Simon Ends Convention on a High Note

California Republicans concluded their state convention Sunday after a weekend in which businessman Bill Simon Jr. stepped up his challenge to former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, accusing Riordan of being too liberal to represent Republicans in the race to beat Gov. Gray Davis.

On Sunday, Simon won an unscientific, nonbinding straw poll of delegates to the state Republican Party convention, edging out Secretary of State Bill Jones and Riordan.

In the poll, 40% backed Simon, compared with 27% supporting Riordan, whose campaign had tried to stop the balloting from taking place. Jones--whose campaign lags in fund-raising and was less of a presence at the convention--pulled in 32% of the 910 votes.

The survey, in which delegates pay for the opportunity to air their views, provides no scientific measure of general support and is derided by some analysts as meaningless. It does, however, capture the views of some of the party’s most devoted members and can be a valuable public relations tool.

The straw poll capped a three-day event that revolved around a single, strategic debate: whether a moderate such as Riordan or a conservative in the mold of Simon or Jones would stand the best chance of defeating Democratic incumbent Davis in November.

Many delegates entered the convention with firm views on that question, and, if anything, those opinions seemed to harden over the weekend.

Confrontation Between Two Friends

As he appealed to conservatives, Simon also attracted attention by, for the first time, directly confronting Riordan, a friend. Simon challenged Riordan during Saturday’s debate and called attention to the former mayor’s views on some touchstone issues.

Simon also has tripled his spending on television advertising and is expected to air spots criticizing Riordan, who is already being pummeled by negative ads from Davis.

Riordan leads the three GOP candidates in early fund-raising and polls. Jones has yet to air advertisements.

Both Simon and Jones spent the weekend trying to rile up the hard-core Republican activists over Riordan’s past support of Democrats and his insistence that the GOP must modify its positions on issues such as gun control and abortion to reclaim its political standing in California. By contrast, Jones and Simon contend that Republicans must remain true to those values, even if they alienate some California voters. The two campaigns trotted out a series of GOP officials who said they would not vote for Riordan in the general election if he prevails in the primaries.

Activists supporting the Simon campaign slipped fliers under delegates’ doors comparing Davis and Riordan’s stances. Under both candidates’ photos were the words: “Objectives for California: Killing babies, taking your guns & destroying traditional marriage.”

The halls were thick with delegates wearing stickers sporting Riordan’s June 2000 description of President Clinton as “the greatest leader in the free world.”

“I don’t feel like he represents the Republican Party and the principles we really stand for as Republicans,” Carol Gordon, 67, said of Riordan. The Torrance resident said she was leaning toward Simon or Jones.

‘A Bad Weekend for Riordan’

K.B. Forbes, a GOP consultant with wide contacts in conservative camps, cited Riordan’s performance in Saturday’s debate, in which he drew boos when a joke about former Gov. George Deukmejian misfired. “It was a bad weekend for Riordan. It magnified the doubts,” Forbes said.

But Sean McCarthy, a Los Angeles headhunter and longtime Riordan backer, said he was not worried about the reactions among some of his fellow delegates.

“This is a group of people, many of whom have made up their minds about how they feel,” he said. “There were some people who came with the idea that this was a last stand.”

Officials with Riordan’s campaign shrugged off the weekend. “It may have been really important to all the people at the Fairmont Hotel,” said one Riordan strategist, referring to the convention site. “But it’s a bubble.”

That did not mute the fervor of the 1,300 people who packed the sprawling downtown San Jose hotel. State conventions usually draw the most energetic and ideological chunk of the party, and this weekend was no exception.

The White House, which recruited Riordan to run, has leaned on the California party leadership to become more moderate, but there was a clear gulf between the top officials and some of the rank-and-file.

For example, the board of the party agreed to delay the release of the straw poll results until today, which the Riordan camp desired. But it was overridden by a voice vote on the convention floor Sunday, and the results were released a few hours later.

The Simon campaign trumpeted the results as showing their candidate had the support of the grass-roots, while the Riordan operation downplayed the significance of the poll. Jones officials said they were pleased with the showing because they spent less money on swaying the delegates who voted.

The convention began Friday with the head of the state party, Shawn Steel, telling reporters that the GOP would unify behind whomever was the nominee. Less than 30 minutes later, the Simon campaign led three past party leaders to the podium in the news conference room to announce that they would not vote for Riordan even if he made it to the final contest against Davis.

Party Official Cites Missing Elephant

Former party chairman John Herrington, now the co-chairman of Simon’s campaign, cited Riordan’s past support for Democrats such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein, state Sen. John Burton (D-San Francisco) and former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. He said that Riordan does not mention his party affiliation in his advertising or literature. “There’s an elephant missing,” Herrington said, gesturing toward the table of Riordan literature down the hall. “Where’s the elephant?”

The Riordan campaign fired back with a statement from three other past leaders supporting him. But the next morning, the Jones campaign brought in its chairman, Deukmejian, to say he would not vote for Riordan in the general election. The former governor’s stance was the first question of the debate. Riordan replied: “George has a bad memory. The only thing he remembers are his grudges.”

The misfired joke, for which Riordan later apologized, drew wounded gasps and boos.

It was the sort of remark that fired up staunch foes of the former mayor, like Gilroy marketing consultant Mark Zappa. “I don’t know who he thought he was talking to,” Zappa said. “The people in that room respect George Deukmejian.”

But there were plenty like Loyola Marymount student Michael Landers, 19, who thought Riordan had an edge tactically and also reflected their more moderate beliefs. “We have to look at what candidate is going to beat Gray Davis,” said Landers, who said he was impressed with the other two candidates but was leaning toward Riordan.

In an effort to pull people like Landers away from the former mayor, the Jones campaign flooded the hallway outside the Imperial Ballroom with supporters waving massive placards showing a black-and-white photo of Riordan and Davis clasping hands victoriously. The Riordan forces responded by lifting up color photos of Riordan and President Bush.

One man wearing a Rhino costume--a reference to the charge that Riordan is a “Republican In Name Only”--waved at the crowd, some of whom wore buttons with a red slash through the letters “RINO.”

In his closing statement of the debate, Riordan tried to cut the tension with humor. “People have on Riordan In November buttons today--RINO.” The crowd chortled.

“I had to get that in,” the former mayor said.

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Times staff writer Michael Finnegan contributed to this report.