This November our country will hold elections for many positions at the state and federal level. Most governor seats are up for election, and the race for the governor of California proceeds as an especially heated one.
In past years California governors have ranged from Hollywood stars, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan, to career politicians like Gray Davis.
For the 2010 election, to be held Nov. 2, both parties have put forth strong candidates: Jerry Brown for the Democrats and Meg Whitman for the Republicans. Each candidate comes from a different field, but they both offer a lot to California as potential governors.
Jerry Brown:
Democratic candidate Jerry Brown began his schooling at the University of Santa Clara but later enrolled at UC Berkeley. After completing his bachelor of arts degree in classics, he attended Yale Law School and graduated with a JD in 1964.
Unlike Whitman, Brown immediately jumped into politics and in 1969 was elected to the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. Only 10 years after graduating from Yale Law, Brown was elected governor of California.
He has served as governor of California twice and as mayor of Oakland for two terms. However, Brown unsuccessfully ran for higher office after serving as governor. In 2006 Brown entered into his current position as attorney general for the state.
Meg Whitman:
After graduating from high school, Meg Whitman attended Princeton University to study physics and mathematics. However, she changed her mind and instead majored in economics. She graduated in 1978 and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1979.
In her post-graduate career, Whitman was hired as CEO of eBay. When she entered the company, it had 30 employees and a yearly revenue of $4 million. However, when she left, eBay had 15,000 employees and an annual revenue of $8 billion.
Whitman’s career proves her effectiveness as a brilliant businesswoman, having turned eBay into a multi-billion corporation. A governor with a business past such as herself would prove very useful to a state with current economic woes.
However, Whitman began her career in politics very recently and has no past experience in the political field. In fact, her voting record shows that she had not cast a ballot in a period of 28 years. Regardless of her voting record, she brings a lot to the table and shows much promise for California.
Comparison of candidates
Both candidates have past experience in business or politics, which makes them both desirable as governor.
Whitman’s significant experience in the business world would be wonderful for the struggling California economy. However, Brown has an extensive political past which proves he has the know-how for the job.
California needs a governor to bring the state out of debt and cut spending across the board, which Whitman is capable of doing. In this election I support Whitman due to her impeccable business abilities which have been proven throughout her career.
Gubernatorial debate in Fresno
A one-hour gubernatorial debate between Whitman and Brown will be held Oct. 2 at the student union on the campus of California State University, Fresno. Although the event is by invitation only, the candidates will take submitted questions from the public. Univision, Fresno channel 21, will rebroadcast the event at 5 p.m. on the same day. Univision’s national anchor, Maria Elena Salinas, will moderate the debate.
The Fresno Bee, Univision, the City of Fresno, Fresno State and the Fresno-Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the gubernatorial debate.
For more information on state politics, read the Sept. 1 article, Boxer, Fiorina clash in senatorial debate. For more political opinions, read the Sept. 23 column, Iraq War leaves little economic impact.
