SIMON - DAVI$ DEBATE

The Media | 10/07/02

[NormsRevenge]

Just sitting here watching Davi$ dance. Simon looks good early. Davi$ looks sedated .. urr sedate .

[Greybird]

Bravo Simon, we have enough gun laws!

Bravo, you say? He's not admitting any right to individual self-defense. Nor that a Second Amendment exists. He hedged constantly. You do not enthusiastically enforce unjust or murderous laws, not if you're respecting liberty.

After seeing this debate ... Davis: Articulate, slimy tyranny. Simon: Prepackaged, earnest tyranny-lite. A plague on both their houses.

[NormsRevenge]

Davi$' Opening

And now, Governor Davis, you have two minutes.

DAVIS: I, too, want to thank the LA Times, and I welcome this
opportunity to discuss with my opponent our starkly different
vision for California.

It has been a great honor to serve the people of this state as
your governor. And despite tough challenges from energy and the
national recession, we've made real progress in California in so
many areas.

In education, we have raised standards, imposed strict
accountability, improved teacher training. Yes, there's more to
do, but test scores are up four years in a row.

On health care, 1 million children-1 more million children have
health insurance today that are the children of working families.

On choice, I've signed seven new laws ensuring this state remains
a strong pro-choice state. I've signed the nation's toughest gun
safety legislation. I've signed strict laws cleaning up our air, water
and beaches. And over the last four years, according to the state
economist, California's economy has grown from the 7th to the
5th largest in the world.

With your help, we'll continue to make progress.

Now, I don't question the sincerity of Mr. Simon's beliefs. Mr.
Simon is a true-blue think-tank conservative. He is the son of the
first family of the far right in this country.

What I do question is the direction he wants to take this state.
He is simply out of step with the values of most Californians. He
opposes a woman's right to choose, even when her health is at
risk. He opposes the sensible gun safety legislation I've signed.
That's why he earned the endorsement of the National Rifle
Association. He wants to weaken our toughest-in-the-nation
environment quality law. He wants to privatize our roads and
water, turning our freeways into toll roads and selling off our
water to the highest bidder.

My friends, it's not the sincerity of Mr. Simon's belief I question,
it's whether those beliefs are good for California, and I suggest
they are not. You may not agree with everything I've done, but
I'll work hard with you to keep moving this magnificent state
forward.

MODERATOR: OK, Governor Davis, that is exactly two minutes.

[dalereed]

Fair moderator????

Cuts Simon off, then admonishes him about time limits with 7 words left to finish his sentence and then "congratulates Duffus for his "exactly"! 2 minutes.

I guess it's called fair when it emulates from the L.A. Slime.

[Hildy]

Just a little bright note: My Brother, who is basically apolitical, but if pressed, would probably lean to the left (I know, I think he was adopted), shocked me yesterday. He told me he registered to vote this week, which apparently he had never done here before. When I asked him why he said he only registered so he can vote against Davis. He thinks the commercial campaign against Simon is deplorable. He said he doesn't know too much about Simon, but was so moved by the viciousness of the smear campaign that he thinks the guy should never be Governor.

[Feiny]

Excellent! I hope there are lots more like him!

[Gophack]

Davi$ says why not, its paid for by employers ;-?

Davis said that it's paid for by "contributions" by employees into the system. "Contributions" sounds voluntary, like I "contribute" money to a candidate or to an organization I like.

Mr. Davis, paid family leave isn't not funded by "contributions". It is funded by a MANDATORY TAX that ALL EMPLOYEES will have to PAY.

Dump Davis!

[Bonaparte]

"...him and algore in a typewriter fight?"

Yes, I can! I'm always up for a clerk typist death match!

[Gophack]

I hope this is rebroadcast.

I do, too.

Simon did GREAT. He was personable, calm, intelligent, and answered the questions. Davis didn't answer the questions, attacked Simon, lied, stumbled over words, misspoke, and looked drunk. His suit didn't fit.

Davis looked like a cheap funeral director charging you for a nice, lined mahoghany casket, then burying your grandma in a pine box.

Go Simon! You did great! Keep up the momentum!

