[John Jorsett]

ping

[SamAdams76]

Bush should make the trip. How bad will Bush look if he doesn't go and Simon ends up losing by just two or three points?

[Paleo Conservative]

Looks good for Simon. I doubt the teachers' survey was biased in favor of Republicans.

[Paleo Conservative]

Published reports suggest that he might come in to Rep. Gary Condit's district in the Central Valley to support an underdog Republican bid to become Condit's successor. That won't happen. If Bush comes in, it will be to help Simon.

I don't see why it should be so difficult to make a stop by Condit's district on a trip to California to help Simon.

[caltrop]

He should absolutely make the trip. Anything he can do to help Simon and pressure Davis should be a priority. Any money Davis has to tap Hollywood for is money that won't go to influence Senate races around the country.

[Nachum]

Well well well...

Seems the worm is starting to turn against doofus. I would love to see some other polls now.

[NEWwoman]

bttt

[Gophack]

Here's the link to another thread on this same article:

California Puzzle

Go SIMON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mlmr]

Mr. President, Get on the plane and make a tour of California with Simon. If Simon is elected he will be your best friend in Government. If he loses, Bush did everything that he could. We need the state and we need to see our leader of the GOP out there helping our people win!!

[mlmr]

Mr. President, Get on the plane and make a tour of California with Simon. If Simon is elected he will be your best friend in Government. If he loses, Bush did everything that he could. We need the state and we need to see our leader of the GOP out there helping our people win!!

[Henchster]

President Bush (and Bill Simon) need to do nothing until election day. Why?

1) IF Davis TRULY has less than 40% support, he's toast already. Incumbants don't win with less than 40%.

2) The California Republican Party and Bill Simon have proven they can't organize a booze-up in a brewery even if you bring your own glass, so why should GWB waste political capital and time on something they'll probably foul-up anyway?

3) There's an old rule in politics, never stop you opponent from beating himself. Dim-Bulb Davis is in a panic as his popularity goes DOWN towards election day, and his latest ad is so bad, the Simon campaign should be paying to run it some more. After listing some bogus "accomplishments" including a lame fist-pump, Davis whines "..you may not agree with everything I've done, but I'm working hard.."

George Will was right, Davis is done.

[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

[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.