The Republican gubernatorial debate tonight in Orange County is all about Meg Whitman. Of course, Steve Poizner will be on the stage with her and he will be a big part of the story. He can benefit tremendously if Whitman falls on her face. But, Whitman is the frontrunner and all eyes will be on her. Can she deliver?
Whitman calmed Republican nerves with her impromptu press conferences at the state Republican convention this weekend. She handled herself well with reporters seeming to put to rest the questions about her confidence and preparedness in unscripted situations. The debate will answer whether she can perform under pressure in the give and take of political discourse. She has to be knowledgeable, and tough but not defensive. How she handles attacks will be important.
If Whitman rises to the occasion, doubts about her will be washed away and her position as frontrunner for the nomination will be solidified. However, if she comes off stilted and uncertain or makes a glaring mistake, Poizner can begin closing the gap between them.
A candidate debate can be crucial in the mind of the voters. Especially, when the candidates are relatively unknowns and have not made their reputation in the political world.
During the 2003 recall election, much attention was focused on the one debate in the race as voters took the measure of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and whether he could handle himself in the political milieu. Schwarzenegger gave a solid, if not stellar, performance. Most of the post-debate media attention focused on his quips about opponent Arianna Huffington. The Schwarzenegger campaign sailed on.
A good performance by Whitman tonight will drive her campaign into the next gear after her effective press meetings this weekend. But a poor performance can also turn her poll leading numbers around quickly. As I stated on this page before, the Richard Riordan 30-point lead over Bill Simon collapsed in a short couple of weeks. Despite being 30-points behind, Poizner is not finished yet, however tonight’s debate is a crucial marker on the campaign trail.
Debate host, The New Majority, understands that this debate has generated great interest and expects extensive press attention with every major news station and newspaper covering. I’ll be there for Fox and Hounds Daily and will have a comment or two tomorrow.
The New Majority set up a satellite uplink and will stream the debate live over the Internet. You can watch the debate live on the Fox&Hounds Front Page at 5:30. KNBC TV Journalist Conan Nolan, who hosts the longest running political affairs program in the state, is moderating. The format consists of each candidate having two minutes to answer a question and one minute to rebut.
The candidates are sure to mix it up. Watch and see.