Poll: Meg Whitman, Jerry Brown in virtual tie

Chronicle ^ | July 7, 2010 | Joe Garofoli,Drew Joseph

[tlb]

California's race for governor is a dead heat, as Republican Meg Whitman's massive advertising blitz coupled with Democrat Jerry Brown's lo-fi campaign have raised doubts about Brown and cut his lead among Latino voters and other key Democratic constituencies, a Field Poll released today shows.

Brown leads Whitman 44 to 43 percent in the poll, with 13 percent undecided, according to Field's survey of 1,005 likely voters.

But billionaire Whitman's relentless advertising campaign has helped sour voters' views of Brown, with 40 percent holding an unfavorable opinion of him - up from 25 percent in March 2009. Still, 42 percent view him favorably.

Voters feel similarly mixed about Whitman, with 40 percent viewing her favorably. But 42 percent view her unfavorably, up from 27 percent in March 2010, largely because of her bruising GOP primary against Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and attacks on her from union-backed independent expenditure groups.

Whitman has trimmed Brown's lead among Latino voters to 11 percentage points, down from 24 points in January, Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo said.

"He needs to get at least two-thirds of the Latino vote," said Henry Brady, dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. "This is not a poll that bodes well for him."

Whitman began advertising heavily on Spanish-language media last month to coincide with the beginning of the World Cup soccer tournament.

Whitman also holds a slight edge among nonpartisan voters - a key demographic that she needs to win given that 45 percent of California voters are registered as Democrats to 31 percent registered as Republicans.

"This race is now dead even," DiCamillo said. Whitman's multimedia, multi-language advertising campaign, fueled by $91 million from her personal fortune, "has made this a fair fight" he said.

[tlb]

Jerry might be in trouble. Lucky for him he can expect "truecons" to ride to the rescue, undercutting Whitman and delivering Jerry from the threat of this dreadful "RINO".

[AlexW]

I thought Meg Whitman was maybe a shinning star for the Republicans, but then I heard her praise for the Obot Marxist Van Jones.
That is all I need to know.

[calcowgirl]

Jerry might be in trouble. Lucky for him he can expect "truecons" to ride to the rescue, undercutting Whitman and delivering Jerry from the threat of this dreadful "RINO".

F.O., Is that you?

[Brilliant]

It’s hard to believe that after 35 years of repeating the same idiot mistakes election after election, the CA voters might consider doing something different. Must be all those absentee ballots from illegal aliens. I guess they are more conservative than the typical liberal moonbat.

[gunsequalfreedom]

If Brown is close in the polls I would not be surprised if it is because of the Whitman ads. The one is so preposterous that it must be turning people off.

In it she says that when brown was Mayor of Oakland he taxed everything for trash pick up to whatever. This charge could be made against any mayor of any city. All cities levy taxes.

It shows how stupid Whitman thinks the voters are. I am so sick of these deceptive ads from Whitman that I will have a real hard time voting for her. This kind of garbage politics is driving voters away.

[gunsequalfreedom]

Further to the subject of the “fast and loose” approach to campaigning by Whitman...

http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/did-jerry-brown-damage-oakland-school-district

I don’t care who it is, when I see millions poured into pure distortions just because they think it wins an election it looks Orwellian to me.

If they don’t have morals and ethical standards when they are running for office, they are not worthy of the office.

I’ll sit out the vote for governor.

[mac_truck]

If Brown is close in the polls I would not be surprised if it is because of the Whitman ads.

If you read the article it states that the Whitman ads are one reason she's pulled into a tie with Brown, not the other way around.

The one is so preposterous that it must be turning people off...I am so sick of these deceptive ads from Whitman that I will have a real hard time voting for her.

The Whitman ads are NOT deceptive and they have only been running for a month. The ads are effective and conservatives should be happy there is someone willing to spend their own money to take on the liberal/union political machine in California.

[mac_truck]

Further to the subject of the “fast and loose” approach to campaigning by Whitman...

http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/did-jerry-brown-damage-oakland-school-district

Who cares what some liberal blogger from Berkeley thinks?

Go peddle that crap over at D.U. lady.

[paul51]

Poll: Meg Whitman, Jerry Brown in virtual tie

Not so surprising. Not much difference between them

[GregH]

You must be watching something else.

The ads that I have seen for Whitman are brilliant and effective and sow great doubts about Brown among voters.

Whitman has done a great job of painting Brown as a career politician trying and seeking different offices and failing.

[mrreaganaut]

The most important fact in this article is not mentioned: a sizable number of people in California are thinking of re-electing GOVERNOR MOONBEAM!!!

