GOP Day 2: The Breakup
SANTA CLARA — Leave it to Tom McClintock, long the favorite son of the California Republican Party, to say what only others hinted about all weekend.
Photo: Getty Images
Arnold Schwarzenegger, we're breaking up with you.
Granted, the freshman congressman and former longtime state legislator threw his punch via video from Washington, D.C. and did so at the expense of one of the current gubernatorial wannabes.
But at least he said it; and when he did, the room erupted in applause. It probably helps when the guy isn't there — which he wasn't.
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GOP Day 1: We Love The Press
SANTA CLARA — So what did we learn on this first day of the 2010 winter California Republican Party convention? In a nutshell, that messaging is king… and that part of that message is candidates love reporters.
And press conferences. And questions. Lots of them.
Photo: John Myers, KQED
None of the chit chats were on the schedule, but rather were "impromptu" affairs that featured the former eBay CEO apologizing for the Tuesday campaign miscue heard nationwide, attacking her rival Steve Poizner, and attempting to answer every policy and political question in between. The campaign team insisted the Q&As were always going to be part of the game plan at this point; regardless, it was a day that may have put an end to the characterization of a media shy business executive — a story her rivals have playing to the hilt these last few days.
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GOP Foil, Thy Name is Arnold
Photo: Getty Images
Those are some of the things being said about Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as this election year kicks off… not by Democrats, but by his fellow Republicans. And it may be just the beginning.
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Political Spending: California's "Green" Leadership?
The political world is buzzing over today's big ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that lifts seemingly all restrictions on campaign cash funneled into groups that operate independently of candidates for Congress.
Of course, those of us in the Golden State know a thing or two about free flowing money into "independent expenditure" groups. And so it seems — once again — as California goes, so goes the nation.
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Poll To Brown: Don't Measure The Drapes Just Yet
There are 321 days left until California voters go to the polls and choose their next governor. That's a long time, but not so long that political junkies won't read tonight's new poll and wonder this: might the all-but-official Democratic heavyweight candidate end up losing?
It's not that crazy a question, given the Public Policy Institute of California survey that shows Jerry Brown leading Meg Whitman in a potential matchup by just six points.
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Nolo Contendre = Solo Contender?
Consider it the first big news in the 2010 race for governor of California, and it came 221 days before the June primary: the nomination of the state's dominant political party appears to be safely in the hands of a guy who hasn't even officially said he wants it.
If you love politics, it's a great story.
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GOP Dispatches: Day 2
Dispatches from day two of this weekend's California GOP confab from my KQED colleague, Scott Shafer.
Meg-a Problem? Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman gave a somewhat lackluster speech to the state Republican convention Saturday afternoon. She touched on all her usual themes — cutting taxes and regulation, staying tough on crime, etc. But one thing she didn't mention was her personal voting record.
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Toys, Travels, Teabags?
On this day before the big special election, there's a pretty noticeable quiet around the state Capitol, as California's budget needs will soon (and somewhat) be in the hands of the voters.
Until then, a few odds and ends related to the six proposition extravaganza are worth a mention…
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The Next Governor Is… Ummm…
Talk about a poll that only prompts more speculation.
Today's Field Poll on the potential matchups of Democrats and Republicans for next year's race for governor is proof positive that this race is wide open. An awful lot of presumed and possible candidates, but anyone's guess as to how it will all shake out.
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About the Blogger
John Myers is Sacramento Bureau Chief for KQED's The California Report, heard on public radio stations around the state. More about John...
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