Whitman: 'Californians want to trust their leaders again'

SFGate.com ^ | 9/22/09 | Joe Garofoli

[NormsRevenge]

Billionaire former eBay CEO and political neophyte Meg Whitman officially announced her candidacy for California governor today in Orange County, vowing to cut 40,000 state government jobs and lower taxes.

The 53-year-old Atherton resident, who registered as a Republican in 2007, told supporters in Fullerton that "Californians want to trust their leaders again. They want to be told the truth.

"And most of all," she said, "they want to live in a place of opportunity and optimism, not a place of small dreams and scaled-down ambitions."

Whitman will battle state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell in the Republican primary June 8. On the Democratic side, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has declared his candidacy and state Attorney General and former governor Jerry Brown is expected to challenge him.

Whitman, who had a spotty voting record until a couple years ago, launched the first big shot in the race today with a statewide radio advertising campaign touting her business experience.

"I don't know if I've seen a statewide media campaign launch this early before," said Jon Fleischman, Southern California chairman of the state Republican Party and publisher of the flashreport.org blog.

[Texas Eagle]

Wrong, Meg, baby. We want the polluticians to stay the hell out of our lives.

And turn the water back on!

[stboz]

Ronald had it bass-ackwards.

Verify.....then trust....then verify some more.

[Spktyr]

Meg Whitman almost killed eBay.

I’m certain her eBay feedback rating is net negative, so why should we trust her?

[marron]

She’s a global warmer, fan of Van Jones.

Its slim pickin’s out there, I tell you.

[VR-21]

That’s the whole problem. Nothing could be more stupid than trusting politicians and bureaucrats. It’s tantamount to sleeping with snakes. Our Constitution was written by men who understood that. Good God what has happened to us?

[onedoug]

Source?

[hometoroost]

Whitman’s a McCainiac. We don’t need any more left of center Republicans in office. If I lived in CA I’d vote for Poizner then move.

[DTogo]

Californians want to tar, feather, and run their leaders out of the state.

So do most other Americans.

[pointsal]

Phooey! Meg get real..... Look at the Arnuld and his suck-up pets..... Why trust that bunch now or in the future?

[Soul Seeker]

Well I don’t know if she’s really wrong.

My reaction at first was the same as yours but than I remembered this is California. The people there may wish to trust they can leave their affairs to the government.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of people across the country were of that sentiment. I think they would prefer to have a government they felt could be trusted to oversee their needs properly so they didn’t have to do it themselves.

They don’t, so opposition to big government is rising again and will continue to do until the economy gets better or we elect better leadership. Too bad Meg wouldn’t represent much of an improvement.

[K-oneTexas]

When was the time time Californians trusted their politicians?

Name me a few.

[old school]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSn37TMXZO8

[Rick_Michael]

I’d be super surprised if it stays with republicans, as I don’t think most republicans liked Arnold all that much. Anyone have internal republican polls on Arnold?

[Califreak]

I’m just kidding when I say this, but we might as well vote for Newsom & be done with it if this is true.

I hear Kamala Harris is seeking the AG slot.

I might have to sit this one out.

It doesn’t look like we’ll have anyone to vote for or against.

From what I’ve heard so far, they all suck.

[jiggyboy]

Seven months after setting up an exploratory committee - to which she has contributed $19 million of her own money

I guess she thinks works for everything.

[dragnet2]

Meg Whitman?

She married to a country singer?

Californians want to trust their leaders again. They want to be told the truth.

Wow, this is really profound...But I personally want leaders that lie and cheat, and hump the lobbyist between meetings.

Lets hope we don't have to endure anymore condescending, arrogant idiots like slick Meg Whitman

[onedoug]

Thanks very much for providing that clip, os.

Scratch Meg Whitman.

[ajay_kumar]

Governor Ronald Reagan comes to mind/

[celestron71]

We don’t want you, at least I don’t. Is this the best the GOP can come up with?