Tue 25 May 2010
Guest Commentary: Joe Messina supports Steve Poizner for Governor
Posted by admin under elections , Guest Commentary , Politics , State [5] Comments
With the primary election only 3 weeks away, several people have asked why I am backing Steve Poizner for Governor rather than Meg Whitman. I definitely didn’t make this decision lightly. I met both candidates twice before deciding who to back and had the opportunity to ask questions of each of them. Neither one of them is conservative enough for me, but we need a Republican in that seat!
At a basic level, remember when we voted for Arnold. He had the name recognition, he had the money, no Democrat could touch him (except his wife), he couldn’t be bought and he definitely had guts.
What happened?!? Fifty thousand more state employees, a higher deficit than when he got in. He cut nothing. He found out politics was NOT like running a business.
Meg has the name, has the money, many Democrats have touched her, and she has guts. But, like Arnold, has NO clue about how a government operates. Do we really want to do that again??? As I have personally come to understand, business and government do not operate in the same universe.
Meg will spend nearly $160 million by the time she finishes her run for this office. I find that offensive. No seat should be able to be purchased.
The truth is, I believe Steve is the best candidate with the best experience to lead California. Being a Republican Governor with a Democratic controlled legislature requires a tremendous level of fortitude and tenacity. While Arnold had what it took to “get into office”, he did not have the stamina to withstand the continual onslaught from the Democratic legislature and I have to wonder if another outsider is really prepared to deal with that never-ending pressure. There is a lot more good in Steve than you see and hear in those TV sound bites.
Seasoned politicians like Senator George Runner, Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner have proven they have the tenacity to withstand the onslaught and still work toward a conservative agenda in Sacramento. Both Senator Runner and Assemblyman Smyth trust Steve Poizner and have endorsed him fully. They know that Steve has what it takes to be our next Governor.
He has an aggressive plan to deal with illegal immigration, an issue that Meg had not planned on addressing until it became unable to avoid. His plan was so good that Meg decided to incorporate several aspects of it into her plan for securing the border.
Steve has a track record of reducing the Insurance Department’s budget by 15%. He knows how to implement fiscal cuts in Sacramento even with the state employee union.
Steve has clearly stated his positions on all the issues. He has taken the time to personally visit and listen to the voters in the Santa Clarita Valley on four separate occasions. At each event, Steve spoke for about 10-15 minutes and then opened up to Q/A for another 30-45 minutes. He stayed until all questions had been answered. His answers were not scripted. He did not spew talking points from his commercials. He did not dodge any of the issues or questions and often followed with “did that answer your question?”. Many candidates simply take a question and find a way to make one of their scripted answers fit into the question so that they have opportunity to share what they want you to hear. Steve didn’t do that once. He answered each question genuinely. I was impressed.
I hear many people say that Steve can’t beat Jerry Brown in the general election. Steve is currently one of only 2 Republicans who hold statewide office in California. He has name recognition and the track record to be elected again to statewide office.
Our political landscape is moving and changing as we speak. Experts said that a relatively unknown black senator with a Muslim name would never have a shot at being President. Guess they were wrong! And a Republican certainly couldn’t take Ted Kennedy’s seat in the Senate. They were wrong too! And here in Santa Clarita, people “in the know” didn’t think I could ever get on the school board. Things are definitely changing!
I hope you will join me in casting your ballot on June 8th for Steve Poizner, the most qualified and experienced candidate for Governor, rather than the one that the Meg marketing team will tell you is the only one who can beat Jerry Brown! My vote is too important to place on an unproven entity. Steve’s track record speaks for itself.
If you’d like to see Steve in the Governor’s seat, you can help mobilize voters by sending this or a similar message to your friends and family encouraging them to vote for Steve. It’s important that we get everyone motivated to vote on June 8th.
If you have any questions about Steve or other specifics about why I chose to back him, please feel free to email me directly. I’m happy to discuss.
Thanks again…
Joe Messina- Commentary
Joe Messina is a community volunteer active in the local Republican Party and is an elected member of the Wm. S. Hart School Board. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.
May 25th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Joe Messina is saying what a lot of people have been thinking recently — Meg Whitman’s campaign is becoming an embarrassing wreck. She started out her campaign with advantages of 50 points in popularity points over Poizner and tens of millions more in campaign funds (albeit her own money.) A couple of months later, she has mismanaged her campaign into a dead heat with Poizner in the polls, with Poizner now capturing practically all the campaign contributions and Whitman still having to use her own precious money. If this is called great management skills,and signs of a great managing governor, then I am great Caesar’s ghost.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Dear Joe:
With all due respect, I do hope that you take the time to pass this information onto your e-mail list of recipients. These are truly important facts.
