Steve Poziner seems to me to be a crybaby putz here. All the Whitman campaign was saying in the memo was "Let's bury the hatchet rather than have Poizner and Whitman tear each other apart, and keep the focus on preventing Former Governor Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown from becoming Governor again (shudder)...."
Poizner could have replied that he still wanted a healthy competition and reaffirm that he would not go negative (which Whitman has not done as of yet). Indeed, if Whitman goes negative, my sympathies would be with Poizner.
There is a good argument for Poizner politely disregarding the Whitman campaign offer:
I, for one, don't want Poizner to drop out. With the occasional exceptions, contested primaries are good for the candidates. It warms them up for the general election, helps them vet their strengths and weaknesses, and those of their campaign organizations. They can learn from bonehead moves like complaining to state and federal law enforcement because an opposing campaign asked you to drop out, and avoid similar mistakes in the general election.
Republicans cleared the field for Attorney General Dan Lungren in 1998, on the theory he'd enter the general election at the head of a united GOP against the nominee of a Democratic primary splintered by a bitter primary. Gray Davis pulled a win out of that firefight, and went on to wallop Lungren by twenty points.
So better for campaigns to get poorly-conceived tactics like this one out of their systems early on when few voters are paying attention, and learn from the mistakes.
But Poizner is still being a putz here. And to go to the now Attorney General and future rival Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown to cry about it--wow, that's just political genius at work!!!!
You know, initially I favored Steve Poizner, the seasoned politico, over Meg Whitman, the wealthy dilettante. But not anymore. I wasn't sure which of the two was the more Real Republican and which was more of a RINO. But as of now, I'm choosing Meg.
4 comments:
I was disappointed that Tom Campbell dropped out of the gubernatorial primary, though I am now pulling for him for Senate. I figure you will call Campbell a RINO, but he is a damn sight better than Brown or Boxer, and the Republicans have to nominate an electable candidate if they want to win.
Actually, I think Tom Campbell should stay in the Governor's race, given that now *both* Meg and Steve are making themselves look foolish!
Just not enough money. I guess you have to be a billionaire or else in the pocket of special interests to run for statewide office in California.
As if the US Senate would not be a costly race itself?
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