GOP boss says Simon campaign is worst in U.S.

Sacramento Bee ^ | October 18, 2002 | AP

[EternalVigilance]

Political hacks never 'get the message'.

They simply have to be replaced.

The old 'personnel IS policy' thing, you know?

[jetson]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/768858/posts

[Wolfstar]

I wasn't going to comment on this thread, but had to answer your post. You are FLAT WRONG. I am a Californian who has been an active Republican Party volunteer in my locality for many years. I don't know a person — not a single person, whether moderate, conservative, or ultra conservative — who wants Simon to lose.

You, and folks with similar viewpoints to yours, need to understand that in ANY race the candidate bears by far the greatest burden for how his (or her) campaign proceeds. In our modern system, candidates are SELF-SELECTED (except in NJ, it turns out!). Individuals put themselves forward for election. In so doing, they essentially say to potential supporters, "Follow me, I will lead."

As much as it greatly pains me to say it, the fact is the Simon campaign has been beyond pathetic. There has to come a point where folks have to stop "shooting the messenger" when dedicated grassroots Republican volunteers like me report the truth. In the end, your willful blindness hurts us all. Can Simon win? Technically, yes. But the odds are greatly against him NOT BECAUSE THIS IS A HEAVILY DEM STATE, like the media and many lazy pundits keep saying. But because Simon has been an abysmal candidate. And even that's an understatement.

[Wolfstar]

No one "hung" Bruce "out to dry" here. There was an 11th-hour, very dirty political hit put out on him. One that only worked because he's a staunch conservative. It was about Bruce supposedly going to strip clubs and the like. It came out in newspapers, not in political ads, so to this day who was behind it is unclear.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Thanks. I emailed the good Mr. Davis and suggested he might more fruitfully comment on Gray Davis' malfeasance, corruption and ...well, his record.

[Bonaparte]

No one "hung" Bruce "out to dry" here. There was an 11th-hour, very dirty political hit put out on him. One that only worked because he's a staunch conservative. It was about Bruce supposedly going to strip clubs and the like. It came out in newspapers, not in political ads, so to this day who was behind it is unclear."

We have different recollections of that, Wolfstar (and I'll be glad to admit it, if I'm wrong). There was no "supposedly" going on here. When the news broke, a few days before election day, Bruce freely admitted to it, adding that he had only gone once, on a lark and with his girlfriend. In late October, just prior to all this, the polls had Boxer ahead by something like 2 points. Too close to call. Herschensohn had closed a huge gap in just a matter of 3 months. When the votes were in, I think Boxer won by only 4 or 5 points, so statistically, it's not clear that the smear made much difference in the outcome. What I do know is that abortion was a hot-button issue that year and GHW Bush had no intention of coming to California to support an outspokenly pro-life Republican like Herschensohn. The national party had backed off, too, witholding what could have been a life-saving infusion of funds into Herschensohn's campaign.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

As someone who has donated heavily to this campaign I have to agree perhaps simon should not get all of the blame it seems more and more we are having a repeat of the schundler race in new jersey. the repub party need to wake up and get off their a$$ in that state I am personally sick and tired of ceding those 52 electoral votes every 4 years and if any dem was ever set for a beating in cali(and possibly turning the anti repub tide in that state) its gray davis.

but I do refuse to give up hope come on cali repubs you are going to have work overtime for this one

[Bonaparte]

Re your comments in post 43. The guy who dissed Simon in the media is no "grass roots" Republican like you and the people you cite. He is a high-ranking party operative, a very different breed. There was absolutely no useful purpose to denigrating our candidate, except to lower his standing in the voters' eyes. It was a payback for what he did to W's people in the primary. It was a message to anybody else who might get the idea of breaking ranks and bucking the President. What other purpose could there possibly have been?

[RonDog]

On Thursday, Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, singled out Simon's bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Gray Davis as the party's worst campaign anywhere.

"I don't think there's a worse-run race in the country than the governor's race in California for the Republicans," Davis said at the National Press Club...

O.K., now I am REALLY pissed off.

It's time for some REGIME change, and here is my order of priority:

1 - "FIRE Gray Davis!
2- Squash Sadam, and his "anti-war" supporters at home, and abroad - and
3 - PERMANENTLY purge all of the "fifth column" back-stabbing Eleventh-Commandment-violating week-knee-ed lily-livered RINOs like THIS bozo from the ranks of the GOP.

From Ask Yahoo!:

Dear Yahoo!

How was the term "fifth column" coined?

