Another New Poll Shows Conservative Bill Simon's Support Exploding in California

Bill Simon for Governor ^ | 01/27/02 | Simon for Governor Campaign

[Impeach98]

This is GREAT news!!!!! YIPPEEEE!!!!!!

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Sacramento Political Insiders & Interested Parties

FROM: Russo Marsh + Rogers, Inc.

RE: Simon Closing in on Riordan in Another Poll

DATE: January 28, 2002
____________________________________________________________________

SIMON SURGE CONTINUES IN ANOTHER POLL
SIMON NUMBERS JUMP NEARLY 5 FOLD IN JUST 3 WEEKS

A new poll released Friday by the non-partisan California Target Book shows that conservative Republican Bill Simon's campaign for Governor continues to gain traction with voters. In three recent polls from January 10 through January 24, Simon's support has grown from 4% to 13% and now 18% and growing!

In a matter of three weeks Simon support has jumped almost five-fold on the strength of a growing paid media campaign, the televised candidates debate and key endorsements.

Simon has won recent endorsements from Rudy Giuliani, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California Tax Limitation Committee, California ProLife Council, the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs and conservative State Senator Ray Haynes.

SIMON CLOSING IN ON RIORDAN AS JONES EASILY SURPASSED

The latest poll shows a continual growth in support for Simon despite being outspent by Riordan in recent weeks. While the Simon surge is based on a $600,000 media buy, Riordan has squandered over $2,000,000 according to press reports - with almost nothing to show for the effort. Jones continues to flounder without any prospect for a serious media campaign. The three recent polls were the Public Policy Institute Poll taken from December 26, 2001 through January 10, 2002; the News10-SurveyUSA Poll released on January 21st; and the Target Book poll taken from January 22 through January 24, 2002. The only candidate making significant statewide progress is Bill Simon.

================
PPIC - Jan. 10
================
Riordan 43%
Simon 4%
Jones 10%

================
Survey USA - Jan. 21
================
Riordan 53%
Simon 13%
Jones 14%

================
Target Book - Jan. 24
================
Riordan 45%
Simon 18%
Jones 13%

SIMON NOW EVEN WITH RIORDAN IN PARTS OF CALIFORNIA

The most compelling aspect of the poll is the ground Simon is gaining on former L.A. Mayor Dick Riordan. Simon slightly leads Riordan in the San Francisco Bay Area media market (27%-26%) where Simon enjoys a 24% favorable - 3% unfavorable image rating. Simon also runs a statistical dead heat for first place in the Sacramento media market where Simon is viewed favorably by 27% of voters and unfavorably by only 3%.

RECOGNITION OF GIULIANI ENDORSEMENT GROWS

This new poll shows that the endorsement of Simon by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is playing an important role in helping to fuel the explosion in support for Simon. Among those who indicated that they were aware of Giuliani's endorsement of Bill Simon in the GOP gubernatorial race, a whopping 46% indicated they were supporting Simon. Only 1 in 5 voters was aware of the Giuliani endorsement when the poll was conducted.

As the Simon for Governor campaign continues to expand the size and scope of its paid television and radio advertisements in the coming days, this correlation will further propel Simon upwards in the polls.

JONES NOW IRRELEVANT IN GUBERNATORIAL RACE

The California Target Book poll also exposed the widely predicted end for the campaign of Secretary of State Bill Jones. Support for Jones is dropping to single digits in many parts of the state and among key demographics groups as a result of voters flocking to Simon. In the San Diego media market, for example, Jones polls just 4% of the vote. Without the capacity for any significant statewide media buys, Jones is likely to languish in single digits throughout the state.

RIORDAN NOW REELING UNDER CAMPAIGN SCRUTINY

The recent poll also shows increased negatives for Mayor Riordan as voters become increasingly aware of his inconsistent statements on major issues in the campaign. Now Governor Gray Davis is joining the fray and pointing out Riordan inconsistencies to primary voters!

www.SimonForGovernor.com

__________________________
Russo Marsh + Rogers, Inc.
770 L Street, Suite 950
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 441-3734

[irishjuggler]

WHo's funding the TV ads that attack Riordan for giving money to pro-life candidates and causes?

I can't help but think Davis is behind them, but isn't it a little early for him to be attacking Riordan? In any case, those ads are new low. Pro-abortion Riordan isn't pro-abortion enough? I mean, who are they aiming these ads at? How many Planned Parenthood employees vote in the Republican primary anyway?

[GreenDestiny]

RALLY TO OPPOSE DICK RIORDAN
SUNDAY, FEB. 10TH

A coalition of Californians against illegal immigration will oppose Richard Riordan for governor.

