If Davis runs against Bush in 2004, he'd be crushed, because he has plenty of skeletons rattling around, and Bush could exploit them ruthlessly. And Davis can't use the experience card against the hyper-experienced Bush.
One thing I found very interesting about this race was how small a role ideology seemed to play. It was all about experience and track record. On that basis, I don't think Simon was rejected by the voters because he was too conservative. I think he was rejected because the Davis attack ads convinced people he was worse than Davis. I find that remarkable considering how bad Davis was, but, well, those are the numbers.
I think Simon ran a fine campaign in light of the resources he had. The decisions he made that were obviously poor in hindsight - such as not running many ads early - were clearly made because he didn't have the money. Obviously he is not a master fundraiser like Davis. If he was, I think he would have won. If he'd had more help from the California Republicans - and this lack is something that genuinely upsets me - he would have won.
There is, however, one place where I would definitely criticise him, and that is in the organization of his events. Until I got wired into the network with RonDog and friends, I would never know where or when Simon was speaking until after the event. In my opinion, they should have sent a weekly schedule in their email newsletter and had clear contact information for all their events. Then I would have been more likely to be active, and much more likely to donate money if I could have handed it over to the candidate personally.
I also think Simon would have won if the check fiasco hadn't occured. I was absolutely amazed how many people that turned off. It didn't affect me, since I know mistakes happen, but most voters apparently aren't quite that forgiving.
From what I saw of the results, it looks like Los Angeles County alone was enough to tip the balance of power Davis' way. Without LA, Simon would have won. I would therefore try and figure out why he was so unpopular here, and do something about it. I don't think of LA as a major Union town, or a major government worker town; why do so many people here support Davis?
Simon spent a lot of time in the more remote areas of the state, and it appears to have paid off with overwhelming support in those areas. But I wonder if a few more appearances in LA would have helped. The more people saw Simon in action, the more they liked him. I know this is true of RonDog, Tony in Hawaii and myself; and probably many others I haven't asked.
Anyway, I leave this election season with a certain sadness, since it was so much fun to spend my evenings and weekends in support of Bill Simon. It's hard to believe that there will be no more rides on the campaign bus, no more interesting events to go to in strange places, and no more political fun and excitement. I hope all the friends I've met during this campaign will stay in touch, and we'll find some new cause to interest us soon.
And I want to emphasize something: I have no doubt that many of the friends I've met on the trail will feel a depression, a letdown, a sense of failure. I'd like to tell them that I've loved working with them, and I look forward to doing so again. It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game - and I have yet to find finer partners in playing the game.
As a final tribute to the campaign and all the fun I've had on the trail, check out Gray & Me, my last Simon campaign video.
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