Experts Expound

Experts Expound

"Early polling — very early polling — shows Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman in a tight GOP primary election next year for governor. Who will win — and can either beat a Democrat in the general?"

It doesn't matter who wins, because Jerry Brown will be elected Governor in 2010.

Depends on wether the Democrats Newsom is vulnerable — whether ya like it or not!

The one who will win is the one whose wealth portfolio has been the least mangled by the current economic catastrophy. At the moment, Poizner would seem to have the upper hand. He appears more in touch, more real — despite his pandering to the GOP right on taxes and the budget. But at least he hasn't seemed foolish, as Whitman did when she said that all you have to do to clean up California's fiscal mess is to run it like a business. That nonsense exposed her as just another Republican knuckehead.

Can either win? Two years is an eternity, so never say "never" when it comes to politics. That said, it seems that the citizenry has mostly had it with Republican knuckleheads.

Meg Whitman, and it depends on the economy

California's TV stations will win…those two billionaires will pump a hundred million into media buys during their primary. And neither will beat the Democratic nominee. Poizner will win, although I don't recall seeing so much free media exposure given to such a political nobody (Whitman) before.

…(Poizner) has a very slight chance to win provided the political stars line up for him– his Democratic opponent stumbles, the Democratic bloom that swept the country fades, there is a lot of political baggage to attack and the current governor leaves

with an improved public rating. Also, there's always the theory voters like a political balance (Dems control Legislature, GOP in corner office), although that didn't come into play in the last national election.

I'm guessing Meg by virtue of gender. Republicans will be lured by the notion of a "first" and some of their more benighted voters may be nostalgic for the glory days of whatsername Palin.

They're both running from the wrong side of history, but Poizner is more seasoned and has done significantly more spadework with the Republican wing-nut base. Meg Whitman is Al Checchi in heels.

Regarding Poizner and Whitman, it really is irrelevant since neither one can beat Feinstein or Brown.

Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, J Dale Debber, Peter DeMarco, Jim Evans, Kathy Fairbanks, Jeff Fuller, Rex Frazier, Ken Gibson, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Sandy Harrison, Bob Hertzberg, Jason Kinney, Mike Madrid, Nicole Mahrt, Steve Maviglio, Adam Mendelsohn, Barbara O'Connor, Bill Packer, Kassy Perry, Jack Pitney, Adam Probolsky, Tony Quinn, Matt Rexroad, Matt Ross, Roger Salazar, Dan Schnur, Will Shuck, Ralph Simoni, Sam Sorich, Ray Sotero, Garry South, Kevin Spillane, Rich Zeiger.

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