California Republican Party No Help to Simon

The American Prowler | May, 2002 | The Prowler

[ninenot]

Stiffing Simon

By The Prowler Published 5/6/02 1:05:00 AM

CALIFORNIA'S MISSING GOP

How badly has the Republican Party slipped in California? You judge. With six months to go before a critical general election, in which its gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon is running a competitive race against incumbent Gray Davis with little assistance from the California Republican Party, the state party has budgeted less than $100,000 thus far for its absentee ballot program.

In states like California, absentee ballots tend to run in the Republicans' favor, sometimes 2:1 over Democrats. And in past elections, such as Pete Wilson's Senate races or George Deukmajian's runs against L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley for governor, absentee ballots helped push Republicans over the top. But for some reason, the state party, which used to spend more than $1 million on "get out the vote" programs for absentee voters, isn't interested in re-creating that kind of success. "They'd rather have the candidate do it, or try to suck it out of the national party," says a national Republican Committee staffer.

And even though Simon now appears to be a candidate who could make a real race against a weak, unpopular sitting governor, state party boss and Bush administration bagman Gerald Parsky has been less than cooperative with his lead candidate. Take Bush's big trip out West last week on behalf of Simon. According to a state Republican source, the Bush advance team planned two presidential events for the California swing, including a last minute commemoration of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. But according to a White House communications aide, the idea for the L.A. event came from the state party -- read Parsky -- in order to divert major media attention from the later Republican fundraiser for Simon. "The state party asked us for something in Los Angeles to help with minority outreach," says the aide. "It was California's idea to lock out Simon, not ours."

All along, Parsky and his Republican Party minions have been creating problems for Simon. The media chalk it up to the simple fact that Parsky, whose disdain for the state GOP's conservative wing has become legend, wanted Richard Riordan for the Republican ticket, not the more conservative Simon. So why won't the party release glowing internal polling figures that show Simon whipping Davis among Hispanic voters, regardless of party affiliation? Or the internal tracking poll that shows Simon up between four to six points over the past three weeks?

"We're under orders not to provide that material to the media," says a state party staffer in Sacramento. "The Simon campaign can release it if it wants to, but we're not in the business of helping him, at least that is what our bosses are telling us. It's a very uncomfortable situation here."

Things shouldn't be that uncomfortable. Bush and Simon pulled in more than $4.5 million for the campaign, some of which Simon will provide to other Republican candidates. But perhaps he should lend some of it to the state party to fund an absentee ballot drive.

"I don't know why we aren't spending more money on that," says the state party aide. "But it has to be a Bush thing, because we hardly spent any money on it in 2000 for the presidential elections. I don't know how else to explain it."

[ninenot]

What's the matter with the Cal Republicans besides Parsky and Bill Thomas?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Time for all hell to break lose and the grass roots to verbally storm state headquarters. Parsky is just as much a traitor to his party as John McCain. He must be ousted, and now. This is pure and utter bullcrap.

[Dan from Michigan]

Things shouldn't be that uncomfortable. Bush and Simon pulled in more than $4.5 million for the campaign, some of which Simon will provide to other Republican candidates. But perhaps he should lend some of it to the state party to fund an absentee ballot drive.

Someone better tell the ivory towers that WE'VE BEEN GETTING OUR ASS KICKED in big statewide races lately.

Why? TURNOUT. That's why. Our guys haven't been voting. The dems have been. Karl Rove himself said that 4 million right wingers stayed home. Bingo.

And as for Parsky - DO YOUR DAMN JOB, or at least GET THE HELL OUTTA WAY.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks!

Some shakeup is needed!

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

[Avoiding_Sulla]

bump

[Carry_Okie]

Simon may have deeper troubles than that. Consider where his campaign consultants get their next job, from Simon or the GOP. This has to be a grass roots campaign.

Speaking of which...

I can get some of these bumper stickers printed up for free in a size appropriate to be put on dump trucks, statewide. Think of the advertising power of dump trucks on the road with big signs to read while stuck in traffic. I've even got paper, except that it's yellow. I'll need help with distribution. We could add leaders appropriate to regional demography:

Need a Job? Dump Davis!
Want an Education? Dump Davis!
Power Out? Dump Davis!
Taxes Too High? Dump Davis!
Stuck in Traffic? Dump Davis!
Love Your Kids?Dump Davis!

Now!!!

[Carry_Okie]

A few refinements.

[Carry_Okie]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have an candidate to elect and work to do. We must not rely upon the Party as it is clearly in the hands of the RINOcrats who would have given us Riordan and are willing to lose this election while sitting in a snit about how they were right all along. Parsky can be fired more easily after we win this election.

See #7 above. Is anybody interested? I'll cover the artwork and the film.

[NovemberCharlie]

Not good. I hope we won't see a repeat of Bret Schundler's experience with his nominal allies.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I love all of those , but this has got to be the favorite:

Taxes Too High? Dump Davis!

[Timesink]

Time for all hell to break lose and the grass roots to verbally storm state headquarters.

Yup. You guys desperately need to take control of your party back. The only way to do that is join and participate. All you need is sheer numbers.

[ladyinred]

I do not understand the party here! With so much at stake, one would think they would be doing all they can to help oust the worst governor we have had in centuries!

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Disgusting. But unsurprising. And: We'll show 'em.

[dalereed]

"All you need is sheer numbers."

We have the numbers but Bush sent Carl Rove here to put Parsky in charge and run the California State Party from DC and take out the conservatives that had control.

[d14truth]

DUMP DAVIS!!!

What is located on the western coast of the United States, used to be known as California?

[d14truth]

Central Party Planning - The 'mother's milk' of socialism. The California establishment Republicans are out of touch with the people, and walk to their own, or Washington's drummer, IMHO. We need to restore 'Reaganites' to the state party leadership, where ideas, not organizations, direct the flow. Parsky is a good man, but, thinking that constitutional conservatism CAN'T win shows 'defeatism', unrealistic to the state and party of Reagan.

[MattinNJ]

We just went through the same thing here in NJ with Schundler. He was a true conservative that pulled off an upset victory in the Republican primaries. That ticked off the state GOP and McGreevey coasted to the Governership.

The same thing is now happening for Roukema's Congressional seat and for Torch's Senate seat.

[Liz]

What is located on the western coast of the United States, used to be known as California?

LOL. Karnak know used to be Reagan Country. Now Davis' Dump - wasteland of graft and corruption.