When Jerry Brown, ‘70s flower of enlightenment, is a hard-nosed ‘law-and-order’ Democratic candidate, we can see just how far down the rabbit hole the California Dems have gone. Of course, Whitman’s no prize, either...

[Godzilla]

she may not be a ‘shining star’, but when contrasted to the moonbeam - it is a much easier choice at this stage.

[Liz]

Brown's tale of frugality omits $1.8 million home
By SAMANTHA YOUNG, Associated Press Writer

This is a Monday, June 21, 2010 photo of a Japanese inspired home in the hills of Oakland, Calif. Jerry Brown and his wife, former Gap executive Anne Gust, own the custom-designed, $1.8 million house in one of the San Francisco Bay area's most prestigious neighborhoods _ a Zen-inspired, five-level architectural gem perched high in the wooded Oakland Hills.

That a former governor and nationally known political figure owns a great house in a great neighborhood isn't surprising. But Brown has made his past austerity a central theme to his general election campaign, using it to draw a contrast to his Republican opponent, billionaire Meg Whitman.

The former eBay chief executive lives in a $3 million home in a gated community in the Silicon Valley community of Atherton. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - When he takes to the campaign trail, Jerry Brown is fond of reminding voters that he shunned the governor's mansion in Sacramento in favor of a rented apartment during his first tour in the executive office and lived in a downtown loft in Oakland while he was mayor of the crime-ridden city.

The stories are part of a campaign narrative of frugality. The Democratic nominee wants voters to remember that when they consider whether to send him back to the governor's office as California faces a $19 billion budget deficit, an unemployment rate above 12 percent and a continuing foreclosure crisis. What California voters do not hear is Brown boasting about his latest home.

He and his wife, former Gap executive Anne Gust, own a custom-designed, $1.8 million house in one of the San Francisco Bay area's most prestigious neighborhoods—a Zen-inspired, five-level architectural gem perched high in the wooded Oakland Hills.

The three-bedroom home comes with bamboo floors, a spiral staircase, breathtaking views of the bay and roll-up family room windows that let the sea breeze wash in. The office on the top floor has a private entrance. A spa level features a sauna and wetbar, while a dumbwaiter services every floor, making it easy to send a bottle from the wine cellar to the dining room.

When fog isn't hovering over the bay, the home provides a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, according to a brochure of the home when it was on the market in 2007.

Source: AP - Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Deo volente]

Here's my idea of an effective Meg Whitman ad:



JERRY BROWN: Just more of the "same old, same old..."

[gunsequalfreedom]

You must be watching something else.

The ads that I have seen for Whitman are brilliant and effective and sow great doubts about Brown among voters.

Whitman has done a great job of painting Brown as a career politician trying and seeking different offices and failing.

They no doubt are effective. That is not the point I was raising.

I specifically raised a question about the Whitman charge that Brown taxed everything under the sun as Mayor of Oakland. I pointed out that this charge could be made against every mayor (Republican or Dem) because all cities tax.

Do you feel like addressing that specific point?

Perhaps I am looking for intellectual honesty in campaign message and swimming up stream. I view the lack of it as corrosive to the political process, a threat to the democratic (small d) process.

[Theodore R.]

The people of CA will just kick themselves if Jerry Brown doesn’t win; it will be a real shame if he loses, for CA people believe in the excessive government that he epitomizes.

[gunsequalfreedom]

Go peddle that crap over at D.U. lady.

Nobody is peddling anything. This is a conservative discussion forum. Critical thinking I hope is still a characteristic of FR, setting it apart from DU.

If you want to address the point that was raised, that in my view would be considerably more productive.

The question is, Are campaigns well served when they obviously distort. I cited an example for discussion purposes.

[hobbes1]

If they don’t have morals and ethical standards when they are running for office, they are not worthy of the office.
I’ll sit out the vote for governor.

To a limited extent that's fair.

If you plan to remain too shortsighted to realise that's how the other side fights.

You don't win a streetfight by sticking to Queensbury rules, and losing with Honor is still losing.... peoples lives are at stake.

[hobbes1]

Nobody is peddling anything. This is a conservative discussion forum. Critical thinking I hope is still a characteristic of FR, setting it apart from DU

Yes, it is. And you are preferring high mindedness to common sense.

You have to fight the fight according to the current customs.

[gunsequalfreedom]

Yes, it is. And you are preferring high mindedness to common sense. You have to fight the fight according to the current customs.

Not too many posts on this thead so I'll respond to both here.

You and the other reply have a valid response. In the short run, these are the rules of the game. The problem I see is in the long run the negative ads that stretch the truth (considerably) have the effect of turning off voters.

I suppose you are right that I am caught up in looking for a more substantive level of discussion from candidates. Still not completely won over to your position.