Post 8: GOP Debate

Potential candidates for governor Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner took each other head-on Sunday night in San Jose in the second and final debate within the GOP.

Poizner took the offense the majority of the time, with Whitman having to defend herself for her possibly spotty record supporting Barbara Boxer and for her dealings with Goldman Sachs as e-Bay CEO. 

Although some view Poizner's campaign as caustic and as an attack, it seems to be working. In the past few weeks, he's spent about $2 million on ads, which has helped him cut the 50-point gap between Whitman and himself in half.

When I first heard about Whitman's entry into the race, I was pretty excited. Here's someone, I thought, who isn't completely corrupted by politics yet. Someone who knows how to handle money. But then, Whitman started spending out the kazoo and I started to lose my confidence in her. It seems that I may not be the only one out there like that.

It's always fascinating to me how candidates can take the heat off themselves by putting it on someone else. They fail to talk about the specifics of their own plans for a seat in lieu of tearing down someone else. Sure, it's great to have each of the candidates critiqued and revealed for a bit of who they really are, but I would have liked to hear more specifics from the candidates on their own experience and goals.

As a journalist, one thing that frustrates me about Whitman -- or should I say another thing -- is that she has refused to talk to news publications in an almost unprecedented manner. 

She refused, for the first time in the living memory of the San Francisco Chronicle staff, to meet with the editorial board to see if she was a candidate they would like to endorse. Some of her press conferences have been extremely selective, almost undeserving of the encompassing term press conference.

When you put yourself in the public's eye, you should not only expect to, but rise to the occasion with courtesy.

But I must say I have some respect for Whitman. She did manage to run one of the most successful companies in the nation. She's donated about $80 million so far for her campaign, completely out of pocket. Granted, not too many people can do that, but you've got to give a nod to her self-reliance.

The big day for the Republican party comes June 8. Primary Election. We'll see if Poizner can catch up to Whitman by then. At this point, he might have a shot.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-04-30/opinion/20877808_1_meg-whitman-el-centro-endorsement-processhttp://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15004018?nclick_check=1

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/05/poizner-to-whitman-who-are-you-really.html