The candidates for Governor of California had a fun moment at a joint appearance yesterday, when they were cajoled by Matt Lauer, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), and a very energetic audience to drop their negative ads. Republican nominee Meg Whitman agreed that she would indeed stop her ads attacking Democratic nominee Jerry Brown — but only any ads attacking him personally, and not the ones hitting him on the issues.
At the state’s annual Women’s Conference, Lauer challenged the candidates to drop their negatives ads, with the audience enthusiastically applauding and even Schwarzenegger, who was on stage between the candidates, joining in on the clapping.
Brown briefly said there can be argument over what constitutes a negative ad, but ultimately agreed on the condition that it be done through a bilateral agreement: “Well, there’s a spectrum. But I’ll be glad. If Meg wants to do that, I’ll be glad to do that. We could have a little discussion, and I”m sure we could work something out.
Whitman, who has faced intense attacks in the press and from her political opponents over a story involving her having hired an illegal immigrant housekeeper, gave a more equivocal answer, differentiating personal attacks from issue-based ones.
(YouTube video posted by the Brown campaign.)
“The character attacks, the attacks of personal destruction, the attacks on one’s character, I think are very different than a debate on the issues,” said Whitman. “It’s okay that Jerry Brown and I disagree about, for example, the state capital gains tax — something that I think should be eliminated, he doesn’t. It’s okay to have a discussion around the issues.
“What I have found very challenging, and I’ll be honest about it, is the personal attacks. The things that I have been called in this campaign, it’s not fair to the voters of California, it isn’t the right thing to do. And so, I think — listen, you know what, I think the character attacks are very different than a debate on the issues.”
Lauer and the audience continued to press the candidates.
Brown reiterated his position, but more firmly: “Let’s be clear about it. If she takes her negative ads, as reasonably defined, I’ll take mine off, no question. If we do it together, no problem. I pledge that right now.”
Then Whitman’s answer: “So here’s what I’ll do. I will take down any ads that could even be remotely construed as a personal attack. But I don’t think we can take down the ads that talk about where Governor Brown stands on the issues. I just think it’s not the right thing to do.”
The audience then began booing. “They seem to be asking for more,” said Lauer. “They seem to be asking for a clarification there.”
Schwarzenegger then cut in, joking about what Whitman’s chief campaign strategist must be thinking: “Isn’t Mike Murphy in the back? (Laughs.) He’s shvitzing.”
The TPM Poll Average gives Brown a lead of 48.7%-40.8%.
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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