Other Columns by Mike Bayham
Mike Bayham Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

California Scheming
By Mike Bayham
March 14, 2002

Last week marked the beginning of one political story and the end of another.  Controversial California Congressman Gary Condit, who has spent the large part of his term fighting in the public arena against charges of complicity and obstruction in the case of the disappearance of former aide-lover Chandra Levy, was defeated for reelection.  Most pundits believed that he would not win reelection in November nor would he be renominated in the March party primary.

Though the pundits were right in assessing his political demise, many around the country had to be surprised with the show of support he received from the voters in the Democratic primary.  Condit garnered 37.5% of the vote, which is fairly impressive considering he has been one of the most controversial public figures since OJ Simpson. In what could be an ironic act of either political justice or treachery, he was defeated by his former aide and protege Dennis Cardoza, who received 55.3%.

In a Machiavellian way, I am almost disappointed to see Condit defeated in the Democratic primary.  Had Condit been reelected, there was a possibility that  Republican nominee Dick Monteith, whose name was not mentioned a single time in the media circus, would have had an easier time taking the seat for the GOP in November.  

Also Condit's voting record was far more conservative than that of Maxine Waters so his return to DC would not have been that much of a blow to the advancement of the Republican agenda in Congress.  His moderate stances on national issues could be the real reason why the Democrats dumped him, breaking their streak of standing by liberal political rascals.       The OTHER story coming out of the Golden State is conservative businessman Bill Simon's resounding triumph over former Los Angeles Mayor Dick Riordan and Secretary of State Bill Jones.  This was one of those rare contests in which conservative, moderate and liberal Republicans all had a major contender in a statewide race.  What's even more unique is that the conservative outsider actually won...and by healthy margin. 

Considered a longshot less than a month ago, Bill Simon racked up an impressive 49.4% of the vote leading the former front-runner Riordan by 17 points.  Jones trailed a distant third giving weight to the saying that the only things in the middle of the road are yellow streaks and roadkill.

Though Simon should be commended for going all out in a race most people said was unwinnable, some credit should go to his erstwhile party rival and his future opponent in the November general election.

Dick Riordan has done something that few Republicans in this day and age can boast: beating a Democrat on two occasions in Los Angeles.  He was the favorite of the White House hoi polloi, who probably viewed Riordan as the best vehicle to score revenge against Jones for jumping on McCain's bandwagon late in the presidential primaries.   Another factor in their support for Riordan is that he had consistently polled well against Democratic Governor Gray Davis, something that we will revisit in a moment.

Riordan's "primary" problem is that he might be in the wrong political party.  During his tenure as mayor, Riordan had made no secret of his support for pro-gay and gun control initiatives and his disdain for conservative policies and politicians.  For Riordan, being a Republican was probably a way to establish a base of white support for his political campaigns for I cannot see where he and the party are on the same page. 

Riordan had heaped public praise on Bill Clinton and even showed him in one of his commercials during the GOP primary.  In the end, Riordan made the same mistake other candidates make: he decided to begin his general election campaign during the  primaries or to put it another way, ran as a Democrat in a Republican primary.  I guess when one takes the philosophy of the Republican Party for granted, it probably means that he takes Republican voters for granted as well leading to his defeat last week.

Simon could also thank another unlikely source: Governor Gray Davis.  

The embattled Democratic governor, who was only nominally challenged, started taking out ads against Riordan during the primaries.  The Davis camp's goal was to define Riordan before the general election campaign began, something the Clinton campaign did masterfully against Bob Dole.  Their secondary, or primary pending on who you talk to, goal was to sink Riordan in the GOP primary.  

The early polls had shown that Riordan would give Davis a tough time in a one on one race.  Furthermore, he and his team believe they would have an easier time taking on a staunch conservative like Simon in not so conservative California.  Not missing a beat, Davis capped off his primary victory already tagging Simon as a political extremist, which is almost a standard statement by any opposed Democrat.  

In a similar scenario played out 36 years ago, Ronald Reagan defeated San Francisco Mayor George Christopher for the Republican nomination and went on to beat incumbent Democratic Governor Pat Brown.  Short of Simon getting the "New Jersey treatment" he is as viable of a candidate as any of his two intraparty rivals.  

Though the odds favor Davis, Bill Simon has already pulled off one political miracle already against someone that did not have the lackluster record of the incumbent governor.  Just because this is Simon's maiden run for office, that does not mean he is a political neophyte.  When asked how he plans to succeed in the general election in spite of his conservative positions on social issues, Simon replied that he plans on mainly talking about the issues that affect the lives of Californians.  

In other words, it's the electricity, stupid.