Votes for Meg Whitman and Barack Obama
Tonight, all eyes are on Obama and McCain, in their final Presidential debate. If McCain continues to lose in the polls, it’s all the more likely that one of his key advisors — and one of Fortune’s former No. 1 Most Powerful Women — will set her sights on another race: for California Governor. Former eBay (EBAY) CEO Meg Whitman, who is co-chair of the McCain Presidential campaign, hasn’t decided whether to run in the 2010 gubernatorial contest, but signs point to her doing so. She has retained McCain strategist Steve Schmidt and his firm, Mercury Public Affairs, as an advisor.
Granted, eBay has big growth problems today (the company will report quarterly earnings after the market close today), but Whitman will run on her impressive record of building an organization from 30 people to 15,000 when she handed over the CEO reins to John Donahoe this past March. Revenues rose from $4 million to $7.7 billion during her 10-year tenure. If she runs for governor, her competitors for the Republican nomination will likely include California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and maybe former Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) CEO Carly Fiorina — a McCain adviser who, coincidentally, topped the Fortune MPWomen list for six straight years before she got ousted from HP and Whitman replaced her as No. 1 on the list.
While Fiorina has considered running for governor, she is less likely to following last month’s flap over her remark that Sarah Palin doesn’t have the experience to run a major company like Hewlett Packard. (The flap was ridiculous and unfair; as Fiorina told the interviewer, “That’s not what she’s running for.” The fact is, neither McCain, Obama nor any other politician has the experience to run Hewlett-Packard — and this doesn’t diminish their ability to lead the nation.)
If Whitman decides to enter the gubernatorial race and wins the Republican nod, she could be competing with any of these Democrats who have signalled interest in running: California Attorney General (and former Governor) Jerry Brown, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, Lieutanant Governor John Garamendi, and former Controller Steve Westly, who failed to win the Democratic nomination two years ago. Brown is viewed as the favorite among the Democrats. But how interesting it would be if it were Whitman vs. Westly. Westly, one of eBay’s first executives, once worked for Whitman, heading marketing and business development. Even more intriguing: If Senator Dianne Feinstein runs — as she is rumored to do every four years — California could have an all-female contest. Feinstein’s age is her disadvantage. She’s 75. Whitman is 52.
Here’s one positive sign for Whitman: Last month, we asked 126 participants of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, “Who is more likely to become the next Governor of California? Carly Fiorina or Meg Whitman? Twenty-six percent said Fiorina. Sixty-eight percent said Whitman. (Six percent said they don’t know.)
As for the bigger race — for the Presidency — 57% of the MPWomen Summit participants predicted that Obama will win. The exact same percentage said they want Obama to win. McCain’s MPWomen votes weren’t pretty. Only 39% predicted that McCain will win the Presidency. Even fewer, 29%, said they’d likely vote for him.
Meg brought down E-Bay. Made it more expensive to sell just as scale efficiencies made it cheaper to operate, then squandered the money on busts like Skype. I wonder how her follow-up stint would turn out?
I agree with Patricia None. EBAY is one large loss in my IRA. Great concept, no follow thru.
California cant even pave its streets and is 2nd from the bottom in education, healthcare, growth.
Please do go away.EBAY will be a one buck stock. That mindset will not pave streets. Take your money, have a nice life and dont even consider being the Governor of California.
Buying a company like skype for an overpriced value does not look like much of a recommendation handing over a state budget the size of California’s into Whitman’s hands once she – if at all ever – should be voted in as a governor. Also the handling of newly acquired companies on foreign soil (e.g. eachnet) after the purchase does not speak a lot about her understanding and being successful in non-familiar territory. And just because someone has the interest and the ambition to run for whatever political office it does not mean they have it locked up. Who cares what she wants … of interest should be to the people of California what she can offer the public with her candidacy compared to the incumbent and the other potential candidates … No, thanks – please stay away and enjoy the money you were fortunate to acquire after being CEO at one company. Once lucky/successful does mean next time around too. There are probably plenty other more qualified women for this post without much name recognition.
Whitman and her hand picked successor John Donahoe launched the destructive barrage of site changes that punish ebay sellers for trying to sell while raising fees in the process. California ebay sellers, damaged and destroyed by Whitman and Donahoe’s disastrous and poorly implemented changes, will eagerly support Whitman’s opposition should she run for any public office. Ebay would have been a success without Whitman. Ebay is rapidly falling apart because of Whitman.
What a complete joke this is. Meg Whitman has zero experience in public service, has been a part of two dreadfully bad campaigns (Romney and now McCain), and hasnt even been a registered republican for a year. She re-registered herself last november from decline to state to republican. She didnt vote in any elections in the last 8 years, doesnt have one single endorsement from any republican in california (the insurance commissioner poisner has wrapped up all of the party support), and people have been non stop whispering that she lacks any clue as to how to run for office, or on policy issues. She is against the 2nd amendment (she banned all firearms and acessories from Ebay), she is pro-choice, and Ebay is the biggest porn store in the world. Hardly a profile to run as a republican. And to top it all off, she has lost most of her paper wealth in the last year due to Ebay tanking. Last trade 15 bucks a share? She isnt a billionaire, and i bet she isnt even a 500 millionaire at this point. Nonsense.
Whitman conveniently forgets there are a whale of a lot of Ebay sellers in California. She needs to save her money for a worthwhile venture. The minute she throws her hat in the ring for California’s governer seat she will be shown for what she really was to Ebay and its sellers! Whitman, along with Bill Cobb and John Donahoe are names that should never be linked with running for anything political. At least on Ebay we could walk away from the craziness and greed – but not so if one of them is running our state! Thanks, but definitely no thanks Meg….just go away please!
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Ms. Whitman:
In the words of your esteemed Republican colleague, “Bring it on”.
Every California eBay seller, their family and friends eagerly await your Pallinesque run for Governor.
Bring it on.