(CNN) – Two Republican statewide candidates in California are touting the results of a state GOP convention straw poll that showed conservative activists overwhelmingly rejecting the gubernatorial bid of former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and the likely Senate bid of former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
The campaign of gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner boasted about his 64-point victory over Whitman in Sunday's straw poll on their Web site and on Twitter. Senate candidate Chuck DeVore's campaign touted their own dominating win over Fiorina - 91 percent to six percent - in a campaign e-mail celebrating their success at this weekend's Fall convention in Indian Wells.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee then jumped on the news of Fiorina's loss as a sign of tension within the California Republican ranks, and shopped the poll results to Washington reporters.
One problem: There was no official straw poll at the California Republican Party Convention.
"We did not conduct a straw poll at this convention whatsoever," California GOP chairman Ron Nehring said in an e-mail.
So who did? An aide to DeVore - a state Assemblyman who has actively courted the party's conservative wing as he prepares to battle Fiorina for the Republican Senate nomination - acknowledged that Sunday's poll was engineered by the DeVore campaign, even though it was described as a "CRP straw poll" in an e-mail to supporters.
"It was not connected to the party," said DeVore spokesman Joshua Trevino. "We printed up the ballots, and they were distributed on Saturday night."
Trevino said that about half of the convention's delegates participated in the straw poll.
He also noted that several Poizner supporters helped conduct the straw poll, but he said they did so in an unofficial capacity. That description was echoed by Poizner campaign spokesman Bettina Inclan, who said the the DeVore campaign engineered the effort.
Inclan, however, said the Poizner campaign had no plans to remove news of their straw poll win from their Web site.
Aides to Whitman and Fiorina were quick to reject the straw poll results.
"Promoting an unsanctioned and controlled 'poll' among a tiny universe of voters nine months out from Election Day has a whiff of desperation," Whitman spokesman Tucker Bounds said in an e-mail.
Fiorina spokeswoman Beth Miller was even more dismissive.
"Let me get this straight, you want me to comment on a Chuck DeVore straw poll that was conducted in the DeVore hospitality suite on Saturday night with a bunch of college Republicans and a lot of free beer flowing?," Miller asked.
UPDATE: Trevino added that the ballots were distributed throughout the convention, even if the ballot box itself was located in DeVore's suite. He said the ballots listed the candidates in alphabetical order.
From CNN Politics
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What's up with the "Failed" CEO's thinking they can run for public office? Fiorina drove HP into the ground and Whitman was killing small business as CEO of EBay. They're both losers!
NEWSFLASH:
California is a BLUE STATE. Arnold slipped by because of Maria, but it will not happen again. So these ladies can duke it out, but in the end there will be a Democratic governor.
Republican candidates touting a poll that was not taken .... starting off with lies ... just how foolish do they think the voters are??? The technology allows everything to be "fact checked" and if your flub up on video tape ... its there forever ... shame on them for starting off on campaign founded on another republican set of lies.
They'll both lose. Cali is a Blue state.
Do these two broads not know this?
Unfortunately this Welfare state is so blue, no REAL Republican could ever win and clean it up. We are stuck with the likes of Pelosi, Boxer and Feinstein.......all disasterous woman. Our next Governor will be another Tax and spend Democrat. This is the worst Gimme state and no business wants to stay in California........for very good reasons. Illegals, Unions and Welfare have driven this state to bankruptcy. The rest of the country should wake up and take notice, this is the future of America with the Liberals in charge.
Both of these women are right wing nuts. and both were failures at their jobs. besides calf. is true blue.
One would be wise to ignore most polls as manipulation of voters and public opinion. It is well known that many of these polls, while some do extreme diligence (Gallop et al), some are just obfuscations. Peace
Politics is such a Machiavellian game that anybody w/ a chequered history apparently can muster ample adulations among their amicable sycophants and run for the office like there is no tomorrow.
Americans angrier than ever? That's what happens when you let loud-mouthed, Right Wing personalities report their biased opinions like it is news. The Sheeple will listen.
These ladies are good at making money for themselves. That's it. Meg should be ashamed of her voting record and should never darken the door of politics. Fiorina helped torpedo John McCain's run and should go someone and spend the millions that she made off the backs of average workers. These ladies must think they are Hillary. They're not.
