He Has Answers Why, but Pain of Defeat Lingers for Romney

Clyde Romney squints as if in pain, covers his eyes with a well-manicured hand and sinks back in his executive chair at the thought of his loss in the county supervisor’s race last year.

Seconds later, the 44-year-old Escondido lawyer sits up wide-eyed and offers a four-part explanation for the loss, showing extensive analysis of the race.

“Supervisor (John) MacDonald was far better known,” Romney said. “His circle of friends was not superficial. He was also well-known and well respected by people he had served well. I was perceived more as the new kid on the block, despite the fact that I had been here since 1970.”

The loss to MacDonald, a former Oceanside City councilman and past president of MiraCosta Community College, flabbergasted Romney and his campaign staff, which included 200 volunteers who went door-to-door for the candidate. Romney and MacDonald had eliminated two-term incumbent Paul Eckert in the primary.

Dislike for Lawyers Blamed

Romney surmised that there were other factors that contributed to his loss, including a public distrust and dislike of lawyers, and comments he made alleging that illegal aliens were the cause of high crime and malaria epidemics in North County.

“There is a tremendous dislike of members of the legal profession,” Romney said. “People given a choice between a lawyer and a college president are going to choose the president. It’s too bad that my profession has earned a black eye in the eyes of the public. It’s ironic because my practice has never touched on areas where people earn the dislike.”

Romney, who now manages the North County office of the San Diego law firm of Higgs, Fletcher and Mack, said his cases mainly involve working with government agencies in disputes concerning environmental issues.

He recently represented a coalition of Imperial County residents concerned with the environmental effects of legislative action that would require conservation efforts to reduce the flow of water into the Salton Sea.

“Through our efforts, the bill was amended to greatly improve the environmental protections,” Romney said.

During the campaign, Romney infuriated Latino leaders when he sent a telegram to U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service officials stating that gangs of illegal aliens were lining North County streets, spreading malaria, shaking down kids for lunch money, and looking for places to rob.

“I regretted the play that whole issue got,” Romney said. “When that story broke, it put me in a defensive position when I was trying to come up with an affirmative solution to a serious problem. People who knew me knew I was deeply hurt to be labeled a racist.”

Romney said that two days after the election, he went to an INS forum on the new immigration law in Encinitas to issue a public apology to Latinos for making the offensive comments.

“I very deliberately waited until after the race to make a public apology because I wanted no ulterior motives attached to it,” he said. “It was your basic mea culpa statement.”

Romney said that he was emotionally prepared to lose the race, “but not by such a wide margin.” MacDonald took 60% of the vote in what both camps predicted would be a toss-up. Romney admits that it was style, not issues, that separated him and MacDonald in the election, which made it difficult to see how the election would end.

Romney said that the only criticism he has so far of MacDonald’s performance in office is that MacDonald voted for a temporary growth moratorium for North County.

“I’ve never been a no-growther or even a slow-growther,” he said. “There are needs in North County which must be met . . . with some good sense and quality growth. Each application presents different questions for local officials. There is no way I would have proposed the moratorium on growth the way he did.”

Romney still owes $26,000 in personal loans from the campaign, but he said that most reminders of the race are pleasant.

Although he is not considering seeking public office in the near future, Romney said he always works closely with government and never strays too far from the political scene.

Romney, a former aide to Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) said he will accept an offer from Vice President George Bush to serve on a fund-raising committee being organized by Republicans in San Diego.

A bishop for 5 years in the Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Romney has six children, ages 5 to 16. He is vice president for program support of the San Diego County Boy Scouts and said he remains active in community activities.

Shelley Lindstrom, who directed Romney volunteers, said Romney has recovered from the shock of his loss.

“What ever happened to Clyde Romney? He’s still here. He never left,” said Lindstrom, who is now director of the Escondido 1988 Centennial Committee. “He’s very happy in his law practice. And I wouldn’t ignore the possibility that he would run again sometime . . . perhaps for another position.”