I do not understand the parallels you’ve drawn between Meg Whitman and Governor Schwarzenegger. Governor Schwarzenegger was an actor and an investor, not a proven business leader with a strong track record of leadership and job creation like Meg Whitman. A more fitting comparison would actually be Poizner and Schwarzenegger are BOTH married to strong Democrats…or “touched” as you like to call it. Whitman’s spouse is a conservative neurosurgeon. When I think of who I would like the next Governor of California to hold as their closest confidant and advisor I would pick the neurosurgeon over a Democrat wife every time. After all, we see where that got us with our current Governor. I believe you and your wife are staunch supporters of the Tea Party movement. The Tea Party advocates more citizen representatives in government and less career politicians and government insiders. If you do consider yourself a Tea Partier, criticizing Whitman for deciding to leave a successful business career to pursue politics and praising Poizner for his elected, Sacramento insider, “seasoned politician” status is a joke.
I also do not understand your apparent offense at Whitman’s donations to her own campaign and estimated expenditures. As a conservative I believe in freemarket principles and capitalism. As a self proclaimed conservative and a business owner yourself I would think you would also share these ideals. Why would ANY conservative begrudge another conservative’s success and for putting their money where their mouth is and donating to their own campaign? I would think you would agree that having the freedom to fully compete in this highly competitive gubernatorial race is a free market principle, otherwise if you prefer the government mandate how much candidates can spend of their own money and would rather the government set a limit to how much can be spent so all candidates can be equal you might reconsider being a conservative and becoming a socialist.
You say Whitman had not planned on addressing the immigration issue until she was forced to. Let’s be honest, that is more true of Steve Poizner. If Steve Poizner was as “aggressive” about illegal immigration as you claim, why did it take him over 600 days into his campaign for Governor to actually visit the border. Whitman on the other hand spent 2 days last year on the border to see the challenges for herself.
Your statement that in his visits to SCV, Poizner has “answered each question genuinely” is laughable. As recently as last month when Poizner spoke at the Republican Women’s group he proudly proclaimed when asked about abortion that he was “against abortion” yet all you need to do is look at his website (http://stevepoizner.com/solutions/social-issues ) to read “Steve is pro-choice” or watch (http://www.rollstevestape.com/ ) him in his own words from a previous campaign where he brags “[Planned Parenthood] instantly a few days ago issued a 100% rating for me, the highest rating that they give. And so I have been pro-choice my whole life.” In my book that is about as disingenuous as a person can be.
If you believe Steve Poizner is the strongest candidate to face Jerry Brown in November you are naive. The Democratic party of California and labor unions have committed upwards of $40 million dollars into attacking Whitman in the few short weeks before our Republican primary because they know she is the only threat to Jerry Brown in the general election. Just yesterday, Democrat and Assembly Speaker Perez went on TV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-4_ZbHmbW4&feature=player_embedded ) and stated that Poizner is the easier candidate to beat. I believe actions speak louder than words and the actions of the labor unions and the Democrats in California speak volumes to the threat that Meg Whitman poses to Jerry Brown.
You are, of course entitled to your opinion, but I am concerned that what you said are based on your passion (emotions) rather than the facts of this highly contested campaign. I am extremely concerned about UNIONS & THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY contributing to Steve’s campaign.
Sincerely,
Judith Westphal
May 25th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Meg is the only candidate that we can trust to stay true. Joe I find you accusation that Meg does not care about illegal immigration as funny as Poizner saying he is against abortion. Meg Whitman has always been against amnesty and a firm believer of stopping illegal immigration. She visited the border a long time ago for two days. Do you know when Poizner visited? It was 607 days into the campaign that is 28 days before the vote matters. Who really cares about illegal immigration? Meg Whitman wrote a plan to stop illegal immigration before we all knew about the Az law. Poizner just started talking about illegal immigration when the Az law became an issue.
May 26th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
The last letter is a good example of the Whitman’s sad misfired campaign against Poizner — hitting at Poizner for previously being okay with abortion. NOBODY cares! Just just five years ago the great majority of Americans were also okay with abortion, just as at one time the great majority of Americans were also okay with hanging people for “witchcraft.” It has been been about five years of intense debate brought on by the pro-life movement that has created a drastic turn-around in America’s opinion about abortion. Today — after being in the middle of this debate — most Americans are totally against abortion. Thank goodness there are intelligent leaders like Poizner around who have learned from this debate that it is better to change your mind and be pro-life — without people like Poizner around, nothing would be changed for the better.
May 28th, 2010 at 7:22 am
[...] of the GOP, Hart Board member Joe Messina says conservative Republicans should vote for Poizner, not Whitman. But Bob Haueter, one of Buck McKeon’s deputies, says Whitman is the way to go. [...]