Bush Declines to Share Stage with Simon at Hispanic Event

The Washington Times ^ | August 23, 2002 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[rightwing2]

President Bush will appear at two private fund-raising events for California gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon today, but he will not share the stage with the aspiring politician when he addresses Hispanic community leaders in Santa Ana, just south of Los Angeles.

[crypt2k]

Simon doesn't need Bush - so there!

[Dems_R_Losers]

And speaking as a right-of-center Californian who just cringes at the thought of Sacramento becoming even more of a Marxist haven than it already is, I am sick to death of the string of inept Republican candidates for statewide office that we've been stuck with over the last several election cycles. Don't we have any strong, charismatic, Republicans with leadership skills left in this state?

You had one, his name is Richard Riordan. You have a couple of others in the House - David Dreier and Chris Cox. Susan Golding, former San Diego mayor, is a fabulous leader and very charismatic; she would have buried Gray Davis. But she is a moderate and unfortunately supported McCain in 2000. None of them are conservative enough to get through a Republican primary.

[marajade]

That's what they stated about Bloomberg in NYC. Bloomberg was able to win with 5-1 registration disadvantage... Simon is too conservative for CA period... You just can't overcome such a big registration numbers...

[Wolfstar]

Section9, much of what you wrote is correct. As a Californian, I applaud you. However, I respectfully disagree about one point. Pete Wilson did not singlehandedly drive the Republican Party out of this state. What passes for Republican leadership in this state is truly discouraging.

Many people in other states do not know the following: The 1994 Republican sweep did not miss California. Republicans took control of the state assembly for the first time in decades. Then they spent the next two years squabbling amongst each other over who should be speaker and assorted other nonsense. They completely squandered the opportunity to grow the party and strengthen their advantage in the legislature. Naturally enough, they lost their majority in 1996 and have been losing ground ever since.

The same kind of squabbling occurs in many districts throughout the state. Some of it is plain political infighting. Most is due to fights over who is and is not "pure" enough in their Conservative positions. There is absolutely no cohesive party organization in this state. No effective use of volunteers. No effective leadership. And most importantly of all, no effective candidate recruitment. The string of inept statewide candidacies we've had since the mid-90's (Lungren, Matt Fong and Tom Campbell for Senate, among others, and now Simon) have been terribly demoralizing and destructive.

[Poohbah]

Susan Golding, former San Diego mayor, is a fabulous leader and very charismatic; she would have buried Gray Davis.

She's got baggage--ex-husband involved in questionable business ventures, some truly stupid moves as mayor in negotiations with the San Diego Chargers and the San Diego Padres (San Diego now guarantees the Chargers a minimum of 59,000 tickets sold for EVERY home game). She also has very little name recognition outside San Diego, which nuked her Senate campaign before it even got started.

[Coop]

As for the photo-op: yes, I agree that Rove's people did a competent job putting it together. Maybe they can share some pointers with Simon's team.

I notice you're unable to give any credit at all. That speaks volumes about both your perspective and your maturity.

I'm sorry, are you a poor little self-esteem-deprived Simon staffer?

No, actually I live in VA. I'm just quite able to separate the BS from facts. You reek.

Has Simon had a bad stretch? Sure. Is this race over? Not at all. Despite all your whining and shrieking.

[NormsRevenge]

You may have hit it on the head. The voter of 4 years ago is a different voter and will be more prepared to do the right thing and throw out Gay urr GRaYouT McDeViou$ ... It's why the liebrals and socialists are squealing like pigs.

Having the money and the exposure from the Bush visits is nice .. But in the end, voters, many of them new voters, will see thru the Attack Ads and all the scandals and Throw Da Bum(s) Out!! imo

[marajade]

In relation of Golding not being known outside of San Diego... Who in the heck heard of Simon?

[Coop]

Here we go....setting up Bush to take the blame when Simon loses.

It's a complete shame you typed five or six paras on this topic. I haven't blamed President Bush for anything. I give him credit for keeping his word and supporting a good conservative candidate.

