Election Day: McKinnon Liger, has-been

Using the sometimes error-riddled game "Election Day", I've managed to cobble together the rise and fall of a San Diego politican.

San Diego Mayoral Election (1988)

McKinnon Liger (R)   42.11%
Bill Jennings (D)    30.4%
Adele Underwood (I)   21.69%
Carolyn Lafferty (L)   5.8%

Liger picked up steam early, holding a consistent lead over Jennings throughout the race, then polished off all three opponents in the first debate, which earned him the tacit endorsement of the San Diego media.

Paradoxically, after Liger’s victory in the debate, the showing of independent candidate Underwood rocketed to 10 percent, leaving Liger and Jennings tied at 27 percent. After skillful press handling, Liger managed to move back into the lead by four percent (30-26) by the night of the second debate.

Thanks to his assertiveness, Liger managed to win the second debate as well, furthering his credibility and chances for the mayor’s office.

On election day, polling placed Liger with 35%, Jennings with 27%, Underwood at 16% and the Libertarian Lafferty at 2%. The undecided voters broke about that way, leaving McKinnon Liger as the mayor of San Diego for the next four years.

California Republican U.S. Senate Primary (1992)

S.D. Mayor McKinnon Liger (R) 66.7%
Secretary of State Ron Bell (R) 33.3%

Tapped by the GOP to run for the U.S. Senate in 1992, McKinnon Liger faced off against an insurgent bid from the state’s rock-ribbed secretary of state, Ron Bell. With a month to go in the race, the charismatic mayor was pulling 42% of the vote to Bell’s 16%, indicating that the California Republicans were willing to put up a moderate in the 1992 general election.

While the media reported that Liger lost the first debate, his performance was seen as a strong one, and voters appeared to recognize this fact. Following the debate, Liger was sitting pretty with 55% of California Republicans behind him, while only 28% were behind the conservative Bell campaign.

Going into the second debate, Liger had expanded his support base to 61%, while Bell was holding on with just 28%. In the second debate, Liger pulled off a victory, solidifying his support base and ending Bell’s hopes of being a comeback kid, as Bill Clinton was doing across the country in the Democratic primaries at that time. Post-debate polling gave Liger 63% to Bell’s 29%, those numbers stayed steady by election day, and Liger pulled off a two-to-one victory to become the Republican nominee for the United States Senate.

California U.S. Senate Election (1992)

Governor Julie Zapata (D)   61.96%
Mayor McKinnon Liger (R)   38.04%

McKinnon Liger was in trouble early, first off, he was completely out of cash. The primary campaign against Ron Bell had drained Liger’s headquarters of any monetary flow, and although the impressive victory had made him one of the rising stars in American politics, Liger and his campaign team knew the upcoming general election would be a tough one.

His opponent was Governor Julie Zapata, also from San Diego. Zapata had won the 1990 governor’s race, and after just two years in office was popular enough to leapfrog over to the Senate, solidly winning her party’s primary. Liger took Zapata’s entrance into the race as a compliment, the California Democrats were out to get him, and now was the time to rise to the challenge.

Liger was hampered by two things. First of all, he had to fundraise the entire first week of the campaign, and secondly, he was losing 38-29 in the statewide polls. He was further rocked by a scandal that declared that he had worked to deny his wife inheritance money, after confessing to the substance of the charge, Liger moved on, praying he could hold his campaign afloat.

After winning the first debate, Liger’s handlers breathed a sigh of relief. With three weeks to go, it was possible to stop the hemorrhaging, and pull off the upset, as major media outlets in L.A. and Bakersfield endorsed the Republican. However, polling told a different tale, with Liger suddenly back 44-28.

With two weeks to go, the numbers had hardly shifted, to 47-30, and that’s what the numbers stayed at going into the second debate…which Liger won, but only picked up media endorsements from San Diego as a result.

With three days left, all seemed lost, with Zapata leading in the polls 52-32, and it was, with the Democrats winning a lopsided race.

Licking his wounds, but not destroyed, Liger looked forward to the 1994 Senate elections, when a seat would once again be open.

California U.S. Senate Election (1994)

Mr. Bob Ross (D) 58.59%
Frmr. Mayor McKinnon Liger (R) 41.41%

Liger didn’t have a primary opponent in 1994, and was all set to take on his opponent. The former mayor’s personal ambition was clear, and he had healthy dreams of running for President at some point in the future.

After much haggling, the Democratic primary victor of a four-way race for the nomination turned out to be Bob Ross, who had dabbled in political office now and then over the past six years. Although a smooth, professional looking candidate, Ross’ major problem was his credibility, which didn’t resonate well with the voting public.

The 1994 U.S. Senate race was on, with an early poll showing Ross at 42% to Liger’s 33%.

In the first debate, Liger put Ross on the defensive, earning points with the voters and pulling off a victory. Coming out of the debate, both candidates stayed even, with Ross at 45% and Liger at 36%.

By the second debate, Liger had been hit with another campaign finance scandal, but had also successfully killed a story that claimed he had promised favors to a crime family if elected. Going into the second debate, Bob Ross held an eleven point lead.

Despite winning the debate, Liger was hit with another campaign finance scandal, and Bob Ross held a steady 20 point margin going into election day.

McKinnon Liger lost his bid for the Senate once again.

California Governor Republican Primary (2002)

After spending eight years out of the electoral spotlight, the one-time rising star of the Republican Party had become reduced to a regular staffer and rank-and-file supporter of the state GOP. By 2002, however, Liger figured he could stand a chance of winning the governor’s mansion, and put together what many considered a last-ditch chance to salvage his future…

Frmer. Mayor McKinnon Liger (R) 23.12%
Ms. Jewell Carsten (R) 22.98%
State Sen. Janeene Green (R) 23.69%
Mr. Victor Aragon (R) 30.2%

He faced off against two moderate-conservatives, Carsten and Green, and business owner Vic Aragon, a liberal Republican. Early polling showed a sharply divided electorate, with 19% backing Green, 16% siding with Carsten, and Liger and Aragon with 15% a piece.

While Liger didn’t win the four-cornered debate, he made a strong showing among Californians, aiding him in his attempt to salvage himself. Polling showed a direct four-way race afterwards, with Carsten and Green each at 23%, and Liger and Aragon each at 22%.

Going into the third week, liberal Vic Aragon suddenly surged, moving to first place with 28%, and Liger once again pulled off his nigh-usual victory. However, polling barely moved, with Aragon remaining steadfast in the lead. Then a breaking scandal announced that Aragon had sanctioned vandalism against the Green campaign, damaging his campaign statewide.

On election day, Aragon had 29%, Green had 22%, and Liger and Carsten were tied at 21%, and Aragon emerged as the victor. McKinnon Liger was politically dead.

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