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Jewish World Review March 20, 2000 / 13 Adar II, 5760
Chris Matthews
Unfortunately for the Texan, that loose-talking strategist who leaked the candidate's November electoral targets made a huge mistake by putting the Golden State at the top of the list.
Try this for a pop quiz, Governor Bush:
Q: What was Bill Clinton's California victory margin?
A: Thirteen percent in 1992 against President George Bush; 13 percent in 1996 against Bob Dole.
Q: What was Democrat Gray Davis' victory margin in the 1998 governor's race?
A: Twenty percent.
Q: Whom did Californians elect as their United States senators?
A: Two pro-choice Democratic women from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Q: Who was the last Republican to win a major statewide election in California?
A: Pete Wilson, running for re-election as governor in 1995.
Q: What was Wilson's position on abortion?
A: Pro-choice.
Q: What is California's fastest-growing voting group?
A: Latinos, who rose from 10 percent of the electorate in 1994 to 14 percent in 1998.
Q: How did this group vote in the 1998 governor's race?
A: Seventy-eight percent for the Democrat.
Q: What percent of the California electorate has identified itself as gay?
A: Ten percent.
Q: Who is the only major candidate of either party who has refused, until recently, to meet with a gay political organization?
A: George W. Bush.
To top Gore in California, Bush needs to surmount the three electoral realities manifested in this Q & A:
California is a pro-choice state, and Bush is a pro-life candidate from a pro-life national party; many Latino voters have not forgotten Proposition 187, which sought to punish immigrant children for the actions of their undocumented parents; gay voters are not likely to back a guy who refused last fall to be seen with them, then through a spokeswoman "clarified" his position by saying last week he would "consider"meeting with Log Cabin
03/06/00: Scary Gore vs. hopeful Bush
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