I am an Obamanot, but even Hillary looks good beside these women. As least Hillary had the guts to stick her neck out early. These Joanie-Come-Latelys are making a mockery of the hard fought road that Hillary took to be the first woman to break the glass ceiling.
Meg and Flo, go home. No one thinks you can make a difference. Go shopping and leave serious voters alone.
These two women have almost the same resume as GWB who also failed at everything until in the GOP's infinite wisdom he became president and failed again. I wouldn't let the GOP vote for dog catcher of the year.
I know CA is a blue state. The one embarrassment we have in our past is that fool Reagan.
And not wanting to point out the obvious... but they're women and we are talking about the Republican party??? You know the part of old rich white guys... a party stuck in the 1950's mentality of what the US "should" be.
Regardless of who took the pole, it still shows that California Repubs do not want two failed executives as candidates for office. As far as serious candidates, Whitman and Fiorna are an example of what is wrong with corporate America. Does anyone, besides themselves, think these two losers are qualified for elective office?
California, well really. what can one say. Hows your state budget doing? Now when the average family botches its financies well they are evicted from their home, children possibly taken away from them, and the family doesnt eat. Well Califonias You better listen up. If you cant keep your state running with out dipping into others state money well then your worthless, no worse than worseless because you will want to take from those who were more responsible than YOU. You are like a friend who spends all their money (and I don't care if they are good things) then turn into a leech for the rest of us who are grown up and responsible. Oh and by the way don't you have a mass exodus of your brightest and wealthiest? Gee wonder why. So instead of critizing the richest and brightest maybe you should try and learn from them. Otherwise we should cut California loose from the union and all those who are bling to the truth can go live their, in their paradise of loser.
LOSERS, LOSERS Fiorina & Whitman. You are waisting your time. Why don't you both ask Sarah Palin join you. LOSERS, LOSERS.
I am not particularly certain that I'd agree with many of Carly Fiorina's viewpoints . . .but for what it's worth, she's definitely smart (and BOY – what a cutie)!!
These two women are trying TO MAKE a name FOR themselves, not " to do good for the American Voters " ! They should back off and go about their own business. Leave politics for the CROOKS and for those " brave HONEST individulas " that have the BEST INTERESTS of the American people and our country at heart.
I believe there are a few of these brave HONEST individuals out there.
They just have to step up to the plate and get in the NEWS and we will vote them in. What we need here is TERM LIMITS. We need to have the people we vote for accountable to us and the only way that will work is TERM LIMITS.
Enough of these politicians getting in and collecting our money for the rest of their useless lives. Let's get these monkeys off our backs.
TERM LIMITS – NOW !
How can anyone with the record of those two even consider running.
I suppose it's good for the Dems-Because this will return the Governorship back to the Dems.
More misinformation from thier party. GOP- SOP
These two are unqualified to enter politics at the state level. Frankly they ruined the firms they lead at one time. Just talk to any employee at HP or ebay and you will hear the turth about lost benefits, careers ruined and layoffs.
If they are truly interested in politics get involved at the local level. Run for the Board of Ed, local council or Mayor. Get some real goverment experience working with and for ordinary folks. Not just the bankers lawyers, well connected and wealthy. If they do well, get relected perhaps then can they aspire to state of Fed positions.
Good idea Devore. Start your campaign with shenanigans. That aught to work out real well for you!
Whitman proved herself, big time, at eBay. Honest and wise in back-room politics and business both, much needed in CA.
Fiorina came to HP at an extremely bad time, and took the company to extremely poor performance. Then she famously told the truth during the last campaign: Politics is nothing like running a huge, multi-national company. In support of Palin, as I recall. Ouch.
Both extremely gifted!
Carly is to California as Palin is to New York.
Not likely to happen.
Just like the two of them ignore the FACT that they both drove the companies of which they were CEOs into the ground.
california, if you have any head...do not vote any Republicans...George Bush messed the nation, and Arnold Swatezenager messed the state...in fact these two idiots looted the nation and state respectively...ok...use head...vote for any dog except Republican idiots...you know how they are taking bribes to stop health care reform with public option....stop it...totally and completely....
Dutch, it's happening because they don't see it as failure – just business as usual. Screw things up and make millions of dollars – they don't see the failure...the layoffs etc are just details to them. The fact that the details are real people with mortages, children etc means NOTHING to these people. I am sure there are good CEOs out there – maybe some of them should speak out against this culture of corporate greed and rewarding mediocrity!!!
