Voters are waiting … waiting for something to break open this governor’s race. The Field Poll shows the governor’s race is dead even. Since the two gubernatorial candidates have been within the margin of error throughout the summer, today’s Field Poll doesn’t show much change.
The Brown campaign might say that since they are up on the air now they are turning things around, but in reality, the race has been flat and I suspect it will stay that way until the next turning point being the first debate on Tuesday at UC Davis.
The even poll puts more pressure on the candidates to perform well during the debate and the closeness of the race may bring more attention and interest from the voters than the voters seemed to have shown in this race so far.
My prediction from early in the summer remains true: this gubernatorial race will be like the last National Basketball Association championship series between the Lakers and Celtics. Back and forth it will go, one candidate moving slightly ahead for a moment, then the other until finally one pulls ahead by a few points at the very end. Just like the basketball playoffs.
But if the race ends that way … if the contest remains even … the new governor will have no mandate. And, the state’s inertia will likely continue.