Matt
Columbia, Maryland

 
Dear Matt:

Great question! The Fifth Column. The Fourth Estate. The Third Man. All of these phrases can get confusing. According to Britannica.com, a fifth column refers to any clandestine group or faction of subversive agents who attempt to undermine a nation's solidarity.

Who came up with the phrase, and what's with the columns? Emilio Mola Vidal, a Nationalist general during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), originally coined the term. As four of his army columns moved on Madrid, the general referred to his militant supporters within the capital as his "fifth column," intent on undermining the loyalist government from within.

So the fifth column is a group of secret sympathizers or supporters of an enemy that engage in espionage or sabotage within defense lines or national borders. Recent conflicts have had their fifth columns: Iraqi insurgents in the Gulf War, Cuban rebels in the Bay of Pigs. Those columns didn't fare quite as well.

[Wolfstar]

Re your recollection of the Herschensohn matter, I believe you are largely correct. The only part I'm not certain about, simply because I don't rememebr it at all, is your assertion that GHWB didn't come out to campaign for Bruce due to the abortion issue. That was, however, "the year of the woman" in politics, as the media and Leftists spun it. So your recollection on that point may be correct. I simple do not know.

[Wolfstar]

Re my comments in Post 43 and yours in return: I am no fan of the media's, because I know from inside experience how they misrepresent things, sometimes deliberately and sometimes through sloppy or non-existent fact-checking. So I'm always careful to not take such items at face value. That said, I agree that party leaders should not be making those types of comments in public forums such as the National Press Club. People in leadership must keep putting the the most positive spin possible on candidates so as not to discourage the base. I do not, however, disagree with Tom Davis' point about the Simon campaign.

My remarks were directed at fellow FReepers who insist on giving people who put themselves up for office, then run lousy campaigns, a pass simply because a candidate is a "good" Conservative. For many reasons, we should demand better of our candidates, not excuse them. After all, when they run breathtakingly poor campaigns, like Simon has done, it drags down our entire slate of candidates and WE in the grassroots are the ones who are hurt most.

[Bonaparte]

Well, there's certainly something to what you say. A poorly run campaign isn't going to do any of us any good. I was livid at Barry Goldwater in 1964 for that very reason. But at least I kept my mouth shut until the campaign was over. Why shoot your own horse when he's still in the race -- unless, of course, you have a score to settle?

[NormsRevenge]

RUSH touting 3 day tracking poll showing Simon leading Davi$ :-O

You Can Make A Difference! FReepWatch !! What's Goin' Down?
...DATE../..TIME...	...CITY../..SITE...	...ADDRESS..	...MORE INFORMATION...
Monday 10/21/2002 - 12 pm	Chico, CA	CSU-Chico Corner of Warner St and Big Chico	CHICO AREA FREEPERS, HERE YA GO! A RARE OPPORTUNITY to DUMP DAVIS!!! Gather at NOON! Bring your "For Sale: Gray Davis!" signs
Monday 10/21/2002 - 3 pm	Eureka, CA	FReeP Davi$ at the Warfinger Building Next to Small Boat Basin Near Washington and the Bay	Could be another Union Rally!!! If you go, U R on yur own .. But We're with Ya in Spirit!!! :-)
Tuesday 10/22/2002 - 7 pm Gather at 6:30 pm	Palo Alto, CA	BAY AREA DUMP DAVI$ Rally TechNet TownHall Meeting w/Gray Davis Hyatt Rickey’s 4219 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA Cross Street - Charleston Road	Rescheduled Event GraYouT Davi$ Cancelled this the Last Time because he was BUSTED on the High Speed Rail Pay-Off! Freepers, Gather at 6:30 pm For everyone who has wanted to know what they can do to keep Gray "Show me the Money" Davis out of Sacramento, try to make time to be outside the following with as big a "For Sale" sign as you can muster.
Tuesday 10/22/2002	Los Angeles, CA	Chamber of Commerce / Small Business Conference related ?	Still need info to confirm this is a potential FReep opportunity; location, organization, etc.
Saturday 10/26/2002 12pm	San Francisco, CA	West Coast Patriots Rally "Stop the Warped (Leftists)" Rally City Hall - across from the Civic Center Plaza. Carlton Goodlett Place between McAllister St. and Grove St.	Bring your flags, signs and patriotism! Please be aware, even though there may be police there, we are each responsible for our own safety. Parking available at the Civic Center Parking Garage. BART stops a few blocks away. Cal-train + bus is also available.

Updated 10:00 AM 10/21/02