Republicans pragging about a pole that no one took, proves my point
Rule Number Three Of The Republican Party.
Tell The Lie, Until They Believe The Lie.
That is the problem in CA – it is a Blue state. Wise up out there in CA. Put another liberal Dem in Sacramento and you can flush the state down the toilet.
if this poll is a sham, why are the democrats referencing it?
It is a sham, but the democrats are trying to legitimize it.
California needs professional politicians and liberal spenders like Arnold Schwarzenegger. CA doesn't need any business people. You can't run a state like CA like a business. It has to be run like a charity with bottomless pockets.
Any elected republican governor will have their hands tied by the hateful lib socialists who dominate the state legislature in this horrible state. I hope they just elect all lib so that everyone can see the outcome of corrupt hateful self serving Democrats running free with unchecked power. The libs who think Bush and the republicans were bad are like a cop with a radar who pulls over the guy going 55 in a 50 but totally ignores the next guy going 100. Americans will see the truth at the federal level with Obama and the state level with an all curupt lib Cal-lib-fornia. There is not enough money in the world for them to pay off their cronies, their union thugs, and their entitlement class me me me voters.
And so it goes...the GOP eating their young again. Why should the Democrats worry? The various GOP candidates will knock each other out of the running, and the survivor will still have a huge weight of negative campaigning to overcome.
Now, all we have to do is prevent the Democrats from following suit...
Great. Looks like the California GOP is bent on shooting itself in the foot again. To my Republican friends in CA: You live in a very liberal state, nowadays. So if you actually want to WIN GENERAL ELECTIONS, then you need to start by nominating electble candidates. This means picking attractive candidates with serious accomplishments to their credit and broad name recognition. Ebay? Hewlet-Packard? I can't think of anyone better than these two ladies...they're also better looking than Jerry Brown, too
I love it when the gop has their circular firing squad; Fiorina and Whitman are the poster kids for corporate greed and excess; put em right up front and run em for the top spots; let's see how that plays out with a state with a very large minority voting element. They may as well sit on a live grenade.
Brand new circus; same old clowns
Two comments. First, "pragmatic" labels the touting of the poll "another republican set of lies." Those touting the poll, however, were members of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Furthermore, labeling the results of a primary election poll another REPUBLICAN set of lies misses the point: the poll was an attempt by one Republican candidate to gain advantage over another, not a conspiratorial attempt by Republicans to create an image of their party being in disarray. Second, Leanne would be well-advised to recognize that the Republicans have been successful in California statewide elections. Republican Pete Wilson occupied the Governor's mansion before Gray Davis' short stay in office began on January 4, 1999. Republican gubernatorial hopeful Steve Poizner is a fairly popular figure in California politics, and won his 2006 statewide race for Insurance Commissioner against former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante by a 12.4 percent margin.
As a native Californian, the thought of either of these two as Governor makes me cringe! They are definitely NOT what we Californians are made of!
Drama. Who needs it during these challenging times?
Unscientific straw polls are biased and unofficial by definition.
We've had a republican at the head of our state for about 8 years, hasn't turned out well.
The last thing we need is another republican (anywhere in any office in any state). Facts are facts: Republicans suck.
Dogs bark, cat's meow, women have innies, boys have outties and republicans have no brain. These are simply fact. We call it evolution. As humanity becomes more intelligent, republican numbers shrink. We've got it down 30%, hopefully we will see the extinction of this evil and cancerous species we call republicans.
Failed CEO's if you can't manage a company how can you manage a State?. I won't rule you out yet! until I see the democratic candidate. The worst thing the democrates can do is try to flout someone from the far left!. Most Californian love moral and family values!!. Find a moderate democrate and he/she will carry California for the democrates
I think if Meg Whitman should pick up "VOTING 4 DUMMIES" before running for office,a as fas as Fiorina goes, well she wrecked HP... she has never been good at anything.
So these failed execs with big mouths and even bigger egos, must think once they have savaged the private sector, they can sink their vampire teeth and drain the life out of the taxpayers. Say no, to these opportunistic parasites.
So the DSCC is spreading information without fact checking the source? WHAT ELSE IS NEW? They haven't run an honest ad in decades. Lying libtards!
