California: Analysis: A big blow, but GOP still hopeful

Sac Bee ^ | 8/1/02 | Amy Chance

[NormsRevenge]

In the statement Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon submitted for the November ballot pamphlet, he touts his investment background as one reason he'd make a good governor.

"I've always conducted my business with the highest ethical standards," he says in the paragraphs voters will see as they go to the polls.

[NormsRevenge]

DUMP DAVI$ & the Den of Socialists

GO SIMON

[goldstategop]

The liberal media is writing Bill Simon's political obituary. They figure he's politically dead. After all, why would California voters entrust the state government to a crooked CEO?

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Funny... back in 2000, when Bill Simon first crossed my radar screen, I did a little research and found the Hindelang episode. By then Hindelang had been fired, and the question in my mind was how the heck did he manage to make it past Simon & Sons' due-diligence process? It was obviously a very costly oversight... and now it's gone even more costly!

Well, it turned out that the due-diligence had been performed for Simon & Sons by Deloitte & Touche. Interesting... a friend who is an (exceptional!) business-intelligence researcher found tons on Hindelang in the public record in a few minutes, but D&T had managed to miss it all. IMHO Simon & Sons might have a case against D&T for their failure to find this stuff.

I'm trying to dig up the information again and will post any public-domain stuff as I can.

[Coop]

I notice this article forgot to mention the most recent media poll that came out on this race. You know, the News 10 one showing Simon leading 47-45%? :-)

Funny. Previously any article on this race was always accompanied by a reference to one of the Field Polls showing Davis leading, even if they were months old.

Note: Out of eleven polls I've seen, only two (Apr and Jun Field polls) have shown Davis in the lead. Two of eleven. And they're trying to write Simon's obituary. :-D

[Always Right]

"At some point, don't reasonable people have to say to themselves, wait a minute, how can you have all of these foul-ups, fiascoes and fraud allegations if there's nothing there?"

Somehow I think of Bill Clinton when I read that line. Doubt if the Sacramento Bee did.

[Gophack]

"Now we have a company being sued for fraud that has his name on it, and we didn't even know about the company," South said. "That tells you something about his so-called disclosure. How much more is out there that we don't know about?"

Because Simon wasn't named in the suit, and Simon wasn't involved in the transaction.

But Democrats lie.

[Gophack]

They also said that Wilson was toast in 1994; Reagan wouldn't win in 1980; and George W. Bush would lost in 2000.

I don't trust the liberal media. Let's see how all this plays out over the next week or two.

[eureka!]

As I said elswhere, the presstitutes and Grayout have one last hope: get Simon's negatives on a par with Davis. That is what the ads and these articles are trying to do. The actual stories will be old news in a week. Keep the faith. Long way to votin' time....

[Gophack]

Keep the faith. Long way to votin' time....

Bump! Dump Davis!

[goldstategop]

Huh huh. And here we have a jury give a big award to a drug smuggler. In view of the present climate suspecting corporate CEOs of malfeasance, it would have been difficult for Simon to win even if he had been a complete angel. Yeah I expect the verdict to be eventually set aside or overturned but don't look for the liberal media to mention Simon's been cleared.

[Digger]

Have you FReepers ever figured out why there is NO conservative big time newspaper or TV media outlet. A different perspective for us conservatives would sell like crazy make mega bucks but there is none. Ya don't think that keeping most dumbed-down is the desire of all of these elites.

[daviddennis]

Well, if South has all this wonderful fodder, one wonders why his recent negative ads are so weak.

Was Bill Simon actively working with the Simon Family Trust at the time of this investment debacle? I don't think so, in which case he's entirely off the hook, and the only thing this situation has in common with him is the use of the same last name.

From what I see of the lawsuit, the plaintiff is saying that the Simons made the investment, with the allegedly hidden desire that it be grown quickly and taken public. I would be very surprised if this intention was not made clear to the plaintiff, since generally that's the only reason someone like Simon would make such a substantial investment in such a company. In fact, investors will usually make the possible fulfullment of the original owner's dream of riches a primary reason for accepting their help.

So I simply do not believe the allegations in this lawsuit.

I don't think there are many investors of Simon's stature who don't have a few clunkers in their portfolio. His overall performance indicates pretty strongly that his winners outnumber losers, or at least outscore losers, by substantial amounts.

I have to say that the tone of this article is pretty upsetting. I believe the Simon camp: With Gray Davis as governor, any opposition to him is going to be at least listened to.

However unpleasant the allegations in this case may be, they're not even close to Gray Davis' brilliant job at running the state into the ground. I mean, really, if he'd come into office with the express desire to do so, could he have done any better?

D

[Free the USA]

fyi

[Gophack]

Low turnout benefits Simon.

[NormsRevenge]

"low turnout" IS a distinct possibility.

The media will have everyone (except US) down on voting at this rate.

[Kobyashi1942]

Have you FReepers ever figured out why there is NO conservative big time newspaper or TV media outlet. A different perspective for us conservatives would sell like crazy make mega bucks but there is none. Ya don't think that keeping most dumbed-down is the desire of all of these elites.

Yes, I figured out why there is no conservative newspaper. I published and ran the Palisades Times for nearly two years, a conservative Ronald Reagan type newspaper (Pacific Palisades is a suburb of Los Angeles where Pres. Reagan lived before being elected President).

Conservatives refused to open up their pocketbooks to actually pay for advertising! We gave great pro-Republican coverage to the local Republican party, as well as the County and State GOP. We did interviews with all the candidates, both at the State, Local and Federal level.

For over a year and a half we carried the water for the GOP in California. We spent big money hosting debates, hiring reporters, etc. And the cheap-skate Republcans refused to advertise in our paper. Oh, they loved the paper, they told everyone to read it. They just refused to help us out by buying advertising.

They had no problem advetrising in the local leftist rags mind you. Sure, they had big circulation that got to many people, but how were we to get big if we never could get advertisers?

[Digger]

I'm so sorry to hear that. I have faced this situation. I live in south Orange county & you would think that I could get conservative neighbors to fight liberalsim on some/any level, either with time or money. Nothing goes. One example I went around a couple of years ago to get signatures to recall Govenor "Dufis". One of the most objections from many conservatives who wouldn't even sign was, who will replace him & would he be worse. People are so skeptical. Why wouldn't pubbies be that way. They never see their issues fought by the pubbies but they see the liberals out doing something for them. Truthfully, I believe conervativism is going to die by the end of this decade just because nobody will carry the torch.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the ping!

Norm , thanks for posting the article!
The leftist media think this will about do Simon in!
I think they will be wrong!

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[Kobyashi1942]

Truthfully, I believe conervativism is going to die by the end of this decade just because nobody will carry the torch.

The lack of concern and interest on the part of conservatives caused me to close the paper last year. It also made me realize that our cause is a dead cause and that why should I spend 8 to 10 hours a day doing stories and spending my life savings trying to help those who don't care?

I really respect the liberals because they, ulike conservatives, put their money and time where their mouth is. They have a passion that they are willing to act on, while our side could care less.

Will the last one out turn off the lights please?

[heleny]

They have a passion that they are willing to act on

Free Republic is a great example of people willing to promote conservative politics passionately. Contrary to your suggestion that the cause is dead, it seems alive and well.