Posted on 02/08/2002 1:49:47 PM PST by Richard M. Nixon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 8, 2002
Former State GOP Chairmen: Riordan Unacceptable as Republican Nominee
SAN JOSE - Three former chairmen of the California Republican Party - John Herrington, Michael Schroeder and John McGraw - today issued the following statement concerning the candidacy of Dick Riordan:
"For the past few months, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has campaigned across California asking Republicans to support him in the upcoming state Primary Election. As former chairmen of the California Republican Party, we feel it is our duty to weigh in on the unusual candidacy of Mr. Riordan.
"After careful review of Mr. Riordan's record, both prior to his announcement as a Republican candidate for Governor, and through his statements on the campaign trail, we feel only one conclusion can be reached: Dick Riordan is no Republican.
"While we as a Republican Party will individually disagree on one issue or another, we are bonded together by a common commitment to a limited, less intrusive government and the belief that every citizen should have the freedom to achieve his or her dreams.
"Mr. Riordan's record has put him at odds with our core beliefs time and time again. While we believe this Party is more than willing to accept differences of opinion and a healthy exchange of ideas, we believe Mr. Riordan's countless endorsements and financial contributions to Democrat candidates, which began long before he became mayor of Los Angeles, have amounted to nothing more than outright betrayal of our basic principles, something we can never accept.
"Moreover, Mr. Riordan's statements on the campaign trail have not only put him at odds with the majority of California's Republicans on social issues, but his statements supporting tax increases and increases in the size of state government stand in sharp contrast with our core beliefs as well.
"Further, Mr. Riordan has shown a genuine intolerance for Republican candidates and grass-roots leaders possessing other view points and an unfortunate interest in his own political career over the interests of his 'fellow' Republicans. We believe these traits make Mr. Riordan particularly ill-suited to serve as the nominee for our party's top position, as Mr. Riordan is likely to engage in a selective support strategy to enhance his own personal motives that will leave many Republican nominees at every level out in the cold.
"As former chairmen of the Republican Party, we are forced to conclude that Mr. Riordan's Republican credentials extend no further than a check in the box of a voter registration form.
"In contrast, Bill Simon has demonstrated in the past months that he is not only committed to up-holding the core Republican belief of limited, less intrusive government, but has also shown a genuine appreciation for Republicans of every stripe. He has spent months campaigning across the state, building a solid, genuine grass-roots organization that will be of the utmost benefit to our state party in the General Election. He has also pledged whole-heartedly to support every GOP nominee in November.
"Bill Simon is clearly the candidate who should represent the California Republican Party in the General Election."
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If California cannot nominate anything better than the RINO Riordan for the GOP candidacy, then conservatives should at least stay home or return the favor that the NJ RINOs pulled and vote for Greyout Davis and then purge the party.
Unless you believe that the purpose of politics is to install an ostensibly Republican gang of thieves and thugs without a shred of principle instead of their Demonrat counterparts, don't nominate RINO Riordan. Don't tell us that the RINO may give you 5% better government than Greyout or jobs or contracts to your friends. Tell us real reasons why conservative Republicans should abandon the party in California to a candidate who favors abortion, homosexuality, higher taxes and wants to send cops door to door to enforce gun control, just for starters.
Nice link to the Schundler thread from last year, where I didn't realize who you were, as a relative newbie on FR (I had been off the internet for nearly a year at that point). But I don't think that my quote there is too relevant here.
In that post I was making the point that we should not reject SUPPORTERS of a candidate, because the supporters were arguably RINO's in the past. I was not suggesting that we should support RINO candidates. The particulars were that someone was saying that Schundler should not accept the support of Charlie Black, the well known sometime conservative political analyst, because Black, as a professional political consultant, had supported RINO's for election.
If the GOP still has a pulse out there, Simon should win. If Riordan wins the primary, I hope he gets stomped in the general. There's nothing more dishonest and slimy than a RINO. Democats are, by nature, dishonest and slimy but at least they are properly identified by their Party label.
Concluding my previous point, I would have no trouble with Simon accepting Riordan's support, in the primary or the general election. Won't hold my breath waiting for it though, LOL!
Don't agree, and am willing to vote Democrat forever in contests won by extreme RINO's, or Democrats In All But Label (DIABLO's), like Riordan.
For those unfamiliar with California politics, March Fong, Matt Fong's mother, was then the California Secretary of State (elections, corporate registrations, etc.). She was a Democrat, as was my father, who was then the chief hatchetman for then California Assembly Speaker Jesse (Big Daddy) Unruh, who was likewise a Democrat.
They were both then divorced and sort of dating, though my father told me later that it wasn't serious and that it was a great means of keeping tabs on, and staying ahead, of the political forms of my many practical jokes (the word is "sophomoric"). It wasn't so much that I was wild as that, being a politician's kid who grew up with politicians constantly underfoot (my godfather was Phil Burton), smart and curious, I knew far more than was safe. I used to creep out of bed at night and huddle in the hallway listening to politicians plot and conspire in the proverbial smoke-filled room (my father's study).
Which means I could do some pretty good impersonations to pull off stunts like the Alioto/Piazza de Mussolini one described above.
As for Ms. Rat, I later learned that there was a group of UC Santa Cruz coeds who were more than casually interested in my practical jokes (ordaining all the students at my college as ministers in the Universal Life Church for an April Fools Day joke - the first day of class for the Spring 1969 quarter was Monday, April 1, bombarding the security kiosk every Halloween with water balloons launched by a three-man slingshot made of surgical tubing, etc.). So they talked to my male and female friends to find out what I was up to.
I'd have gone looking for them had I known about it at the time - I might have gotten laid more often. But March Fong and my father didn't let on about that until years later.
Sorry for the misunderstanding, I still don't get it, but live and learn. Have a good weekend yourself.
People who registered as no-party can request a partisan ballot. All major parties allowed it, at least for this primary. The entire ballot will be of the selected party, so the non-affiliated cannot choose some Republicans and some Democrats.
What Republican Party is he talking about? Seriously, What Republican Party is he talking about?
Federalizing the airport cops, federalizing firefighters, who's next ?
Only a RINO can win a state wide race, like RINOS in EAST Do, e.g MAss, NY, NY, RI, CT.
Bret lost in a Liberal state...... even if Simon wins in CA primary , he will be lose to Davis in a land slide.
Ronnie as you may recall ran on the platform of being an FDR fan and a former Union President who liked the policies of JFK.
People are very confused about how Reagan campaigned. Reagan ran as a former Democrat who was still a huge fan of FDR. Reagan ran as the former twice elected Union President. Ronnald Reagan was far too smart to run as a right winger in California. He would never have been elected.
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