And a little more research, admittedly not exhaustive:
“Q. Is Poizner dust because he’s so far behind in the polls?
A. His pollster has left him, Republicans increasingly are calling for him to quit and fundraising is slow. But he’s still sitting on $17 million, mostly from his own pocket. If he can spend it effectively - his aides say he’ll start when voters are listening - he could cut into Whitman’s lead.
Poizner could also benefit from those Democratic anti-Meg ads you’ve been hearing. Still, while there’s some precedent for big comebacks, it will take a herculean effort and lots of luck.
Q. Are Whitman and Poizner as conservative as they claim? Is Brown really a centrist?
A. You be the judge: Both Republicans gave money to Democrats before getting serious about statewide politics. Whitman’s foundation also gave $300,000 to an environmental group whose aims she now opposes. Meanwhile, Poizner talked up his pro-choice creds when he ran for Assembly in a Democratic district in 2004. And he supported a measure to lower the threshold for school taxes - anathema to no-tax conservatives.
Meanwhile, Brown is talking the talk, coming down on tax hikes and even cultivating GOP donors. But his agenda as attorney general has been progressive. Fifteen years ago, on Berkeley radio, he could be heard railing against big corporations. And Republicans are sure to remind everyone that this is the guy who put death penalty foe Rose Bird on the state Supreme Court.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_14481567
As I recall, this is also the guy who, as Governor Moonbeam", signed the legislation allowing public employees to unionize, a major cause of the current budgetary log jam in Sacramento.