[RichInOC]

marajade, I live in Southern California. I watch the LA stations. So I've seen what Dick Riordan's been like as mayor and later as a candidate for governor. Trust me on this: no, he wouldn't have been more successful than Bill Simon. It's not that he's a leftist Republican (though he is). It's that he's an inept public speaker and (judging by the primary) would have been an inept campaigner. Think a cross between Bob Dole and James Stockdale in the '92 VP debate. Gray Davis would have chewed up Dick Riordan and spit out the bones.

[marajade]

Unless you've lived in CA you can't begin to understand the political climate there... Most Republicans are Democrats with "Rs" after their name...

[marajade]

Davis will win no matter who the Republicans nominated...

[Coop]

Oh, thanks. Yeah, I never would have been able to grasp that key fact without living there.

Okay, fine. I lived in CA for over two years.

[NEWwoman]

Thanks! Good picture.

[marajade]

How recently?

[section9]

Normally, I'd give you a good caning. However, in deference to Coop, I'll hold my fire. Understand that I want Simon to win just as much as you do. I just don't like to see a once-in-a-lifetime chance to dump the Grayout pissed away like this.

If y'all in CA are lucky, Simon has had his "month from Hell", as all candidates do. If not, if there's another skeleton in the closet, then no amount of Bush visits and personal endorsements, nor any bitching at the Electronic Pimps of the Press Corps, will save Bill Simon.

Bill Simon has told Bush that there's nothing else out there, and I'll hold him to that. Bush sure as taters will.

If Simon can begin a long climb to parity by using guerrilla tactics and a ground campaign of volunteers, he might just pull this off. He can't outspend Davis, but he can motivate Republicans to outwork and outfight Davis' people.

Therein lies the key.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Poohbah]

I notice you're unable to give any credit at all. That speaks volumes about both your perspective and your maturity.

The photo-op was run far too smoothly to be the sole work of Simon's team, unless they've all suddenly received brain transfusions.

There are two possible explanations: (a) Simon's team suddenly got intelligent and coordinated, immediately after another reorganization, or (b) Rove's people were handling most of the work.

One requires me to suspend all knowledge of how organizations work--and how they get dysfunctional; the other merely requires me to believe that the "senior" team asked for and received permission to take charge.

Gosh, this is SO hard to decide...

No, actually I live in VA. I'm just quite able to separate the BS from facts. You reek.

OK, so you're a worthless virtual carpetbagger who doesn't live out here, and hasn't been tearing his hair out at every new outrage from the Simon campaign.

Has Simon had a bad stretch? Sure.

Unfortunately, the bad stretch started right after his victory speech in March.

Is this race over? Not at all.

Only because Gray Davis can still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But Simon has managed to either (a) never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, or (b) execute boomerang attacks that come back to haunt him.

[Poohbah]

In relation of Golding not being known outside of San Diego... Who in the heck heard of Simon?

The name had some vague familiarity because of his tenure in the Reagan Administration.

[marajade]

Golding was mayor of this country's sixth largest city which is mostly politically conservative.... Shouldn't that have counted for something?

[section9]

Thanks for the correction, Wolfstar. I was given to understand that Wilson's support for restrictions on illegal immigrants access to healthcare became poison for our Party in the Southland.

Republican dithering in the Assembly was inexcusable, if true. Contrast that to the Republican activity in Florida once both houses were seized by the Pubbies. They worked mightily to speed legislation through the chambers, and worked very mightily to work well with Governor Bush. As a result, we have the first real stab at education reform and real accountability.

One last thing that irks me about Wilson, however. Apparently, in 1990, he considered appointing then professor Condoleezza Rice to the Senate to fill an opening. Instead, his got in touch with his Inner RINO and picked some nonentity who got hammered by Feinstein in 1992. Rice might have had a fighting chance in CA that year.

Ach!

Be Seeing You,

Chris