Free Republic

A funny thing happened on the way to the wood chipper. Steve Poizner, the guy who was supposed to get chopped into tiny pieces, has shredded billionaire Meg Whitman's once seemingly insurmountable lead in the race for the Republican nomination for governor.

Front-running GOP governor candidate Meg Whitman goes on the defensive in her latest TV ad – an indication that Republican opponent Steve Poizner’s attacks on his rival are effective. His emphasis on the issue of illegal immigration is seeming timely – at least among Republicans – given Arizona’s new law and support for it among some Californians. A look at Whitman’s ad (see video below) and the facts: Poizner has attacked Whitman for being friendly with the enemy because she gave $8,000 in 2003 toward Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer’s reelection effort. In the new ad, Whitman says, “I strongly...

Whitman loses "focus" in new ad...and attacks Boxer? (SNIP) ...This commercial smells like someone who knows the race is tightening, big-time. Early on in the spot, Meg says, "So let's get down to brass tacks. I strongly oppose Barbara Boxer and I am working hard to defeat her." Say what? The presumption here is that everybody has seen the Steve Poizner commercials ripping Meg for supporting Boxer and writing her a check in 2004 for her re-election. But if you're like most Californians -- who leave their TV set occasionally to gander at the poppies -- you might say, "Why...

On the Propositions: Prop. 13. Seismic Retrofits. YES: Earthquake proofing your house shouldn’t trigger a tax increase until you’re ready to sell. Any questions? Prop. 14. Distorted Primary. NO: This was the result of the corrupt deal for the tax increase engineered by Abel Maldonado that included this measure to by-pass party primaries in a manner Maldonado believed would enhance his future election prospects. Instead of voters of each party putting their best candidate forward, this jerry-rigged system is designed to disguise the difference between the parties and force those pesky third parties off the general election ballot entirely. Prop....

Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is running a TV ad accusing rival Steve Poizner of taking liberal positions on a variety of issues. Following is the text of the ad and an analysis by Jack Chang of The Bee's Capitol Bureau:TextHow liberal is Steve Poizner? Poizner supported partial-birth abortion. Taxpayer-funded abortion. Received a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood. Opposed the Bush tax cuts. Gave $10,000 to Al Gore's recount. Wants to eliminate the two-thirds vote required for the Legislature to increase spending. Sided with unions attacking Prop. 13. Increased his department's budget nearly 14 percent. Steve Poizner. Liberal on...

Although the big news has been that Poizner is now within striking distance of Meg Whitman in the CA Gov Republican Primary, I am going to focus on the CA Senate race poll results via SUSA. As I pointed out here (also at my blog), and is now confirmed by SUSA, Chuck DeVore has jumped 5 points in the polls. This positive movement for Chuck DeVore is contrary to the negative movement of Campbell and Fiorina in the 18-49 demographic*, 5 and 10 point drops respectively. This movement, both positive and negative, is a sign of the fluidity and indecision...

You know the GOP race for governor is tightening when Meg Whitman brings out the big gun -- former Gov. Pete Wilson -- to defend her position on illegal immigration. Wilson, chairman of Whitman's campaign, is now appearing in a radio ad arguing that Whitman will be "tough as nails" on the issue. "This is former Gov. Pete Wilson. I know how important it is to stop illegal immigration and I know Meg Whitman," he says in the spot. "Meg will be tough as nails on illegal immigration. She'll fight to secure our border and go after sanctuary cities." It's...

For a long time, Meg Whitman rode high in the polls in her effort to win the Republican nomination in California for Governor. Over the last month, her position has suddenly eroded, according to a new Survey USA poll, and now she finds herself in a dead heat with insurance commissioner Steve Poizner. Now the former eBay CEO has to fight hard to hold onto a nomination that most people assumed she would win, with the primary just around the corner: Not long ago Meg Whitman had such a huge lead – 50 points – over Steve Poizner for the...

SAN YSIDRO — Republican candidate for governor Steve Poizner brought his increasingly hard-line anti-illegal immigration message to the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday. Poizner, the state insurance commissioner, spent three hours touring the border area and meeting with Border Patrol officials followed by a press conference on the pedestrian bridge over I-5 that overlooks the San Ysidro border crossing just inside the United States. As governor he said he would redeploy the National Guard to help patrol the border, shut off public benefits to people who are not in the country legally and revoke the business licenses of employers who hire...

