davidkin hollywood

Monday, March 4, 2002

Of the 63 elected Republican officials in the state of California, 54 of them are white males, according to Carla Marinucci of the San Francisco Chronicle, interviewed today by Warren Olney on To The Point. In a state where less than 50% of the people are white, and even fewer conservative nutjobs, the Republican party disproportionately represents a diminishing minority. Richard Riordan, a "liberal" Republican (according to detractors from his own party) mostly steered clear of the hard-right, medievally inspired bog of backwardness in which most of his Republican colleagues make their home. And now, because he chose to take on Davis from the get-go, establishing a platform as a moderate long before he had secured his position as a Republican front-runner, he left himself open to attack from both sides. On the eve of the primaries, he trails Bill Simon, über-conservative, by 9 points. He may well lose the primary when, a month ago, he was the unquestioned front-runner. That's really too bad. While I don't want a Republican running the state of California (mostly because it would "mean" something to the even scarier national Republicans), the Davis vs. Riordan match would have been a good one. No nonsense about gun control or abortion. They're both on the same page as each other and most of the state when it comes to much social policy. The issues would have been about California's budget, energy policy, education, law enforcement, and the environment. Two moderates going head-to-head about real issues concerning the state. Bill Simon will challenge Davis on these issues as well, but he'll also bring a lot more attention to issues that most of the rest of the people here have figured out long ago. That's really too bad. Davis is a shark, there is no doubt. But Riordan really blew it for himself. What are the odds we see Riordan in a few months sporting a beard and cardigan, teaching classes at the local college?
comment 4:13:21 PM