From yesterday’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…
Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman has recaptured a decisive lead in the state’s June 8 gubernatorial primary, but at a high cost, both politically and financially.
Ms. Whitman has spent $33.8 million in the last two months, or about $512,000 per day, countering attack ads from her GOP rival, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. The battle has left just $3.7 million in Ms. Whitman’s war chest for the general election race, which starts after next week’s primary. Democratic candidate Jerry Brown has spent just $259,000 over the same two months. He still has $20.6 million in the bank, plus expects at least $17 million in outside help from union-backed groups.
The latest USC/Los Angeles Times poll now has Ms. Whitman leading Mr. Poizner by 24 points, suggesting she has successfully turned back his barrage of ads challenging her conservative credentials on issues like public funding of abortion and illegal immigration. The fight’s biggest beneficiary, though, was Mr. Brown, who now leads Ms. Whitman by six points in head-to-head matchup polls. In March — before Mr. Poizner ramped up his attacks — Ms. Whitman was ahead by three points.
For good reason, Mr. Brown is now citing the GOP mudfight and demanding a higher tone in the general election. As unseemly as it was, the GOP battle featured two little-known figures spending large sums trying to define themselves and each other in front of a bemused electorate. And each was essentially accusing the other of being a moderate. Mr. Brown, in contrast, has been one of the state’s most visible and polarizing figures for 40 years. Right now, Ms. Whitman’s unfavorability ratings outweigh her favorability ratings by five points, while Mr. Poizner carries a 20-point negative differential. Mr. Brown boasts a five point positive differential, but that’s likely to change once the air war turns its focus on his liberal reputation and record.
— Allysia Finley