit to CA. Let's hope he does this to affirm the faith of the pubbies in CA