Thread: Which Republican can beat Boxer?

Published: May 28, 2010
Updated: May 29, 2010 11:10 p.m.

Which Republican can beat Boxer?

By DENA BUNIS
COLUMNIST
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
dbunis@ocregister.comStory Highlights

For much of this primary season the contest for which Republican will face Sen. Barbara Boxer this fall has been a decided step-child to the GOP race for governor.

Tom Campbell, Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore have not spent nearly the tens of millions that Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner have. And until Fiorina began running an ad Friday that goes after Campbell, the villains in their media campaigns haven't been each other. They've been taxes, spending and Boxer.

Where do the candidates stand on the issues?

The candidates haven't exactly lived up to Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment about not speaking ill of other Republicans. But whether in debates, at editorial board meetings or in their ads, the front-runners – Campbell and Fiorina – have hammered home why they think they would be the one to bring down this liberal three-term incumbent.

Normally Democrats in Washington and across the nation don't give a Senate race in California another thought. Enrollment clearly favors them. The latest Secretary of State analysis shows that nearly 45 percent of the state's registered voters are Democrats, 31 percent are Republicans and nearly 21 percent are not enrolled in any party.

What makes this race different from the political norms and the last two that Boxer has waged is that the nation is actually watching this primary. Given the anti-Washington and anti-incumbent mood in the country even Boxer says she is in for the race of her life.

Democratic control of the Senate could well hang in the balance. Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist and avid Congress watcher, says on his Crystal Ball website that the California race is a "toss-up for now." As of now, Sabato believes Republicans will have a net gain of seven seats. They would need 10 to gain the majority.

So who has the best chance to beat Boxer?

Fiorina is not a career politician in a year when many believe that is a dirty word. She boasts that as former CEO of Hewlett-Packard she met a payroll, knows first-hand what it is to cut expenses. Something she doesn't brag much about is that she knows about having to lay people off.

Fiorina's personal story could be a double-edged sword for Republicans. She's got an impressive background having gone from law school drop-out to receptionist to the first female CEO of a Fortune 20 company. But she also got fired from that prestigious post – the corporate world is nothing if not cutthroat. And she also didn't find voting to be a priority during much of her adult life.

A Fiorina candidacy would neutralize the woman- thing. With still only 17 of the 100 senators being women that is something voters might care about. With Boxer's outspoken support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage, there would be a definite choice on those issues with Fiorina who opposes both. That's something the Boxer campaign has used against previous challengers.

For Campbell, the social issues would be off the table. Campbell supports abortion rights, same-sex marriage and makes the case that what the GOP needs is a social moderate and fiscal conservative.

The economy is sure to be a controlling issue, particularly if the stock market continues its roller coaster ride and double-digit unemployment remains. Campbell has impressive economic credentials and can say that he is not dogmatic in his views, having been willing to consider raising taxes temporarily if it saved the state from further financial distress. It's his willingness to raise taxes that has him in trouble with state conservatives; something Fiorina has been stressing.

On the air, Campbell is already to make the case that Boxer is a profligate spender and has been in Washington for too long.

But Campbell can't really run against Boxer as an outsider. He served five terms – not consecutively – in the House. He ran twice for the Senate. In 1992 he lost the GOP primary to Bruce Herschensohn who went on to barely lose to Boxer in her first Senate campaign. In 2000, Campbell lost badly to Sen. Dianne Feinstein. And Boxer could well paint him as an opportunist for switching from a run for governor to the U.S. Senate.

And Campbell is not known as a dynamic stump speaker and some question whether his energy level would contrast well with Boxer, who can fire up a crowd with the best of them.

DeVore's strategy is to persuade GOP voters that if Californians want the clearest choice in the fall he's the one. The conservative views he has voiced during the campaign are borne out by his voting record in the state legislature. And his military service and work with the Regan administration wouldn't hurt either.

DeVore also early tapped into the Tea Party phenomenon and would hope to capitalize on that. But it's his ideology that would make a general election in blue-state California a pretty steep climb.

Even though the candidates have been mostly pummeling Boxer during this primary; don't expect that to necessarily continue during the last 10 days of the race. Fiorina's new television ad, "Instead," says why those considering voting for Campbell should reconsider.

Will the other hopefuls follow suit?

We'll be watching.

Bunis is the Register's Washington bureau chief.

Contact the writer: (202) 628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/boxe ... orina.html

I will tell you this...if the Republicans run another "Lindsey Graham" type they will lose again. Californians are looking for a "strong" leader, one who takes bold stands he or she believe in and then fights for them. Californians are fed up with 1) illegal aliens, 2) illegal aliens taking jobs, 3) guest workers, 4) offshoring, 5) the marriage of big business tycoons and Sacramento, 6) anything that benefits the few at the expense of the many, 7) politicians not obeying the WIll of the People when we pass State Initiatives that change our constitution!

Find me a Republican who can do the job, not back down, tell it like it is, debate without getting scared, KNOW THE FACTS (no more idiot airheads please), be a communicator, and represents the true interests of the People and California over tycoon interests and I WILL VOTE and SUPPORT!