I recently compared Republican nominee for Governor Meg Whitman's campaign website and that of her Democrat counterpart Jerry Brown. Perhaps it's a superficial way to judge competing candidates. But maybe not. Because the differences were startling and demonstrate why one candidate has a plan to fix California and the other hasn't a clue.
Meg Whitman is not hiding her agenda behind obfuscations or clever slogans. She's not running on platitudes or soundbites. Her website contains a detailed plan for dealing with the many substantial problems that face the Golden State. As the businesswoman she is, she has taken a seemingly insurmountable mountain of problems and broken them down into smaller, more manageable components. She is a realist and knows that not everything that is wrong with California can be fixed right away. So she has focused on three major areas that would be the focus of her first four years.
Her goal, if elected, would be: 1) to create good jobs in California, 2) to cut unnecessary government spending, and 3) to fix the K-12 public education system. Three areas that, if addressed properly, could help turn the state around. Meg Whitman wants the voters to know what she plans to do if elected Governor. So she prepared policy manual that is on her website, available for download, and also offered to be mailed to voters.
Knowing her background, it is not surprising that Meg Whitman would take such a straight-forward, detailed approach to tackling the issues facing California. She has an undergraduate degree in Economics from Princeton University and a Harvard MBA. She went on to become one of the top CEOs in the nation, leading eBay to grow from a company with just $4.7 million in revenues and 30 employees to an international phenomenon with nearly $8 billion in revenues and 15,000 employees worldwide. Meg Whitman knows how to lead, how to inspire, and how to get things done. She has a track record of success upon which she can be judged.
All of this -- her education, background, experience, and her specific, detailed plans for a new California are all there on her campaign website.
By contrast, Jerry Brown's campaign website offers some random thoughts by the former Governor Moonbeam. Brown shares that. "Even though I am California's 'top cop,' 2 of my tires were stolen. No matter. I got 2 new ones and am rolling again." Amusing, possibly, but what does that say about his plans for California? He also discusses his birthday yesterday and mentions that he's planning a "Recession Reception." So, while Meg Whitman is planning how to fix California's economy, Brown is planning on celebrating the recession? That is more than disconcerting.
Jerry Brown's message seems to be -- I already know where the employee parking is in Sacramento, so vote for me. He has nothing to say to potential voters about what he sees as the biggest issues facing California or what he will do to address them. Brown is not even pretending to offer any solution to any of the myriad problems that have run this state into the ground. Instead, he's riding on name recognition -- and the greater number of registered Democrats in the state -- to carry him to victory. But if he wins -- California loses. It will be another tax and spend administration, another four years of catering to the government employee unions, another four years of putting the burden of keeping this state afloat on the backs of just a few.
The two candidates will face off in many debates as the election draws closer and that will benefit Brown. Because, TV is a whole different medium than print and he can charm and beguile all while saying nothing of substance. That is why it is imperative for voters to read what the candidates have to say about what they will do -- don't rely just on TV commercials or the limited information provided during a time-restricted and strictly choreographed debate.
If ever there was a year not to vote party line, but to research the candidates and vote on who has the best plan to make changes that will benefit the state -- this is the year. California needs a governor who offers real solutions to real problems. California needs Meg Whitman.
Meg Whitman NOT!
ReplyDeleteI'm a lifelong democrat, but I'm voting for Meg instead of Jerry this year for precisely the reasons you outlined.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need politicians or moviestars, we need proven a business manager to take the world's 14th-largest economy out of the red and into the black.
If Jerry has a better plan, I'm waiting to hear it.
I was hoping for a positive/positive side-by-side comparison. What brought me here was trying to find out how the candidates directly compare on issues. The unusual thing is that the internet only has pro-Brown websites, written specifically by his campaign or by supporters. Whitman has plenty of attack sites devoted to her. I find that telling: Brown seems to not have independent sites with specifics, Whitman does. Whitman wins!
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that Meg Whitman doesn't seem to say is how she plans to improve the public school system, create jobs, secure the border- while cutting government spending. There is no way to do that without either increasing government spending or slashing funding for other programs that are equally important. Although Meg has great ideals, I just don't see how she plans to accomplish everything that she says she will. All of the issues and policies she wants to correct cost money. I very much agree with you on the fact that Jerry Brown doesn't seem to propose any sort of way of correcting the problems that go on in California. He goes on about everything he DID do, but not what he plans to do when he is governor.
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