Nothing but gravel in their pan

摘要

The classic Californian story is of golden success that grows out of near-disaster-the glint in the pan of gravel, the flash of light in the dingy garage. The state's Republicans have managed the disaster part, but the nuggets are still nowhere in sight. On March 5th they decided to reject Richard Riordan, a former mayor of Los Angeles, as their gubernatorial candidate, opting instead for a conservative businessman, Bill Simon, by a margin of 49-31%; a third candidate, Bill Jones, the secretary of state (and the only Republican with a statewide office), got 17%. Even by the sado-masochistic standards of the party's recent history in California, the decision stands out for two reasons. First, only three weeks ago, Mr Riordan looked as though he might be the party's new hope. Opinion polls showed him not only far ahead of his rivals to become the Republican candidate for governor, but also more popular than Gray Davis, the Democratic incumbent whom Mr Simon will now challenge in November.