A Game Plan for a Simon Touchdown Nov. 5

Bill Simon Jr. must be tired of hearing how he can’t win the governorship. Well, he can. After all, the Nov. 5 election is not the incumbent’s to lose; it’s Simon’s to win. Here’s a partial victory checklist.

First, Simon should be mindful that a week is a lifetime in politics. In the 1982 gubernatorial campaign against popular Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, George Deukmejian lagged behind and gained traction only in the final 10 days. Simon has three full months to go.

Never mind that Simon has had a rough 3 1/2 months; the incumbent has had a rough 3 1/2 years. As one of my former bosses used to say: It’s better to be a mile away from hell and heading out than 100 miles away and heading in.

Second, Simon should take advantage of the faraway election date to reacquaint himself with his original decision to run. Find a quiet 48 hours away from his staff, advisors and the chattering class. Reestablish his center and rekindle his passion. Get back in touch with the premise of his candidacy--his core message. Commit it to a handful of staccato sentences; they are his home port.

Polls and focus groups are handy guideposts, but nothing surpasses a candidate’s inner compass.

Third, Simon shouldn’t overlook the “tactical campaign.” Davis and his stooges are masters of distraction, and they’ve done pretty well so far. So Simon must get his self-confidence back.

Davis’ advisors are not nearly as tough as those crooks and thugs Simon faced down as a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office. And, believe me, the governor is much more fearful of losing this race than Simon is. By the way, the governor’s real first name is Joe--a pretty ordinary moniker. Simon should think of him that way.

Fourth, Simon must get on the offense and stay there. His opponent’s record offers up a target-rich environment. Nothing will stir up Simon’s base more than a steady and relentless drumbeat of political-attack rhetoric that underscores his determination to sharpen differences with Davis.

One place to start is with Fremont High School in Los Angeles. Trust me, Fremont is the tragic model for this administration’s betrayal of our children. That speech will write itself.

Fifth, perhaps it’s a small point, but I keep reading about those hecklers who follow Simon around to shout him down. Put that to an end. If the opponents show up with 20 hecklers, Simon should send 40 to the governor’s next appearance. When they send 30, treat the governor to 60. The only way to end that kind of juvenile behavior is to make it more painful to receive than to give. If Simon’s campaign lets them continue unabated, his opponents will think of him as a pitiful wimp, and so will many of his supporters.

Sixth, Simon must marshal his resources. A reasonable media campaign from here to November requires $20 million. If he has it--or will have it--then he should start spending it now. But if it’s not there, I’d rather he ran a pauper’s campaign in August than in October.

Simon’s worst mistake would be to run a third or half of the needed media now because that’s nearly as bad as none at all. If dollars are limited, then gut it out for a couple more weeks. Going dark will make the other side wonder what mischief he’s up to. Then he can put huge sums into 15 days of tough, gritty radio spots that lay the groundwork for the silver-bullet issues his staff have been squirreling away for months. Tough and targeted radio would give Simon a presence, carve into Davis’ base and bolster the morale of Simon’s supporters.

Seventh, political reporters are tough, on the whole more liberal than Simon and often annoying. But Simon should spend more time with them. They love politics, relish a good fight and a good race and will strive to be fair if he helps them with a story.

Moreover, there’s no love lost between them and Davis. Simon shouldn’t concede the political press to the other side. And he should travel with someone on his staff who can help him prepare for each encounter. Jim Baker correctly observed: Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

Finally, Simon might not like all the rules of the game, but in a democracy political campaigns are not meant to be dignified coronations. So he shouldn’t just give as good as he gets; he should give better. Show his passion, fight fair but hard and--as important as anything else--have some fun. An upbeat candidate looks and sounds like a winner.