A Los Angeles Times/USC poll released Sunday finds Jerry Brown with a commanding lead over Meg Whitman, 52 to 39 percent, in the governor's race. Brown's advantage among Latinos increased 14 points from the last Times/USC poll in September.
Whitman must really be feeling the heat, because the candidate that earlier in the campaign became notorious for avoiding the media and still draws criticism for sounding pre-programmed, actually sat down for a no-holds barred interview with KQED's John Myers, a reporter not necessarily known for lobbing softball questions or letting well-rehearsed talking points go unexamined. Here's what Myers said about the interview on his blog:
For those following this race intently, you may not think you hear a lot new in our conversation. But what did seem striking to me was that this seemed to be Meg Whitman at her most 'organic' -- and by that, I mean the least laden with the rehearsed quips and catch phrases that have at times been the only answers reporters are given for most every question.
And if you think Whitman's decision to sit down for the interview had nothing to do with her poll numbers, consider this: Jerry Brown, a candidate who could actually use a little pre-programming and adherence to messaging, a man who appears to relish an unrehearsed give-and-take, has yet to agree to a similar Myers' Q&A.
Dee-fense!
The Times/USC poll also shows Barbara Boxer leading Carly Fiorina 50 to 42 in the contest for Boxer's Senate seat. Other results: Proposition 23, which would suspend California's global warming rules until unemployment vastly improves, trails 48 to 32. And Proposition 25, which would change the number of votes required to pass the state budget from two-thirds to a simple majority, has a huge 30-point lead.