RALLY AT
RIORDAN FOR GOVERNOR HEADQUARTERS
12 Noon
Sunday, February 10, 2001
300 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Corner of Grand and 3rd street.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Easy access from freeways

Plenty of safe public parking.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For more info email Glenn Spencer

[Lancey Howard]

The big danger is that Simon and Jones will split the vote allowing Riordan to squeak by. I hope one or the other drops out before the primary

Good point. And if Jones is an "establishment" Republican out there in California, the same monied scumbags who are pushing Riordan may be able to "persuade" Jones to hang in, just to foil Simon. Anybody got a bead on Jones' integrity?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Agreed. I like Simon but I think he came across as a little stiff. For the next two debates he needs to loosen up and relax. He has good ideas, makes good points, and was the most specific of the candidates. As for Jones, he is a nice guy and came across as competent in the debate, in fact I think he beat Simon by a nose in the debate, but he was at times too aggressive and went on too many personal attacks. I was originally for Jones, moved to Simon, then after the debate went back into the undecided column. These rising poll numbers for Simon are a good sign. Everyone remember how far back in the polls Davis was, and then he came back and won everything? It is good now that people choose between Simon and Jones. Too big a split there could allow Riordan to get it. On the other hand, Simon looks like he is taking Riordan voters which is the best possible scenario!

[Libertarian_4_eva]

think it's great...but I don't want to jump up and celebrate Simon's victory in the primary if he wins and then see him lose against Davis. I rather see a Riordan victory and take a grain of salt then see Simon win the primary and lose the race for Governor.

The fact is even if simon loses and Riordan wins Simon will force Riordan to the right of some issues so its very important for conservative and liberal republicans to fight it out on tradional republican issues. Giving Riordan a blank check will even if he wins will mean more then just token support of conservative issues.

[TheAngryClam]

Simon is either taking Riordan voters or undecided voters. Notice how Jones holds steady the whole time. That 13% is mostly farmers/agricultural interests, since Jones is a farmer himself, and various party people who see it as Jones' turn. They're true believers and Simon would do best to just write them off and focus on convincing the conservatives in Riordan's column that he too can win.

GO SIMON!

[Lancey Howard]

The ads are funded by Davis.
Read about it HERE

And yes, it seems a little early for Davis to be attacking Riordan, but my theory is that Davis wants to paint Riordan as the frontrunner and wants to face Riordan in the general election. (Hmmmm ... Why would that be?) These ads amount to a nice, "free" push for Riordan, don't you think?
It stinks to high heaven.

[Impeach98]

Yeah but it looks like Jones' support is going to slowly shift to Simon if Simon continues to see his support grow in the polls. He will become the leading anti-Riordan candidate.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

True, the Central Valley is strongly for Jones. My hope is that whichever one of them looks the most viable close to election time, that voters will unite behind that candidate and give him the extra push to beat Riordan.

[Sabertooth]

Pete Wilson destroyed the California GOP...AND, he almost destroyed California with his phony energy deregulation scam

Wrong and partly wrong... Wilson kicked butt for the GOP in California, it was the immigration wimps who've stabbed us in the back.

Deregulation was a bipartisan failure to be sure, but certain follow-up legislation was supposed to have been enacted after Wilson left office... and wasn't. That's not his fault.

Further, I heard him interviewed during the height of the "energy shortage," and he made the point that Davis had certain emergency powers at his disposal to get power plants approved and to get dormant plants running, but didn't. Davis didn't want to offend the clean-air zealots, so he allowed the situation to fester.

[Impeach98]

There was an article in the paper the other day where a Jones campaign worker said that they had scaled back their advertising plans and they were only going to target 1 million voters out of the 2-3 million voters expected in the GOP primary. So they are already writing off 1/2 to 2/3 of the GOP electorate in March. I imagine Jones won't be registering too high among GOP voters in the March primaries.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

IMO, Davis and Riordan are overestimating the numbers of real Republican women who are pro abortion.

[Impeach98]

But if voters never hear from Jones and see and hear Simon and Riordan on the radio and TV then I think they will do exactly as you wish them to and will polarize behind the two leading contenders. Hopefully most of them for Simon and NOT Riordan!

[TheAngryClam]

Study your Wilson, man. Wilson sold the California GOP down the river. He pushed the largest tax hike in California history in 1991 (with some help from then Assembly Republican Leader Bill Jones, I might add) and then tried to gain control of the legislature with his moderates away from the incumbent conservatives. A lot of time was wasted on that precursor battle of the Riordan vs. the Conservatives we see now. He screwed us, and big.

[Impeach98]

"IMO, Davis and Riordan are overestimating the numbers of real Republican women who are pro abortion."

I agree completely! After the nasty abortion debates of the past decade one would think that the virulently pro-abortion women would have left the GOP anyways. I would suspect a majority of Republican women were at least leaning pro-life if not hardcore.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

I have never stayed home on election day since I've been old enough to vote, but.............I could not bring myself to punch that hole next to Riordan's name.

I am praying that Simon is the candidate.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Agreed. Pete Wilson gets blamed for more than he deserves. He's become a comfortable scapegoat for some.

[Sabertooth]

I'm not claiming Pete was perfect... I had to hold my nose with him often enough... But he was no Dick Riordan, prancing around in Gay Day parades or kissing illegals.

[TheAngryClam]

ok, agreed. Pete wasn't Riordan, but he created the climate where people like Riordan, and before Riordan, Tom Campbell and Michael Huffington (who, if I recall correctly, is currently undergoing a sex-change operation), are able to secure the nomination of the party that brought Reagan into politics.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

To be honest, the only TV ad I've seen here in the Central Valley is for Riordan and I think he's wasting his money. I would love to see Simon's Guiliani ads but I haven't seen any running here. Since Jones doesn't have any money, I don't think we're going to see any from him. His support was largely from individuals who didn't have a lot of money to give, as opposed to corporations.