Westly crusher? "Collaboration with Schwarzenegger is not a political asset"

The media-management stage of another early gubernatorial candidacy is beginning: Like two other candidates before him, State Controller Steve Westly is announcing his intention to announce his intention to think about running.

It seems likely that his formerly close relationship with the Governor won't help him in the primary.

Westly to test the water for '06

(Bee) He has said he hopes to be viewed as a nonpartisan, but his many appearances with Republicans, including Schwarzenegger, may prove a hurdle to winning Democrats' votes in a primary. Last year, Westly appeared at campaign events and in statewide TV ads with the governor to support Schwarzenegger's successful drive to borrow $15 billion to help pay the state's accrued deficits.
Though the measure ultimately won support from Democrats, Westly emerged early and prominently as a partner of the new Republican governor. In the fall, he campaigned for a failed open primary initiative with Schwarzenegger's education secretary, Richard Riordan.
"He worked with Schwarzenegger on budget reform a year ago, and that's a plus and a minus," said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College. "For the general electorate, it's a plus because it shows that he can get under the hood and work in a bipartisan manner. For Democratic primary voters, however, collaboration with Schwarzenegger is not a political asset."

I've said much the same in the past: Westly is too chummy with the Governor, and therefore isn't the person to be running against him.

Granted, Westly originally stated that he would only consider running for Governor if Arnold didn't run, but recent rhetoric out of his office suggests that he's thinking of capitalizing on Schwarzenegger's current weakness in the polls, and running (in a race that already includes Attorney General Bill Lockyer and Treasurer Phil Angelides) regardless of the Governor's decision.

Consistent with that, Westly is now making efforts to distance himself from the Governor:

Westly slams Schwarzenegger in prelude to -- to what?
Political buzz points to possible run for governor in 2006

(Chron) On the eve of the annual state Democratic convention, Westly released a bold letter to "my fellow Democrats" in which he dismisses Schwarzenegger's efforts as "giveaways to the real special interests."
The controller, Schwarzenegger's most visible Democratic ally for the passage of the 2004 statewide bond initiatives, promised the party faithful he will now unveil "my vision to make sure Arnold Schwarzenegger is hasta la vista in 2006."

All fine and good, but this is a guy who once proudly posted on his website:

You probably recognize Steve Westly from the company he keeps. As State Controller, he’s been featured on the news and at political gatherings, hobnobbing with pal Arnold Schwarzenegger[...]

He's since quietly taken that quote down, in keeping with his new anti-Governator stance, but I managed to find a cached copy, which is here: Steve Westly 2006.html

Westly therefore has two challenges to face, and they're both major: Democrats who remember his closeness to Arnold will resent him for that, and cleave to Angelides as a more consistent anti-Schwarzenegger force. Moderates who think bipartisanship is a good thing, not to mention Republicans, will think poorly of his opportunism and fair-weather friendship.

If one's liabilities on the left and right tend to push one in a coherent direction, that's one thing, but when they pull in opposite directions, it's quite another. I think either problem is serious and both together is a recipe for disaster.

The sad thing is, he's a great Controller and has a lot of great ideas about how to build the party. If he runs for Governor he'll spend a lot of money just to get beat. I kind of wish he'd stay put.

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Westly crusher? "Collaboration with Schwarzenegger is not a political asset"

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