IF Riordan jumps in the race, is it over?

[jiacinto]

It seems like that is going to happen. So is Davis done?

[Emboldened Chimp]

1. Don't know

Davis hammered him last time.

[diplomats]

9. No, Davis beat Bill Simon

If Riordan had won the GOP primary, he may very well have beaten Davis.

[Emboldened Chimp]

13. Davis attacked Riordan during the primaries

so he could face Simple Simon in the election. Davis hammered Riordan with some vicious attack ads. It helped do poor Dick in.

[TheBigGuy]

2. Would Riordan be so bad?

I hear he is a fairly moderate Republican. So maybe it wouldnt be such a bad outcome if he ran.

[MidwestTransplant]

6. Rove wants Davis

so maybe we should want Riordan?

Davis is my least favorite Democrat.

[liberalnurse]

7. WTF?????

And I'm in Ohio?????

[TheBigGuy]

11. I think Riordan is more moderate than the Ohio GOP

The GOP in this state have went pretty far to the right, it seems.

[David__77]

18. no way...

he'd be anti-union, anti-far labor reform. I can't fathom this...

[Clete]

3. Democrats are still the majority party here.

I don't care how many signatures are on the petition, most of us who voted for Davis last time will vote against the recall and we are the majority. Now Riordan may win the Republican vote, but if Davis wins the no recall vote, it's an empty victory. Davis will still be Governor.

[SoCalDem]

4. Riordan is an old guy

he should stay in retirement.. He did not do that great of a job when he was mayor..

[Sirius_on]

5. Riordan is endorsing Arnold right now

I bet that if Arnold decides for running, Riordan will stay out. If Arnold says no, Riordan will give it a shot.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. No, the courts are going to kill this thing

the ballot right now is a travesty of democracy.

[NewJerseyDem]

15. Doesn't look like it

The courts seem to be holding it up. I don't see how you could say this is undemocratic. The law in california clearly allows a recall. I think that it is a stupid thing to do except when the governor does something really horrible but that isn't the case here. But, that is the law in California.

[salin]

10. Bewary of reputed "California Moderate Republicans"

Back in the mid eighties in DC, Senator Pete Wilson had the reputation (at least on the Hill) as being a "Moderate" republican, before he ran for Governor.

In california his era brought unsound energy deregulation, attempts at voucher bills in education (referndum), an anti immigrant bill that would turn teachers and medical personnel into IMF agents (originally if a school or health worker did not report a child or adult they "suspected MIGHT" be an immigrant to the IMF, they could be fined - or was it they could get prosicuted), they turned back affirmative action - not just quotas, but broad range of outreach type programs, turned bilingual education on its head (because "bilingual education had failed" when in truth all but in recent years bilingual education had been English Only with some ESL (learn to speak english) classes - so wht had failed... the programs the state decided to reimplement), oh what other wonderful things came to California during that formerly refered to as moderate republican Governor Pete Wilson?

[TheBigGuy]

12. Yes but wasnt Wilson indeed a moderate earlier...

..back in his days of municipal politics in San Diego.

I wonder how much his anti-immigrant shtick was purely political opportunism?

[salin]

16. yes at one time he was...

so I reiterate... bewary of purported California Republican Moderates. They can turn on ya like a snake.

Political opportunism - when it really screws up real peoples' lives - isn't something lightly to shrug off.

I don't think his energy shenanigans was pure opportunism - it was a fundraising gig (he had presidential aspirations). One that cost the state, down the road, billions of dollars. It seems that California GOP "Moderate repubs" can be pretty costly to a state. I would be very careful of a strategy to push for a moderate republican.

[whoYaCallinAlib]

14. Davis will beat his ass.

He destroyed Riordan with his ad attack in the run-up to the last election.

[ronnykmarshall]

17. This is different

Riordan lost in a primary election. The more conservative Repugs seem to vote in the primary.

This ballot will be open and Riordan will be capture more moderates and some liberals.

If given a choice of a bunch of right wingers like the assholes that are running and no Democrat on the ballot, I'd vote for Riordan.

I still think Feinstien should reconsider.

[David__77]

19. you won't have to make that "choice"

Riordan won't run. Davis will win. We shouldn't waste too much time speculating right now on candidates. We can win this thing outright. Let's talk more on this on 8/6 or so...

[proud patriot]

20. Well Carlos

Your question is Davis done ? IMHO It'll be close

[David__77]

21. not at all...

The GOP right hates Riordan. And many, many people won't vote for someone with an (R) next to his name. Don't forget that the anti-recall media machine hasn't gotten started yet. As of now, pro-recall forces have ridden a wave of media attention. Riordan can be effectively portrayed as a waffling, old doddering fool. We'll see this happen if need be, but I don't think his heart is in a run, not even 1%.