Meg Whitman Breaks Campaign Spending Records (could spend an unprecedented $150 million by November)

[Kadie]

Mar 23, 2010 8:12 am US/Pacific
Whitman Breaks Campaign Spending Records

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Six-figure donations are rolling in, radio and online ads are running, and researchers are digging for dirt on Meg Whitman, the leading Republican candidate for California governor.

snip...
The effort is the work of independent Democratic-linked groups that are essentially acting as surrogate campaigns for Brown at a time when he faces a huge fundraising disadvantage against Whitman. The billionaire former CEO of eBay intends to spend more money on the race than any candidate for governor in U.S. history.

The political operations are prohibited by law from coordinating with candidates, but they are free to spend as much money as they want on a politician's behalf. In fact, the Democratic groups could end up raising and spending more money than the candidate himself, a first in a California governor's race.

The movement is reshaping the way elections are waged in trendsetting California while offering a glimpse into America's future after the U.S. Supreme Court in January gave corporations and unions new freedom to spend on many campaigns.

snip...
The new political order is being shaped largely by Whitman's presence. The former CEO at eBay has already poured at least $39 million of her fortune into the race and could spend an unprecedented $150 million by November.

Brown won't even come close to those numbers.

Figures released Monday show the California attorney general and former two-term governor has about $14 million in the bank. Democratic operatives say he could raise $45 million — but that's only if every person who has donated to a Democratic candidate for governor in recent elections gave him $25,900, the maximum allowable donation for the 2010 race

more...
http://cbs13.com/politics/meg.whitman.poizner.2.1583388.html

[KingFlorez]

1. That's an obscene amount of money

Others have tried and failed to buy offices in California, so hopefully she's just wasting her money.

[Happyhippychick]

2. She is one of the most unappealing politicians I have ever seen. Money can't buy that.

[2Design]

3. gawd I hope this wicked witch of the west doesn't get in at all n/t

[KeepItReal]

5. Arnold got his ass handed to him when he came in with the my-way-or-the-highway approach

He had labor unions protesting everywhere he went in CA and the Democratic CA State Assembly telling him "NO".

If by some lunacy Meg Whitman (R-eBay) manages to win the race, she won't be able to run roughshod.

[tularetom]

4. If she wants to win, she better not show her face in those ads

The more you see of her the less you want to see.

She's fucking repulsive, and her "platform" is inane.

[4lbs]

6. And with all that money spent, the latest poll has her just 3 or 4 points ahead of Brown.

That's almost the margin of error.

He hasn't begun running any ads because he has no Democratic challenger.

Her ads and $40 million spent so far have been blasting her Republican primary challenger Steve Poizner.

I have confidence that CA voters will chose (D) Jerry Brown over (R) Meg Whitman.

[Kablooie]

7. God. Sure hope people chip in to support Jerry Brown.

I met Meg Whitman once back in 1997. She was being wooed for an exec position in my company.
She joined eBay instead. My old company was absorbed by a bigger one and all the execs left.
She made the right decision.

[stranger81]

8. Here in the Bay Area, I've been seeing her commercials every night for six weeks.

Sometimes two different commercials in a single break. And not a single one from Poizner.

But it's still early days, no matter how much money Meg is spending. Poizner still has time to redefine himself and Whitman.

Of course, I loathe both of these people. It's like Al Checchi v. Al Checchi -- two vanity candidates slugging it out.

[Kadie]

9. I heard Poizner on the radio yesterday.

He said he was going to wait until people were really listening (closer to the election) to do his push. LOL

He also said he would love to debate Whitman again, something like they have had 5 debates but she has only been to 1, but she doesn't seem to want to debate anymore. He said that he won the debate she did attend.

The Whitman ads are driving me crazy. People just may be sick of her by election day.

[stranger81]

11. They drive me nuts, too -- so annoyingly smug.

Just wait until the skeletons in her closet start airing.

[noiretextatique]

10. she doesn't have a chance in hell after the governator

:hi: californians are sick of republicons