The Ghost of Gray
A year ago I had the pleasure of introducing Tom Campbell to a luncheon group of Bay Area political types – consultants, lawyers, former legislators, journalists – who were interested in his decision to run for governor. Actually, they were wild about it. Democrats and Republicans alike have been pining – in vain, for the most part – for bright, gracious candidates to elect to decision-making positions.
Most knew Tom before his appearance that afternoon. They knew him to be both very smart and a man of impeccable integrity. They also knew he’d have a tough row to hoe, because to win the GOP nomination for a run at the top executive post in California, he would have to beat billionaire Meg Whitman and near-billionaire Steve Poizner.
In January, Tom decided to run for Senate, ultimately against incumbent Barbara Boxer. First he had to beat former H-P exec and political novice Carly Fiorina and a teabagger-leaning state senator named Chuck DeVore.
Tom started off with a decent lead at the time of his Senate announcement but it dwindled over the course of the primary campaign until the weekend before the June 8th vote, he was trailing Fiorina by 15 points.
Alas.
But here’s why I bring up this history. When I introduced Tom to that luncheon group last year, I told them to keep in mind that in 1998, Gray Davis – a candidate as lackluster as his name – had won the nomination when two very wealthy Dems duked it out in an unappealing campaign. Davis was outspent by the pair by 15- or 20-to-1. I told the crowd that Tom Campbell could stage a similar upset.
At the time that seemed more wishful than likely, but the fight between Whitman and Poizner been obscenely expensive and nasty and deceitful and lengthy. Their negative ratings were appropriately high.
Tom would never have gotten into the gutter with them. He would have been our next governor.
©2010 SetonnoteS
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