Poll: Whitman's lead over Poizner crumbles

Sacramento Bee ^ | 5/19/10 | Jack Chang

[SmithL]

The past month has not been kind to Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.

The first hit came when her rival Steve Poizner and unions went after her ties to the investment firm Goldman Sachs just as federal investigators launched a criminal probe into the company.

Republicans around the country then started rallying around a controversial Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants at the same time Poizner claimed the tough-on-immigration mantle in the race.

The toll the attacks have taken on Whitman's once-unbeatable candidacy became clear Wednesday, when the first major public poll to be released since March showed that Whitman's 50-point lead over Poizner among likely Republican primary voters had collapsed to just nine percentage points.

"Meg Whitman was a fresh candidate," said Thad Kousser, a UC San Diego political science professor. "It's easy to fall in love with them but it's easy to fall out of love with fresh candidates with every piece of new information you know about them."

The latest poll was conducted by the nonprofit Public Policy Institute of California. Its most telling number, said president Mark Baldassare, was the 31 percent of Republicans who remain undecided

[Fiji Hill]

[ansel12]

Would Poizner be any better than Whitman...or Arnold? It seems that the CA Rs are having a RINO fest.

Here is Tom McClintock endorsing Steve Poizner.

Rep. Tom McClintock Endorses Steve Poizner for Governor

[ansel12]

What state is she running in?

[aquila48]

Looks like we’re going to have Arnolds third term... regardless who wins. California is in such a mess! Hard to believe that Reagan was elected twice in this state.

[budwiesest]

I’ll let the Sacramento Bee help me with my decision: they show a preference- I vote the opposite. In the general they’ll be all about Jerry Brown, the comeback skid(mark). And Barbara Botoxer, too.

[Kickass Conservative]

Judging by the Nimrods that are consistently elected to the CA Legislature, we'll probably end up with Jerry Brown.

I'm also about 50/50 on the situation with “Dumb as a Box of Barbara Boxer's” Boxer.

My lack of faith in the voters here in CA leads me to think they will launch her back into the Senate. You can't fix Stupid, but they sure can elect Stupid here.

[Lancey Howard]

Thanks for that link. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own two eyeballs. Whew.. McClintock, supporting a pro-abortion tax and spender. Unreal. Tom had been a hero of mine, an oasis in a sea of insanity. Oh well.

http://www.redcounty.com/steve-poizner-true-conservative-or-um/37359

[ansel12]

There you go Mr. serious man, now you can vote for Meg Whitman.

[truth_seeker]

“The main problem I have with Poizner is that he has tried to have Prop 13 repealed - that makes him a non-starter for me.”

“Absolutely!
The sick scumbag Poizner wants the rat legislature to be able to raise taxes by a simple majority vote, and he wants rat-controlled municipalities to be able to raise real estate taxes as high as they want to, totally unchecked.

I am still shaking my head that McClintock endorsed him...”

On raising taxes:

Prop. 13 and the 2/3 vote to raise taxes are the ONLY block preventing the democrat majority from wreaking further havok on the taxpayers of this state.

Poizner has tried to do the dems dirty work, which has no excuse.

His written issues on his website does NOT say he will fight to retain the 2/3 rule, but Whitman’s DOES say that.

On illegal immigration and amnesty:

Meg Whitman states she OPPOSES any amnesty, but Poisner takes no such stand.

On the state legislature:

Both want to turn the legislature into part time, with Whitman calling for reduced salaries.

California voters can see what they both say:

http://www.megwhitman.com/index.php

http://stevepoizner.com/

[Lancey Howard]

now you can vote for Meg Whitman.

No thanks, Mr. confused.

[ansel12]

Not confused, just bored by trollers.

[aquila48]

“Judging by the Nimrods that are consistently elected to the CA Legislature, we’ll probably end up with Jerry Brown.

I’m also about 50/50 on the situation with “Dumb as a Box of Barbara Boxer’s” Boxer.”

Neither would surprise me. This place won’t get turned around until it sinks to such a level that even the liberals will desert it, at which point the illegals will take over and make it part of mexico.

What a shame! - It’s such a beautiful state.

[Defiant]

Those ads about how she hasn't voted for 28 years were very troubling for me. Poizner seems like a lefty, too, so it is kind of a toss-up. I don't know why McClintock is preferring Poizner to Whitman, they both seem very similar.

Christy was supposed to be a RINO, too, but I love the guy. I'll take a moderate who fights the libs and is fiscally conservative to a weenie who won't fight and so loses all the battles.

[Kickass Conservative]

Unfortunately, when the Liberals bail, they move to other States like a cancer, bringing their twisted Ideology with them.

The cycle repeats itself and they move on to the next healthy organ. Eventually the Host dies.

If things don't change in November, the Country will never recover. I'm sure I'm not the first here to say that.

[aquila48]

“Unfortunately, when the Liberals bail, they move to other States like a cancer, bringing their twisted Ideology with them.”

The midwest might be safest - they tend to prefer the more scenic places.

[abigailsmybaby]

Thanks for posting that. I’ve never heard of him. I truly enjoyed the videos on his website. He’s to my liking!

[Ritemind]

Look at resume. Look at open door policy. Both are Rino. Meg’s web site is talk to Meg and she can be reached. Steve is insulated completely. The Bee wants to select the candidate to run against Brown. Either way they win. Because despite what “Poser” says he will not take input. He does not want to represent. He wants an bigger desk to hide under. I double dog dare you to try to reach him at his current place of work. Or try to reach him at his campaign sites. There is no way to easily reach him. (BTW, in the Bee he says he is a business man, but last I looked he is insurance commissioner and that bureaucrat job gets a full time paycheck from the state.) How can any manager... yes Governor is a management job, do his job with no input?

[svcw]

I did not know this. I haven’t seen or heard a single add where she mentions him.
If he is for her well then I am not.

[SmithL]

This is whining, but I do resent being put in this position of having to choose among such debris in California,

We are in agreement.

[ansel12]

http://www.megwhitman.com/story/694/mitt-romney-says-meg-will-bring-bright-future-to-california.html

“As Meg’s mentor at the private consulting firm Bain & Company, Romney recalled that Meg helped clients – which included global corporations – strategize and manage their complex businesses. She never shied away from the tough jobs and always delivered results.

“What I found was Meg had the ability to take on very difficult assignments, to cut through all the baloney and to focus on exactly the issues that really would make a difference and would help a particular enterprise find success,” Romney said.

Romney has been a valuable confidant and visible supporter of Meg’s since she first hit the campaign trail in February. He’s attended events, helped with fundraising, emailed his supporters and met with key grassroots and elected leaders – all on behalf of Meg.

At events, he cites her proven track record of growing businesses and inspiring employees, and he believes Meg is running for the state’s top job because she has a natural desire to make things better.

Her business career serves as the perfect background for a prospective governor, he often tells crowds.

At Bain, she often was on the hot seat, demonstrating strong leadership and focus to guide the future of troubled enterprises. Those attributes, Romney added, are exactly what California needs in its next governor.

“She had to make the right decisions because wrong decisions meant bankruptcy, loss of jobs and a dramatic departure from the objectives and goals the company had.”

At a friendly breakfast meeting in Palo Alto, Romney confided in his longtime friend his plans to run for president in the 2008 election and asked her to join his campaign. Before long, she was a national co-chair and traveling across the country on his behalf.”