The Whitman for Governor Campaign just released this Campaign Memo (Poizner’s Campaign released one last week…)
TO: Campaign Leadership Teams
FROM: Henry Gomez and Jeff Randle
DATE: July 6, 2009
RE: State of the Race Update
The June 30 campaign reporting deadline is the first tangible measuring point of the 2010 campaign. In just five months, Meg Whitman has emerged as a very formidable contender for the Republican nomination. Meg’s campaign to date has exceeded every benchmark of success. Meg has significantly outraised every other gubernatorial candidate in this election, demonstrating unrivaled support for her candidacy. She has won the endorsement of many of the state’s most respected Republican leaders. And she has built a top-notch campaign organization that is giving Meg a considerable edge over her opponents. Perhaps most importantly, Meg has begun establishing herself as the most credible candidate on the issues that matter most to Californians.
The First 130 Days
Fundraising: In the midst of the worst economic climate in decades, Meg has raised more than $6.5 million since joining the race. She has attracted first-time donors and a wide array of backers beyond traditional Republican supporters. Meg has built a list of more than 120 finance team leaders, including Donald Bren, Jerry Perenchio, Cisco System’s John Chambers, Yahoo’s Carol Bartz, Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen, Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems, and Al Montna of Montna Farms. Many of these supporters were aggressively pursued by the Steve Poizner campaign.
Endorsements: Since entering the race, Meg has earned the endorsement of key national, statewide and local GOP leaders, a diverse group that includes former Gov. Pete Wilson, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, former Gov. Mitt Romney, former California Attorney General and U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, State Senator Tony Strickland, and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher. In recent weeks, five party leaders, including Orange County Congressman John Campbell, have defected from Steve Poizner’s campaign to join Meg.
Organization: In just five months, Meg has built a campaign presence in virtually every region of California, including key Republican strongholds in Orange and San Diego counties, the Inland Empire and the Central Valley.
Online Media: The campaign is rolling out a state-of-the-art web operation. Meg is using social networking and other online tools to mobilize volunteers, activists and donors. Meg also has built a next-generation online media team that produces timely news and videos for her website.
Fully Assembled Campaign Team: Meg has attracted proven political advisers who have won at the state and national level and have worked at the top levels of government and business. Her campaign is fully functioning and includes political, policy, communications, coalitions, finance, and online-media departments. Meg’s team includes former top campaign advisers to California governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and GOP presidential candidates John McCain, Mitt Romney and George W. Bush. Her closest political and communications advisers have worked with Meg for years.
Media Attention: Meg has conducted dozens of print and broadcast press interviews. She has received significant print media coverage from a variety of outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Orange County Register, the Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bakersfield Californian, and many others. Meg has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs across the state. And unlike her opponents, Meg has received significant state and national coverage from the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, The Weekly Standard, FOX News, NBC, and CNN. All this media attention has helped introduce Meg and her ideas to California voters.
Issues: Meg is the only candidate to make job creation the top priority. She has demonstrated consistent focus and clarity on the three most pressing issues facing Californians: Job creation, wasteful state spending, and education. On cutting taxes, delivering water, protecting the public’s safety and slashing bloated state government, Meg has been a strong voice in shaping the debate in recent months.
Why Meg Is Positioned To Win The Primary
There are several early indications that Steve Poizner’s candidacy is not viable. In the span of a single campaign-reporting period, Steve Poizner, the race’s earliest entrant, has gone from being the whispered frontrunner to a candidate who is struggling to keep valuable endorsements, articulate a message and raise the resources necessary to compete. Poizner’s weak fundraising results call into question his organizational ability as well as the strength of his support among California Republicans. As a Sacramento politician, there is nothing in Poizner’s record to separate him from the quagmire of our state’s mismanaged government. He is viewed as part of the problem. As a symptom of consistent campaign setbacks and Poizner’s leadership style, the Poizner campaign has lost many of its experienced California operatives. They have been replaced by a mostly unproven, out-of-state team.
Finally, Poizner’s latest assertion that he has built considerable grassroots support is not borne out by any credible measuring stick. For a politician who has sought elective office for years, early public opinion polls show that he has little support and even less name recognition among the state’s Republicans. Tom Campbell hasn’t generated the fundraising base necessary to lead the party against tough odds in California. And Campbell has openly campaigned for billions in tax and fee increases against overwhelming bipartisan opposition by Californians. While Campbell is a worthy opponent, his pathway to victory is difficult to imagine. The Days Ahead Polls show that most of the candidates are unknown to voters, underscoring that the race is just beginning. In the coming months, our campaign will capitalize on its early momentum by aggressively building an even wider grassroots network, adding to our already substantial resource advantage, and continuing to win over voters with Meg’s concise vision for A New California. It’s going to be a very tough race, but we’re confident that Californians are eager for a leader with a fresh set of eyes who can help create jobs, manage state government and turn California around. Meg is that leader. And in the months ahead, our campaign will focus on demonstrating that to Californians, and on inspiring a rebirth of Republican leadership in the state.