Whitman to make Calif. gubernatorial bid official

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is expected to officially declare her candidacy for governor of California on Tuesday.

Meg Whitman

(Credit: eBay)

Whitman, who has never served an elected public office, will announce her bid for the Republican nomination in 2010 during a speech in Fullerton, Calif. She will reportedly campaign on a platform of cutting state spending by $15 billion and reducing the state's workforce by 17 percent.

Whitman, 53, will become a leading Republican candidate to succeed outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will retire because of term limits.

Whitman stepped down as CEO of eBay in March 2008, a decade after she transformed the company from a tiny auction site to an Internet icon. During her tenure, the company's split-adjusted share price leaped from just over $1 to a 2004 peak of almost $60, before plummeting to a recent price of under $14.

In the past year, the billionaire Internet executive has taken a more high-profile role in the Republican Party. Whitman served as an adviser to Republican Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and endorsed him during a speech at the party's convention in St. Paul, Minn., last year.

Possible primary rivals include State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, a former Silicon Valley exec who founded SnapTrack, a cell phone locating company, and sold it to Qualcomm for $1 billion in January 2000. Another GOP rival is expected to be Tom Campbell, a former U.S. congressman and dean of the business school at University of California at Berkeley.

Likely contenders for the Democratic nomination include Attorney General Jerry Brown, who was already governor 30 years ago, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

[pking13]

So Whitman is going to run a platform that would massively cut services and - AND - lay off 17% of the state's employees? Even if I agreed with her, that's one fantastically stupid campaign pitch.

She shouldn't be glorified as a CEO who made eBay successful. eBay was a brilliant idea that could hardly be held back. She and her staff didn't do much to keep eBay relevant over the years and very little innovation came out of that company under her watch. She's not a bad person, but Whitman is no more qualified to run California than our current governor. Unfortunately her policies are unlikely to be as moderate as Schwarzenegger's.

[mediocrates--2008]

Good grief! The state's teetering on bankruptcy, but heaven forbid we should cut spending or staff. I suppose you want to keep providing services to illegal immigrants too.

[renGek]

@mediocrates--2008
pking13 didn't say he agreed with no spending cuts. He's saying that sales pitch strategy is not really a good one to use to be elected.
You're reinterpreting his comments.

[pking13]

Absolutely! I think we should actively import illegal immigrants to get ride of some of our excess healthcare, too! And we're collecting all of this social security money and not doing anything with it! We're wasting all kinds of money paying people to manage that money; we should extend those benefits (along with health care) to illegals just to reduce the per person cost of managing social security and medicare money.

(you're an idiot.)

[PixP]

Tough call, but I think Meg and Diane will be duke'n it out. I wonder who Holly Wood will be endorsing?! Maybe they can get Mickey Mouse to run! They got the Terminator in there!

[PixP]

They got Obama in office too, and look what a good job he's done! lol

[renGek]

heck of a lot better than the twit before him who took the country from a surplus to massive debts within 8 years all on his watch.

[DysFn]

Every day can be an online auction of state property. I can see it now - show up at the Unemployment Office to file benefits & have to wait until all the clerks are done updating photos of desks, pencil sharpeners.... Maybe an official renaming of the state to eCA.

The good news: She's probably just as qualified as anyone from Hollywood or Industry or anyone else who wants the job.

The bad news: This election should be posted as an example on the Wikipedia page for "out of the frying pan, into the fire".

[cnation]

thats was good LOL I like that comment LOL LOL!!!!

[kaiman75]

@ PixP - Your right let's base our opinion of Obama on only 8 months in office, that's a fair assessment (lol)! Maybe if your guy Bush hadn't ****** everything up for 8 years you'd have some room for argument, but as it is your just sorry that the old geezer and his dimwit running mate from the state next to Russia didn't get elected.

Grow up, you're guy lost. Get on with life...

[totorototoro]

Can't wait to hear the explanation for the Skype deal.

"Why yes, we paid $2.6 BILLION for Skype-it was worth it for their IP!"

"What? Oh, right, that didn't include the IP for Skype..we missed that detail"

"I don't work there anymore, anyways"

[preacherx]

Cutting state spending by $15 billion and reducing the state's workforce by 17 percent is weak, but a good start for one of the most (if not thee most) bloated state governments in this nation. No use casting stones until we hear any kind of solution from the other candidates; and then hope to see results rather than just listen to more promises. Roll your dice; hopefully we don't cr@p out again.