I am sitting here at an impromptu “blogger row” in the back of a ballroom at the Marriott in Irvine. Sitting next to me is fellow blogger Matt Cunningham.
We are here to check out Meg Whitman as her “campaign kick-off tour” swings through Orange County. She is the featured speaker at a meeting of popular local Congressman (and former Fleischman employer) Ed Royce, who today formally endorsed Whitman in a lengthy, and emphatic introduction of the former CEO of eBay. Royce told the audience that while 9 million people voted in the last gubernatorial election in California, eBay has 12 million registered users here in the Golden State. (Now if we could get all of them to register and vote!)
Because I am so focused right now on the state budget Big 5/Big Spending deal in Sacramento, I will share with FR readers that Whitman just slammed Sacramento politicians for proposing tax and fee increases.
She made a lot of references to the out of touch politicians in the Capitol who don't understand how things happen in the real world.
I couldn't miss the not so subtle shot across the bow of the S.S. Schwarzenegger, in her reference to the importance of having a Governor with firm conviction.
“We need a Governor who knows what she believes…”
Nice.
The crowd here is large — probably 500 strong. And there are a lot of familiar faces. Many are Whitman supporters here to offer their help, many others are here to check out Meg “the celebrity” and see what she has to say.
My blogging colleague Mr. Cunningham will be penning something later on that delves much more into the content of Whitman's remarks and such. Keep an eye out for that!
No “contact sport” to report on — no Q and A after the remarks.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I’ll be seeing Ms. Whitman at a lunch on Saturday because I want to honestly evaluate her as the potential Republican Gubernatorial Candidate for 2010.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Maybe Whitman deserves a look, especially since Poizner really doesn’t seem to be serious about the tax and spend problem in Sacramento as evidenced by his doing a fundraiser for Anthony Adams.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Alaska gets Palin, we get pro abort Whitman.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I thought her speech was fine. She went into her background and a few policy positions. Sadly though, in the back of my mind the whole time I was thinking that I heard almost verbatim the same rhetoric from Arnold Schwarzenegger when he ran in the Davis recall as well as his re-election in 2006….and look what that got us. Meg has a great story, but color me skeptical that she would do the right thing if she were in Arnold’s situation today, namely…not to come to the taxpayers for more of our tax money.