Conservative Bill Simon handily beat out the "moderate" Riordan in the California governor's primary. The Democrats see him as easy meat for the usual slash-and-burn Nazification techniques.

Step One is to intimidate Simon to the point where he too, is convinced, at least subconciously, that conservatism is Evil Incarnate and that he has to "move to the center." Democrats never "move to the center," since they have redefined the "center" as wherever they happen to be.

"You can't win unless you move to the center," say liberals to Simon. Roughly translated: "Please, sir, would you mind taking a whiz on this electric fence?"

The objective of the game: strip the conservative candidate of every position that makes him conservative. With any luck, in the general election, voters end up with a choice between a liberal and a cheap carbon copy of a liberal. This has worked many times in the past.

An <a href=http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/2808194.htmarticle in the Mercury News shows this process beginning, and Bill Simon enthusiastically going along with it.

Bill Simon took the first steps in a trek back toward the political center on Wednesday, saying the word conservative was just a "label" that was too limited to encompass his ideas for solving California's problems.

Dead man walking.

Now listen to what the Democrats are saying:

Gov. Gray Davis is already trying to capitalize on Simon's dilemma. Davis spent the day after the primary dismissing Simon as too extreme on a host of social issues -- from abortion to gun control to the environment -- to lead the state.



Davis, who toured the state Wednesday, described Simon as "pro-life, pro-gun, pro-voucher, pro-deregulation, pro-privatization." And Simon took nearly all of those positions to win support from conservative groups that hold enormous sway in the Republican primary contest.

At a rally with the Democratic ticket in San Francisco, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante mocked the Republican nominee with a political rendition of the children's game, "Simon Says."

"Simon says, 'Allow concealed weapons.' Simon says, 'Let's gouge the public to pay high energy prices.' Simon says, 'Women and Latinos don't belong in the decision-making process.' " The crowd of die-hard Democrats joined in the fun, booing Simon.



Look at the crimes Simon is accused of. Pro-life. Pro-gun. Pro-voucher. Pro-deregulation. Pro-privatization. What the hell is wrong with this list? What's the point of being conservative if you abandon these positions? Each of these, particularly those other than the abortion issue--which a state governor has nothing to say about--are not just eminently defensible, but superb ideas, especially given the liberal alternatives currently wrecking the country.

"Allow concealed weapons." Damn right!!! Such laws have reduced crime everywhere they've been enacted. Democrats are hoping that their mindless parrots in the press will not examine any of these canards closely, but simply repeat the sound bites.

"Women and Latinos don't belong in the decision making process??" Where did Simon say this? When did Simon even IMPLY this? Of course, ALL conservatives are meanspiritedracistpoorbeatingwomanhatingbabyeatinghomophobes. That goes without saying, doesn't it? This from people who would gawk at you in stunned amazement if you threw the term "socialist" at them.

And who, exactly, is responsible for the public being gouged by high energy prices? Hmmm?

As the rest of the article states, Simon hopes his positions will speak for him better than the shitstorm the Democrats will be hurling from their perches in the high trees. I'm not optimistic.