Tag: California

CA Sen: Fiorina Hospitalized

Jon Ponder

Medpagetoday:

Just a week before the election, Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO hoping to grab Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) seat for the Republicans, has been hospitalized for an infection related to post-mastectomy breast reconstruction surgery.

Fiorina’s chief of staff issued a statement saying the candidate “came down with an infection associated with the reconstructive surgery and, as a result, she was admitted to the hospital to receive antibiotics to treat this infection.”

The statement gave no other details about her condition except to say that she remained “cancer-free.”

“Her doctors expect her to make a quick and full recovery and be back out on the campaign trail soon,” according to the statement.

Fiorina, 56, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and underwent a mastectomy. She had reconstructive surgery this summer.

Two New Polls Show Dems Pulling Away in California

Jon Ponder

Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire:

A new Suffolk University poll in California shows Jerry Brown (D) with an eight point lead over Meg Whitman (R) in the race for governor, 50 percent to 42 percent.

In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leads by nine points over Carly Fiorina (R), 52 percent to 43 percent…

A new Public Policy Polling survey also finds Boxer leading by a 52 percent to 43 percent margin and finds Brown leading 53 percent to 42 percent.

Poll: Home Stretch Rally for Dems in California – Brown up by 13 Points, Boxer by 8

Jon Ponder

The new Los Angeles Times/USC poll suggests that liberals, moderates and independent voters are coalescing around Democratic candidates in California. Here is analysis from the Times:

“I like the little guy; [Jerry Brown] didn’t have the money behind him like she did … We don’t shop at Walmart. We shop at the local store. He just seemed like more of a down-home candidate.That message that they’re sending to people is a very bad choice. We’re looking to people to act their values rather than throw money at causes. People are holding their money really closely and those candidates are really splurging.”
– Paula Bennett, a registered Republican, explaining in an interview with the Times why she is voting for Democrats Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer

[Jerry] Brown, the Democratic attorney general and former governor, led Whitman 52 percent to 39 percent among likely voters, the poll found. His advantage has more than doubled since a Times/USC poll in September.

The abrupt movement in the race for governor came as Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer held onto her 8-point margin over Republican Carly Fiorina in the U.S. Senate contest. Boxer’s 50 percent to 42 percent lead was statistically unchanged from September’s 51 percent to 43 percent edge.

For both Democrats, the month between the two polls found the party’s strongest supporters rallying to the candidates’ sides: liberals, women and Latinos either solidified or expanded their backing for Brown and Boxer. Nonpartisan voters, whom Republicans had counted on to overcome the Democratic advantage in voter registration, moved away from the two Republican candidates, and moderate voters also tilted toward the Democrats…

Most of the nation has seen pronounced enthusiasm by Republican voters as the midterm elections approach. In California, however, Democrats have gained strength and GOP motivation has ebbed slightly in the last month, the poll showed. The current standings represent a reassertion of a more typical profile for the state after an election year convulsed by a foundering economy, widespread discontent about the future and record-breaking spending by Whitman, who has dropped more than $141 million of her own money into her campaign.

CA Gov: Reports Show Whitman Has Spent $163 Mil, Brown $25 Mil

Jon Ponder

$163,000,000

Amount Republican billionaire Meg Whitman has spent on her campaign for governor of California, so far. By contrast, Democratic candidate Jerry Brown has spent $25 million. But money can’t buy you love, as the song said — Brown has led Whitman in every poll taken since Labor Day, at least, and Whitman’s favorability rating was under 40 percent in a recent Los Angeles Times poll.

What Meg Whitman Bought with $140 Mil – Over-Exposure and Unpopularity

Jon Ponder

Whitman, after nearly 14 months of constant broadcast bombardment, may be overexposed in voters’ living rooms. Viewers may be muting her out. She’s also not particularly well liked. A Los Angeles Times/USC Poll last month found the voters’ impressions of her to be only 37 percent favorable, and 47 percent unfavorable. Voters were evenly divided over Brown.

– Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton

Poll: 62% of Californians Don’t Like GOP – Dem Brown Up By 8 in Gov Race, Sen. Boxer up by 5

Jon Ponder
Most striking, only 55 percent of registered Republicans have a favorable impression of the GOP; 39 percent look on it unfavorably. By contrast, 75 percent of Democrats are favorably impressed with their party.

A new poll from the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California finds that Democrat Jerry Brown leads Republican Meg Whitman by eight points — 44 percent to 36 percent — and Sen. Barbara Boxer leads her GOP opponent by five points 43 percent to 38 percent.

The survey also found that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a 29 percent job approval.

Why are California Republicans trailing in a year when the GOP and its tea party base are said to be ascendant in the rest of the country? Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton suggests it is because they are Republicans:

[…]

CA Sen: Fiorina Must Apologize for John McCain’s Vindictive, Personal Attack Against Sen. Boxer’s Patriotism, Support for Troops

Pensito Editors

Transcript:

Barbara Boxer is the most bitterly partisan, the most anti-defense Senator in the United States Senate today. I know that because I have had the unpleasant experience of having to serve with her. So when you hear her say that she supports the men and women in the military, my friends, she does not. Because she has never supported the mission; she has never supported victory…

McCain’s statement continued:

…whether it be in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world. Barbara Boxer wants to wave the white flag of surrender and endanger this nation’s national security. It’s time she went back to San Francisco with [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi.

After this disgraceful performance, McCain doubled-down his personal attacks Boxer in an appearance ABC News’ “Nightline”:

In an interview with ABC, McCain justified his attack on Boxer. “[Working with Boxer] has been an unpleasant experience because Barbara Boxer personalizes the political discourse that we have and that’s why she’s had so very little effect of any kind in the political process,” he said. “There is no Republican that will work with her.” And McCain added this about the Obama administration, “This is the most partisan administration that I have ever seen … and I came to the congress in 1983.” He also said: “I consider myself a person who stands up for what they believe in. When I was against President Bush on a number of issues I was called a maverick. When I was against President Obama, then I’m called a partisan. What I was trying to say — I’m the same person.”