Well, hopefully California Voters are smarter than Whitman and Fiorina are, which I am sure they are. Why would anyone vote for 2 failed CEO's. Fiorina Ran HP into the ground, and did nothing for the people who worked for her, other then dismiss them and lay them off. If you want CA to fail more then they have under Arnold, then vote for one of these two. They will run your State into the ground. If you think CA is bad now, then put one of these 2 idiots in as your governor. I think CA residents are smarter then this, and will vote for a Democrat anyway. Like someone else said, Arnold only got in because he is an actor, and his wife is a democrat, so they let him slide in, but with all the problems in CA, I don't think this will happen again. I know someone who worked at HP during the time Fiorina was CEO and he said she made a mess of HP. Both are very Greedy, and only care about themselves and thier Rich cohorts.
Lets see...Republicans lying. That's a shocking revelation! The basis of the Republican message since St. Ronnie has been based on lies and deceit. The question that needs to be asked.......why are so many people falling for it? Could there be an association between the Republican lead destruction of the educational system and gullibility factor?
It's comforting to see that Republicans will use lies and deception to eat their own. If they use these vile tactics on each other, how low will they go in the general election, and how many will be fooled into voting for these loony losers? Remember "WMD's" "palling around with terrorists" "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" "I hope Obama fails" "death panels" and all the other steaming pile of lies told by the right wing dittoheads!
As a Californian, I will not vote for a GOP candidate in the next gubernatorial election.
Just go tell Baucus to pass a Healthcare Reform that include Public Option Plan
Half the convention delegates? The party has about 1500 members and this 'straw poll' had 150 votes. Nice to see Devore's continuing to be honest about all this
Please give us a break. These two losers are a disgrace to the country and a bad joke for the democratic process.
Any Republican candidate would be better than any Democrat candidate. That is the only hope to pull California out of bankruptcy. We need someone to make the hard decisions Democrats are not capable of making. Enough Tax and spend, businesses are leaving California. The rest of the country needs to learn from Californias mistakes. Too many entitlement programs and they can't raise our taxes high enough or fast enough to pay for them all.
I'm a California voter who actively follows our state's politics. It's nice to see women taking a prominent role in the GOP opposition party. Both Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, however, are unqulaified and completely out of touch with the real issues in my state. They have demonstrated their disdain for the political process by their poor voting records. Former Gov. Jerry Brown, of all the potential candidates, has a firm grasp of the issues, people and processes and will have my vote for Governor!
See, the thing is that 90% of the people out there truly believe that this was a legitimate poll. These monkeys are actually lying straight in the faces of their own constituents and they believe them! All this business about how falling poll numbers for the president is pure, manufactured BULL. They call 10 people in rural republican areas and ask them loaded questions, scary questions. Six of them say "I don't believe he's American ", or some other nonsense – OF COURSE, THEY'RE RACISTS – and the next day you hear Bill O'Reilly talking about the "60% of Americans who disapprove". This is how coups happen, people!! This may as well be Haiti.
Surprise suprise, Republican politician lies and is immediately caught. Next step,denial,apology,denial, then a request for money to fight the liars.It's on page 3 of the republican campaign handbook.
Just like the rethugs...Fear, smear, mock and of course – LIE!
The Party of NO! is in really bad shape when they start lying about each other.
Gotta love seeing them show their true colors once again and then proceed to eat their young in public...
These two knuckleheaded women are just another republican joke.
California is broken and bankrupt.
I respect the accomplishments of both women but do not understand why, or anybody, would want to be the governor.
The state is run by special interests – namely environmentalists and unions – and caters to either the very rich or the illegals.
One candidate acts out the neocon addage "the end justifies the means'" by falsely claiming his poll is the CRP poll. the 'end' of getting elected justifies the lie about the source of the poll .revealing, once again, that what comes out of the mouths and offices of these individuals is unreliable cannot be trusted.
Democratic governor anyone?
I'd vote for Jerry Brown.
Both don't equal one Dem......CA will not ebuy Whitman.....And Carly-fiorina is in a losing state of affairs....Turn off the lights.....Fold up the tents, ladies...Bye..
Haas your out of touch. You are talking about California as if it were a real person. Did you forget to take your prescription? You must not know anything because even though the democrates hold a majority, we still have republicans in office in California. Now you want California to leave the union? WOW! You are dumb. The state has to agree to leave the union and not dumb naive people deciding that (especially from another state). And don't forget your beloved hero (American Taliban leader) Regan was from this state. He must be so proud of you!