California lieutenant governor Gray Davis won the Democratic nomination for governor last week. Davis, the Washington chat shows all seem to agree, personifies the overarching "meaning" of this year's primary campaigns. "Cool," experience, competence are in. "Hot," insurgent candidacies are out. Wanna run for office this year? Don't throw angry mud bombs at the incumbent. Voters don't like that stuff anymore. Adopt a pose of gentlemanly professionalism, instead. Like good ol' Gray.
Too bad good ol' Gray didn't get this message himself. On the final Saturday of the campaign, Davis told a convention of Hispanic activists in Long Beach that outgoing Republican governor Pete Wilson had been a "disaster" for California. "He's lucky we didn't impeach him." The following afternoon, at a backyard picnic in the San Fernando Valley, Davis told his audience that Wilson "likes to fan the flames of discontent, anti-Semitism, and bigotry" -- and was therefore "one of the worst governors of the 20th century."
Gosh, Mr. Davis, the Los Angeles Times then asked him, could you remind us which impeachable offenses Pete Wilson has committed? And when has he ever been guilty of anti-Semitism? "Well," Davis smiled, "sometimes you take a little political license in these campaigns." But only a little. You certainly wouldn't want to slander anybody or anything.