Brown vs. Whitman, Prop. 14 wins

09 June 2010 |permalink | email article

The battle lines are set: Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina are the Republican nominees for governor and the U.S. Senate. The former eBay CEO will run against Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown in November, while former Hewlett Packard CEO Fiorina will challenge Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer. Both contests will be intense.

Brown, who has been able until now to avoid specifics about how he’s pull California back from the abyss, will hold his first post-primary news conference today. He’s been challenged by George Skelton, the veteran Los Angeles Times Sacramento columnist, to pitch voters about why they should return him to the governor’s office after an absence of 28 years, and why he wants another turn at age 72. “Brown needs to put some meat on the bones or he’ll be blown away by Whitman,” said Skelton who seems equally unimpressed by Whitman’s ideas.

Proposition 14

In a significant development to address California’s broken political system the “top two” primary system in which candidates of all party affiliations would run on the same primary ballot, was approved by voters, and will change the way voters select candidates for local, state and federal offices. Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who appears to have some concerns, said there will be an “army of lawyers” looking at its constitutionality.

Proponents say the change would increase voter choice and turnout in primary contests. They argue that more moderate politicians would be elected because candidates would appeal to a broader range of the electorate. Critics argue that allowing only two candidates and eliminating write-in ballots in the general election and limits voter choice and that minority parties would be locked out of the political process.

A similar system enacted in Washington state was upheld by the Supreme Court, but some aspects of the challenge are still being litigated. It’s clear that leaders of major and minority parties appear posed to file a lawsuit.

National: Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln, a moderate, won the runoff for the Democratic nomination. It was a stunning setback for organized labor, MoveOn, and left leaning liberals who strongly backed Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. For former President Bill Clinton it was a sweet victory but keeping the seat in the Democratic column will be a challenge.

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