[dalereed]

The worst part of the "family leave" is that when "workers" start to take advantage of it it will run out of money almost instantly and then the legislature will not only up the "contribution" but insist tht employers match or double the "contribution" and California then will be the unemployment capitol of the country when there are no more businesses to work for.

[Gophack]

Riordan could never have beaten Davis. NEver. He has so much baggage and garbage ... if Davis had been running $10 million in hit ads against Riordan all summer, he would be doing worse than Simon! And the hardcore conservatives will never vote for someone like Riordan. Never. And Riordan couldn't have gotten enough cross-over votes to make up the difference.

You're forgetting what a buffoon Riordan was, how is constantly misspoke and said stupid things and believed most of them. Even Davis isn't so stupid as to public say that we need to be handing out contraceptives to 13 year olds!

Simon was and IS our best chance to take out Gray Davis. He's smart and friendly and most of all, he's not a career politician. He doesn't need this job (and I don't know why he wants it!) but he'll do a damn good job as Governor. He's the only one who can clean up the mess Davis created without raising taxes.

Remember, Riordan was a tax and spend Republican. He opposed Prop. 13 and property owners would have been screwed with him. Davis WILL raise taxes and we'll be in big trouble if he's re-elected. But I repeat, Riordan COULD NOT have beat him, and would not be doing any better than Bill Simon today.

Go Simon!!!!!!

[Gophack]

Most businesses offer sick time to their employees, and many businesses give a break to people who need it. They don't treat good employees as slaves, they treat them as valuable members of their team.

[Gophack]

Simon definitely did better, and Davis blew it. I'm biased, but I really think Davis did badly.

[heleny]

If you're in Southern California, you can hear a radio re-broadcast tonight at 9PM on kogo AM-600. John and Ken (kfi AM-640) have Simon and Camejo in studio now, and they're talking about Davis and parts of the debate.

[heleny]

Simon definitely did better, and Davis blew it. I'm biased, but I really think Davis did badly.

I totally agree! Davis couldn't answer questions directly or stay on topic. He appeared to be mean by repeating his negative accusations and distortions when he wasn't mumbling or nervous. Simon isn't the clearest speaker, either, but he was personable, relaxed, and the content sounded great (given the time limits).

Go Simon!

[A CA Guy]

The turn out that voted in the primaries felt Riordan was not conservative enough. I think Riordan had a good shot.

Due to the lack of commercials by Simon, I think he is gasping for a slim chance.

Simon practically needs to jump out of planes with banners begging for the vote to even get noticed at this point.

People watch TV or read papers and neither have featured Simon except for the worthless lawsuit.

[A CA Guy]

I don't give a rat's bottom about Mulholland, I care about getting conservatives elected to office. If Mulholland runs for the Gov. let me know and that would be a great time to debate this.

[A CA Guy]

I am speaking factually, based on the lack of visual campaigning and inability to raise cash, this guy to me has been a weak form the start.
I like to see very conservative candidates in office myself. If we can't get who we want right away, we have to get elected anyone we can who can edge us closer to our eventual goal.
Maybe some call that voting for the lesser of two evils.

I'm voting for Simon, but I'll be surprised if he gets to within 8 points of Davis by election time.

I hope I am very wrong and that those mad at me now can razz me later.

Davis needs a disaster that drops all on him to lose this race at this point. IMO (I wish I were wrong)

[evilsmoker]

I thought so too. I loved Simon's dig about Davis standing up to Enron only to ask them for a campaign donation!

[Gophack]

We have four weeks before election day, and the momentum is with Simon. NOW is the time people are paying attention. NOW is the time people are looking at the candidates and taking a snapshot of what they think.

I think the election is going to be much closer than you do ... and I think that Simon comes out on top. If every likely voter in California watched the debate today, I would even say that Simon would get over 50% of the vote ... but I won't go that far.

As it stands, I think the vote will be roughly:

Simon 47%
Davis 45%
Camejo 5%
Others 3%

[Gophack]

You know, Simon refuted all Davis' attacks about the lawsuits, but Davis didn't once refute anything Simon said.