In the California governor's race, Steve Poizner goes very, very hard at Meg Whitman on immigration, drawing a sharp difference on an issue that plays in his favor in a Republican primary, but which Republicans worry could backfire in a general election.

Madame "Too Busy To Vote Even Though I Had A Household Staff" isn't holding up well now that the people who do vote are paying attention. Meg Whitman would be an absolute disaster for California. At best, she's Arnold Schwarzenegger in drag. At worst, she's a more masculine version of Jerry Brown.

Republican gubernatorial candidates Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman have feuded over which one is a real conservative, but check the expiration date on that label.Whoever emerges from the June 8 primary must pivot away from the conservative tag in the months that follow. Winning the general election will require substantial support from independent voters in California, with GOP voter registration below 31 percent.Poizner has a tougher challenge in appealing to centrists after spending the primary race trying to establish conservative credentials on issues from immigration to the environment. Whitman had more freedom to take moderate positions with a primary lead...

Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman traveled remarkably similar paths to becoming candidates for governor of California. Born and educated in other states, they made their way to California's Silicon Valley and stunning success – he in adapting GPS technology to cell phones, she in creating a new retail marketplace in the ether. Both came late to politics but, not surprisingly, adopted the Silicon Valley model of capitalistic, but pragmatic, social moderation. Both had that image, one potentially salable to the state's fickle electorate, as they began to seek the Republican nomination. Billionaire Whitman opted for political blitzkrieg, spending tens of...

SAN JOSE – Trying to climb back from a double-digit deficit in polls, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner used virtually every opportunity to attack front-runner Meg Whitman in their second and final scheduled debate Sunday night. Poizner, the state insurance commissioner, assailed Whitman from the outset by questioning her investments with embattled Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs and attempting to connect her to high-profile Democrats. The hourlong debate at the Tech Museum in San Jose was marked by sharp barbs over which one had stronger conservative credentials. "Who are you, really?" Poizner said to Whitman. "The Republican base is looking...

In his latest ad, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner attacks Meg Whitman by suggesting she's another version of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The commercial – titled "Don't Be Fooled" – even morphs a picture of Schwarzenegger into Whitman. But Poizner himself once tried hard to emulate the Republican governor he now trashes on television. In 2004, Poizner ran as a moderate Republican for an Assembly seat representing the Silicon Valley. During that race, Poizner welcomed Schwarzenegger with open arms at a campaign event in Menlo Park, where the two portrayed themselves as two wealthy mavericks beholden to no one.

Whitman gave $8,000 to Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer's reelection effort in 2003, a total that includes a contribution to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Along with 16 other tech leaders, she signed a letter that said, "Barbara Boxer is a courageous leader and friend of California's technology industry." Poizner wrote checks for a total of at least $21,000 forAl Gore's campaign, Gore's recount expenses, and the Democratic National Committee in 2000. Here are the excuses each candidate offers for being generous with the wrong people, starting with Whitman – who was CEO of eBay when she made the donation. "Meg...

Meg Whitman has been running up the score in her California GOP gubernatorial primary against Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. To date, the former eBay CEO poured over $56 million into her campaign compared to Mr. Poizner's $17.5 million. Ms. Whitman has jammed the airwaves with ads attacking Mr. Poizner's conservative credentials. Mr. Poizner faces a nearly 50-point deficit in the polls with just two months to go until the primary. Rather than conceding, Mr. Poizner has launched an aggressive tit-for-tat campaign. His latest ad links Ms. Whitman to just about everything California conservatives disdain: amnesty, ObamaCare, Barbara Boxer, abortion, TARP...

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown on Saturday challenged his potential GOP rivals to an unprecedented bipartisan debate before the state's June primary,

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger so far has avoided the GOP gubernatorial fray. But Schwarzenegger's office couldn't resist lashing out Tuesday at Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner after Poizner's latest TV ad takes shots at the incumbent governor in an appeal to conservative Republicans. . . . It also features a quote from conservative Rep. Tom McClintock, who says, "Whitman would be Arnold's third term." The ad's kicker is, "After Arnold, don't we deserve a Republican?"

This is a site that compares the three leading candidates for California governor by listing their positions on the issues.