The Race for California

Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman went head-to-head for the first time Tuesday night. Neon Tommy reporter Chryst'l Sanchez spoke with political experts Gerardo Munck and Ann Crigler, both professors at the University of Southern California, to get their thoughts on who has the edge in the race right now. 

Chryst'l Sanchez: In your opinion, does California need an incumbent or a fresh face to run the state?

Ann Crigler: I think that’s one of the key points of debate in this race. Meg Whitman’s argument says she has the corporate experience and leadership skills to lead things. Jerry Brown says, “Well, you can’t just act as if it’s just a corporate structure,” so he believes it’s not that kind of experience necessary.

Gerardo Munck: Jerry’s more of an insider than an incumbent. I think experience is really a critical thing. Somebody that knows how to govern and knows the complexity of the system, I definitely think there’s something to that. With Meg you can wonder, “Does her experience transfer to being a governor?” When you have a state like California where economic issues are critical, having experience as a CEO of a company can mean you have enough experience.  You can make arguments on both sides.

CS: Whitman said during the debate, “We cannot continue to do things the way we historically have done things.”  How do you respond to that comment, considering the fact that Governor Schwarzenegger is similar to Whitman in that he put his own money into his campaign and ran the state like a business?

AC: That’s exactly what Brown’s argument was when we had Schwarzenegger whose methods weren't working.

GM: That’s a very general statement. I think what she’s saying is that we need some important changes and she’ll bring some of those changes. We had an outsider, Schwarzenegger, and then we had these huge budget problems, so it shows how an outsider with fresh ideas doesn’t mean you can fully implement those changes.

AC: Brown drew laughs from the crowd after mentioning that he’s “the best pension buy California’s ever seen.”  Do you think this was a good move on Brown’s part to poke fun at his age?

AC: I think it diffuses the issue. He did it in a number of ways. He was very energetic. He brings experience with his age. Whitman has been trying to claim he’s the same old thing, why do we want more of the same?

GM: I thought his jokes about the pension issues and shutting down bars in Sacramento shows that he’s better at that format of debate. He seems totally energetic and on the ball. If it’s a question about if he’s too old, I don’t think so. Those humor interventions were good moves on Jerry Brown’s part.

CS: What were some important points made in the debate?  What did the debate reveal about each candidate?

AC: Their personalities became clearer than in their political advertisements. They’re both in favor of building jobs and improving education. They do differ in that kinds of cuts they recommend. The audience got to see what the candidates were like as people.

CS: Do you think Whitman’s experience as CEO of eBay provides her the necessary knowledge to run a state?  How important is experience in politics for a candidate?

AC: I think it’s the people that need to decide which one is going to work better.

GM: I think it’s pretty darn important. You have fresh ideas being outside of the political system. Bottom line is: can you make things happen?

CS: What did you get from each candidate’s body language during the debate?  Who was more relaxed or tense?

AC: Both candidates were quite relaxed and at ease. Considering this is Whitman’s first big performance, it must have been pretty tense. She was constantly smiling. You could tell in her head she was saying ‘just keep smiling.’

GM: For me, it was the first time to see Meg Whitman. I found her sort of a little bit robotic—she had some very old-style language. She didn’t come across as hip. She had some phrases that a grandma would say. It didn’t feel like she was connecting with people. Brown is older but seemed younger in spirit. She seemed pretty dry. You see Brown has a bit more persuasion.  I favored Brown.

CS: Who do you think won last night’s debate?

AC: I think it’s pretty much a draw because neither candidate made a mistake and got their main points across effectively.

GM: It’s probably sort of relatively even.  In a debate you don’t want to have a big blunder.  Neither of them had a big blunder. They both did okay. I think it sort of went to Brown, but the people at home probably concentrated on Meg Whitman because they’re only familiar with her ads.

Reach staff reporter Chryst'l Sanchez here.

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