One to Watch: Meg Whitman
May 12, 2009 by Laura Singleton
Filed under Profiles in Conservatism
In the State of Crisis known as California, Girl Pundit found a true Jane in Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. Sound familiar? It might if you’re a fan of the Wall Street Journal–or if you sold your Aunt Mabel’s hideous porcelain cats online. She’s the former CEO who guided eBay from a 30-person start-up to the “eBehemoth” it is today. A fan Mitt Romney and a late-stage national co-chair of McCain’s presidential campaign, Whitman is taken seriously by the RNC, and with good reason.
Both Whitman’s high-powered history running multi-billion dollar organizations and her experience in interviews show. A graduate of both Princeton and Harvard, she’s sharp, articulate, and has no trouble controlling the conversation to stay on message. She’s powerful without coming across as snarky, and is as practical as she is smart.
So, what does she believe is the key to a conservative comeback in California? What she calls “the Power Alley”.
In Whitman’s view, Power Alley issues are those core values that appeal to virtually every voter. The big one: economic recovery. Admittedly, libs may argue with her strategy to achieve this recovery (lower taxes across the board, pro-business policies, smaller government), but she believes that the message will resonate with Californians she’s targeting—namely the Conservative core of the GOP, the huge numbers of women who’ve left the party (she’s even started a “MEGa WOMEN” coalition to unite California’s politically minded females), and 18-29 year olds who overwhelmingly sway left.
These groups, she believes, will respond to a vision of the future where government gets out of the way and lets small businesses create wealth, where jobs are plentiful and future generations aren’t drowning in this generation’s debt.
Whitman hopes that her Power Alley is strong enough to offset her conservative Achilles heel: Her decidedly more liberal stances on socal issues. Whitman’s betting that the wide appeal of her fiscal policies will outweigh her position on these issues in her state. While her positions may not play as well in other parts of the nation, in California’s more socially-diverse and financially-stricken environment, this may be a good bet.
Whitman’s confident that Californians will respond to her Power Alley message: “We’ve got to fix the state’s economy. We’ve got to start creating jobs again.” And that’s worth more than all of Aunt Mabel’s cats put together.
This article appears courtesy of Girl Pundit. For more information on Meg Whitman or the MEGa WOMEN coalition, see http://www.megwhitman.com/
Popularity: 1% [?]
Socioeconomic circumstances certainly favor Meg Whitman. However, she could lose her bid for California governorship by her own hand.
Meg Whitman has proven herself to be a savvy business person. This is a type of person Californians want for governor. Californians are looking for a politician who can offer viable solutions to ending this budget debacle in California. Budget concerns are number one and will be for years to come. Whitman has a good track record which much favors her ability to be elected and this is, most likely, what will have her elected.
Another positive point is related to California’s dismal education system. Teachers in California are the highest paid of our nation yet produce a fifty percent dropout rate in Los Angeles county. Whitman has hinted at merit pay and holding teachers accountable. Should Whitman develop a campaign plank of education reform and disfavor of teacher unions, this will favor her election.
Currently, all elected politicians of California are in certain disfavor. Approval ratings are at historical lows across the board. There are no current elected politicians who would prove to be viable candidates for governorship. This is especially true for Republicans who are simply loathed for their violating pledges to not raise taxes and for Republicans masterminding California’s propositions 1A through 1F which are clearly doomed for defeat. All current sitting Republican politicians are likely to be voted out. Some are now suffering very viable recall efforts. This loathing of Republicans hurts Whitman’s campaign chances.
Meg Whitman will have to prove she is not simply another lying Republican. Her support of propositions 1D, 1E and 1F are not helping her. Quite clear, according to ongoing polls, there is virtually no public support for propositions 1A through 1E but there is waning support for 1F. Meg Whitman has cast herself as not being in step with the residents of California. Those propositions are all related to this budget mess in California. Her support of some of those propositions casts doubt on her business abilities. This might cost her the election.
California’s next governor must prove a willingness to stand up to unions. Like all politicians, unions in California are in extreme disfavor. Unions are the root cause of California’s budget crisis. For now, unions are in charge of Sacramento and all current seated politicians are union whores, all politicians regardless of political party. Should Meg Whitman not take a strong anti-union stance, she probably will lose the election.
Laura Singleton, you write, “…offset her conservative Achilles heel: Her decidedly more liberal stances on socal[sic] issues.” You have this backwards. Should Whitman take a conservative stance on social issues, she will lose the election. California is dominated by left liberals, especially out of San Francisco and the general northern California region. California’s teacher unions are well noted for being left liberal extremists and the California Teachers Association is extremely powerful; the CTA owns Sacramento.
Should Whitman adopt a “Guns and God” stance, she will lose the election.
All across our nation the Republican party is decimated. There are two basic reasons for this. Current noted Republican politicians have proven themselves liars and proven themselves right wing extremists. Republicans moved much too far to the extreme right. Americans, today are looking for center right moderate Republicans because of an early stage backlash against left liberals and Obama. Americans are looking for fiscally conservative politicians who are moderates on social issues.
Meg Whitman must present herself as a fiscal conservative while being moderate on social issues. She must present viable solutions to our economic crisis, such as lowering taxes, cutting spending and downsizing government. She must also present herself as favoring more liberal social issues such as gay marriage and approval of abortion.
Sarah Palin is developing just such a tack; fiscal conservative, social liberal. Meg Whitman must do the same, if she is to be California’s next governor.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation