Whitman leads in cash for Calif. governor race
(Credit:
Megwhitman.com)
California's gubernatorial primary is still 10 months away, but the multimillion-dollar race for campaign cash has already picked up a quick pace, with former eBay CEO Meg Whitman at the front of the pack.
It's no surprise that the billionaire Internet exec, who has never held elected office, has lots of money in the bank to spend on her campaign. According to a tally Saturday, she has some $19 million in cash available--and that's after spending $6.1 million to get her campaign operations up and running. It's also after she contributed first $4 million, then $15 million of her own money to the race.
But for the first half of the year, Whitman, a GOP candidate, also raised $6.7 million in individual campaign contributions, according to press accounts on campaign finance reports posted Friday. Coming in second for individual contributions was Democratic rival Attorney General Jerry Brown, who reportedly raised $3.4 million in individual contributions during the same period.
According to Whitman's campaign, her recent $15 million contribution to the campaign was part of a 3-to-1 match on the first $5 million donated by supporters. Of the $6.7 million she received from individuals, some noteworthy donations include, according to the San Jose Mercury News, $52,000 from Sun Microsystems Chairman Scott McNealy and his wife, and $26,000 from former Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang (who also, incidentally, donated the same amount to Democratic candidate and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom).
Whitman's numbers far outpace those of another Silicon Valley exec in the GOP gubernatorial race, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Poizner reportedly raised $900,000 in private contributions during the filing period and, after contributing some $3.5 million of his on money to the campaign, has about $3.7 million in cash on hand.
GOP congressman and gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell reportedly raised $305,017 in individual contributions during the first half of the year. Newsom raised $1.6 million.
Of course, having a hefty campaign war chest is important in a state as big and expensive as California, a state facing an unprecedented budget crisis and for which Moody's just gave the country's lowest general obligation debt rating.
Michelle Meyers is an associate editor who tracks online happenings in media, entertainment, and politics. E-mail Michelle. 
It would be nice to have campaign races where candidates didn't have to raise
such hideously large funds to participate/run in the election.
Meg-a-bucks Whitman may possibly outspend all the other candidates of both parties combined, a new low in politics.
Why? Because she is the least qualified candidate of either party. If Meg wins, I'm outta here.
I'm guessing not.
Her male pattern baldness? The fact that she worked at a popular company in its hey-day and clearly earned way too much money for her contribution? No political experience...
California doesn't need another millionaire/billionaire Governor who doesn't speak for the people. This isn't a fricken game.
Can anyone tell my why a 1M salary cap would be such a bad thing? Can anyone tell me why one person who works 40 hours a week should have three houses, 5 cars and 2 yachts, yet another who works the same hours (probably more) lives in a tent and rides a bicycle to work? And most likely that employee works for the jerk who has more than he'll ever NEED?
Sorry for the cynicism, but I am a middle class American who donates a great deal of time and money helping those less fortunate, even though my take home pay is less than 50K a year, while fat capitalist pigs bloat on our efforts.
Obama, please take us back to the 90's... when America belonged to the Americans, and not the corporations....
to google a bit with:
+political dollars+
Plenty of articles, etc. come up to that including the media (extremely greedy) and their strategies
to get as many political dollars as possible. - It's a very interest one gets. What used to be insider
knowledge before the internet now is completely open. One could call a political porn. Just needs to get a bit of the attention.
For starters, a government is not selling things.
The dems have been selling us Socialism for the past 50years. If it were not for businesses ' selling things ' there would be nothing to pay for Socialism. When business is completely bankrupt paying for Socialist ideas, what will the dems sell us then? As ye sow, So shall ye reap. This madness of entitlement will be the destruction of the country.
Ben Franklin once wrote, "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
Where did I talk about Dems or Reeps???
You need to take off your party glasses.
And last I looked, CA has a Republican governor right now...
And finally, every party, once in power, "sells Socialism". Case in point: The Bush bailout.
Now go back to your party hole, until you have learned to use your brain and don't mindlessly repeat stupid party talking points.
The Dems may want to sell Socialism, but it is the Republicans who are actually succeeding in selling you Socialism, because of sheep like you.
Too much SHOW and not enough ACTION.
- by baconstang August 2, 2009 5:45 PM PDT
- Who needs socialism? Or roads, schools, fire fighters, police, water or sewers?
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- by LOST2DARKNESS August 3, 2009 3:18 AM PDT
- The lies of the Socialist.
- Like this
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(23 Comments)?If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.?
Joseph Goebbles. < He and Hitler were socialist. Never forget that.
To: baconstang: These are NOT entitlements: > roads, schools, fire fighters, police, water or sewers. < Those are services.
I was homeless for 15years. I know first hand what is like to sleep hungry and cold. Don't even presume to know anything about me. Nothing in my posts showed my having no empathy for the indigent.