The L.A. Times reports today that its L.A. Times/USC Poll shows Jerry Brown's lead in the California governor's race against Meg Whitman has DOUBLED IN A MONTH TO 52% TO 39% among likely voters. The Times attributes the change in part to Meg Whitman's handling of her "housekeeper scandal" (yes, the billionairess and her husband employed an undocumented Hispanic housekeeper for 9 years - more on this "scandal" below). The change is also attributable to Whitman's record-breaking spending ($141 million of her own money and climbing). In the irony of ironies, her over-the-top spending is costing her support among women, Latinos and independents. Additional good news, Barbara Boxer maintains an 8-point lead over Carly Fiorina in the California Senate race (51% to 43%). Fiorina is generating backlash for self-funding her campaign as well. As my stepdaughter says, who just voted by absentee ballot, she can't stand Whitman because Meg thinks "she can buy the election." Maybe for the American voters, in California at least, though money talks, it doesn't persuade.
More below on the new and welcome poll.
The L.A. Times report on the new poll points to defections from Whitman's support on the part of women, Latinos and nonpartisan voters. The Times sez:
The shift comes after a tumultuous month for the Republican candidate that has led some voters to question her veracity and her handling of accusations by an illegal immigrant housekeeper....Most of the nation has seen pronounced enthusiasm by Republican voters as the midterm elections approach. In California, however, Democrats have gained strength and GOP motivation has ebbed slightly in the last month, the poll showed. The current standings represent a reassertion of a more typical profile for the state after an election year convulsed by a foundering economy, widespread discontent about the future and record-breaking spending by Whitman, who has dropped more than $141 million of her own money into her campaign.
For both Brown and Boxer (B & B), the poll shows the Democratic party's strongest supporters "rallying to the candidates' sides." By this, The Times means "liberals, women and Latinos," who either solidified or expanded their backing for B & B. At the same time, nonpartisan voters, "whom Republicans had counted on to overcome the Democratic advantage in voter registration," moved away from Whitman and Fiorina. Plus, who could have guessed this, "moderate voters also tilted toward the Democrats."
Call this phenomenon the "anti-Walmart vote." The Times quotes Paula Bennett, a schoolteacher, saying she was drawn to Brown "in part by the blizzard of cash Whitman has thrown at the race." Bennett sez, "I like the little guy; he didn't have the money behind him like she did." She is siding with Brown for the same reason that she favors a mom-and-pop establishment over a retail behemoth. "We don't shop at Walmart. We shop at the local store. He just seemed like more of a down-home candidate."
The Times sees a "turning point" for Brown being the Sept. 29 announcement by Whitman's former housekeeper, Nicandra Diaz Santillan, that she had been employed by the former EBay chief for nine years, a period during which she said Whitman became aware of her illegal status. Whitman countered that she had not known of Diaz Santillan's status until shortly before firing her in 2009, and she released copies of falsified documents presented to her by Diaz Santillan.
Diaz Santillan, accompanied by attorney Gloria Allred in a series of sob-wracked news conferences, displayed a copy of a 2003 government document sent to Whitman and her husband that could have alerted them that their employee was using a false Social Security number.
The subsequent days of controversy upended Whitman's carefully nuanced position on illegal immigration and whipsawed her between voters who thought she was too easy on Diaz Santillan and those who thought the housekeeper deserved better than banishment. Whitman slipped among both groups in the new poll.
Latino voters changed from giving Brown a 20-point lead in September to a 34-point lead now. Brown's lead among women voters went from 9 points to 21 points now. Nonpartisan voters give Brown now a whopping 37 point advantage.
The Times also says the "most striking finding" related to the voters' view of the candidates' truthfulness. 44% viewed Brown as better at telling the truth, just 24% chose Whitman.
At this moment, I'm pretty proud of my state and the intelligence of its voters.