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But our nation IS run by millionaires and celebrities! Who is McClintock trying to kid?
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Prominent Republican Quits Recall Race
August 24, 2003
By JOHN M. BRODER
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 23 - Bill Simon Jr., one of the
best-known Republicans in the recall election for
California governor, dropped out of the race today, saying
that the defeat of Gov. Gray Davis was more important than
his personal ambitions.
Mr. Simon had come under intense pressure from fellow
Republicans in recent days to withdraw from the contest to
avoid splintering the Republican vote. Two other prominent
Republicans, State Senator Tom McClintock and Peter V.
Ueberroth, vowed today to stay in the race.
But with six weeks to go until the Oct. 7 recall vote, the
contest to replace Mr. Davis - should the recall succeed -
was quickly taking on the appearance of a two-man race
between Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, a Democrat, and Arnold
Schwarzenegger, a Republican.
Mr. Bustamante is the lone prominent Democrat on the
ballot. While most Democratic officials are urging a no
vote on the recall, they are also supporting Mr. Bustamante
in case the recall question passes.
Under the convoluted rules governing the election, Mr.
Simon's name will remain on the ballot, along with 134
other candidates. In his statement today, Mr. Simon did not
endorse Mr. Schwarzenegger or any other candidate, but he
urged voters to remove Mr. Davis from office.
I strongly believe that the desire of Californians must
come before the aspirations of any single candidate, he
said. There are too many Republicans in this race. And the
people of our state simply cannot risk a continuation of
the Gray Davis legacy.
In a brief statement, Mr. Schwarzenegger praised Mr. Simon
for his decision. I hope Bill's personal sacrifice will
serve to unify Republicans and other Californians who are
eager to join the movement to give California back its
future, Mr. Schwarzenegger said.
Mr. Simon's decision was based on cold-eyed political and
financial calculations. He was badly trailing Mr.
Schwarzenegger in polls and saw little prospect for gaining
substantial support in the face of Mr. Schwarzenegger's
celebrity and wealth.
A poll from the Public Policy Institute of California this
week had Mr. Schwarzenegger at 23 percent, Mr. McClintock
at 5 percent, and Mr. Simon and Mr. Ueberroth tied at 4
percent. Mr. Bustamante was supported by 18 percent. Mr.
Simon and Mr. McClintock were competing for the votes of
fiscal and social conservatives, many of whom have
expressed reservations about Mr. Schwarzenegger's moderate
views on abortion and gay rights.
In addition, Mr. Simon has millions of dollars of debt from
his unsuccessful campaign for governor last fall and
apparently did not want to risk any more of his fortune. He
lost to Mr. Davis in a close race last November, but the
contest was seen more as a referendum on the unpopular Mr.
Davis than as a vote of confidence in Mr. Simon, who ran a
fairly inept campaign in his first try for elective office.
K. B. Forbes, Mr. Simon's chief spokesman, denied that Mr.
Simon had backed out because of pressure from party
officials or major donors.
But on Friday, the Lincoln Club of Orange County, a group
of wealthy conservative Republicans, unanimously endorsed
Mr. Schwarzenegger and urged Mr. Simon, Senator McClintock
and Mr. Ueberroth to step aside. Also on Friday, the
Republican leader of the State Senate, Jim Brulte, warned
that there were too many Republicans in the race and that
some would have to drop out to avoid handing victory to Mr.
Davis or Mr. Bustamante.
Mr. Forbes said that Mr. Simon had raised less than
$500,000 to finance his committee, a fraction of what it
would cost to mount a credible statewide campaign. Unlike
last fall's race, when he invested several million dollars,
Mr. Simon had not put any of his own money into this race,
Mr. Forbes said. Mr. Simon, who lives in the Pacific
Palisades area of Los Angeles, is a businessman and son of
William E. Simon, the former treasury secretary.
Mr. McClintock was attending a Republican gathering in
Placer County in Northern California today and has a full
schedule of appearances in coming days, his deputy campaign
manager, John Stoos, said.
This is one horse who's in the race to stay, Mr. Stoos
said, and then took a shot at Mr. Schwarzenegger. What
Senator McClintock has been saying is that if every time a
qualified candidate had to step aside when a rich person or
a celebrity wanted to run for public office, our nation
would be run by nothing but millionaires and celebrities.
Dan Schnur, Mr. Ueberroth's campaign manager, said the
candidate would remain in
