Don't vote just for a name

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 5/28/6 | Jill Stewart

[SmithL]

WITH A POLL showing a remarkable number of undecided voters heading into the June 6 primary, California may see a wave of bad decisions as last-minute deciders choose candidates without a clue of who they are really voting for.

The poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows a stunning 33 percent of Democratic voters haven't decided between state Controller Steve Westly and state Treasurer Phil Angelides, who are in a statistical dead heat. Westly blew an April lead by spending too much time trashing Angelides, leaving lots of undecided women who dislike negativity.

PPIC survey director Mark Baldassare says indecision in the governor's primary is not because voters are "uninformed," but because they are filled with angst.

Fair enough, but only in the gubernatorial primary. Voters choosing finalists for attorney general, state controller, treasurer, insurance commissioner and lieutenant governor, are not the least bit informed. They're going to pick somebody because they've heard their name.

This year, that could bode particularly ill for California. To wit:

For the political springboard of lieutenant governor, the better known candidate is Insurance Commission John Garamendi, with excellent state Sen. Jackie Speier working hard to broaden her identity outside the Bay Area.

Perpetual candidate Garamendi is a self-promoter and bumbler.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Westly blew an April lead by spending too much time trashing Angelides, leaving lots of undecided women who dislike negativity.

Yeah, but in the end they will dislike Angelides's physical appearance even more. ;)

[Paul8148]

Garamendi is going to have the central valley untited to go to the polls agisnt him in Nov because of his plans of raising the insurence rates here.

[ZGuy]

This is a site that links to all the candidates sites :

http://www.politics1.com/ca.htm

I found it useful.