Fallout From a Primary

Somehow, that front page photo last week of John Seymour hugging Bruce Herschensohn reminded me of the Titanic, and the men who huddled together on deck as the lifeboats pulled away.

“We’re in this together now, John.”

“Yes, Bruce, I know. See you on . . . the other side.”

The boys have drawn rough duty. Seymour’s opponent, Dianne Feinstein, appears in top form. Herschensohn must battle a quick and feisty Barbara Boxer, who is poised to become a leading celebrity candidate in this, the Year of the Woman.

Of course, November is a political age away. At this point, my only prediction is that both races will be a lot closer than they would now appear. All four candidates have vulnerabilities. Feinstein can be an uneven campaigner. Boxer must defend a five-term congressional record, which includes scads of funny checks and the infamous midnight pay raise. Herschensohn’s far-right television commentaries boosted ratings, but won’t look quite so clever printed on a political flyer. Seymour seems determined to run as the protege of Pete Wilson. Given the governor’s popularity, this might be an unsound strategy.

A last thought: Feinstein and Boxer should fear each other more than the Republicans. California tends to balance its two Senate seats--both politically and geographically--and I wonder how many voters harbor reservations about dispatching two liberal women Democrats from San Francisco to Washington.

San Jose Giants--Not. San Jose voters, despite ceaseless civic cheerleading, decided not to build a ballpark for a rich man’s baseball team--thrilling news for this San Francisco Giants die-hard. The team belongs in San Jose as much as the Oakland Raiders belong in L.A.

San Jose officials had jabbered about the need to put their city “on the map.” What they forgot was that San Jose already is on the map--the center of Silicon Valley. In fact, the best counterarguments were raised by computer moguls. Many failed to find logic in taxing themselves, amid a job-busting recession, to move a baseball team 30 miles south.

Activists blamed a low turnout by black voters for the failure to oust L.A. Judge Joyce A. Karlin, whose lenient sentence in the killing of a black teen-ager became intertwined with the Rodney G. King affair. There may be more to it.

Most Angelenos readily accept the idea that there are wrongs to be addressed in the inner city. The LAPD, for instance, needs an overhaul--and the charter reform to start that process passed with ease. At the same time, polls have shown a majority--white and black--disapprove of the riots. This sentiment, though, sometimes seems to be overlooked by politicians and others seeking to appease or even exploit the anger of the dispossessed.

What I detect in the Karlin vote is a first murmur of discontent over the city’s post-riot course--a signal from a heretofore silent segment of the city that its tolerance for the politics of inferno is not without limits. A line was drawn at the judiciary.

Our cousins in the far north don’t want any part of us. In a so-called advisory vote, they demonstrated overwhelmingly that they support splitting California into two states--a lower half with people, and an upper half with trees.

I don’t blame them. Trees can be terrific company, and these days California cities are no bargain. It’s important to understand, though, that behind this secession drive is the desire to escape scrutiny by big-city environmentalist tree-huggers and start chopping timber as if it’s going out of style. Which, if the split occurs, it soon will.

The Making of the President, California-style: Exit polls that showed Ross Perot could have beaten both George Bush and Bill Clinton on Tuesday were provocative. One reason Californians are more receptive to Perot is Ronald Reagan. Having watched the Gip run against government throughout his long government career, we have a weak spot for political campaigns built on the premise that political campaigns are wrong.

Clinton hurt himself by not aggressively campaigning. What sticks with me are comments from Clinton’s staff about what a restful vacation he had out here. Great. But don’t expect to come back and wow us in the fall. Like the dandruff commercial says, you only have one chance to make a first impression.

Clinton just doesn’t grasp that he needs Jerry Brown’s help in the general to gain even a shot at winning California. No matter. I suspect Brown, emboldened by his last harrumph, figures he’s now better off steering clear of Clinton. Why fight for a seat on the Titanic?