The new year has just started but the campaign for the nominations of their party to be governor have already begun. I don't know who I will eventually vote for but I am trying to keep an open mind. I want a candidate that has serious solutions for our budget. A candidate that strongly supports public schools ( including charter schools ) but has ideas on how to reform education, and is in favor of gay rights.

I most often vote for Democratic candidates for statewide offices, but I am willing to wait to see more arguments put forth by the campaigns. On the Democratic side I don't know who I will support in the primaries.

I think Gavin Newsom could be turned into a single issue candidate, whether he likes it or not, even though the door's wide open now for his party's nomination. Time will tell if he is able to expand the issues he is known for.

Jerry Brown has supported innovative ideas in the past including unique charter schools and environmental protection plans. He has the year's of public service that can help or could lead to a few quotes being played over and over. As a younger voter I don't think only of his previous terms of governor when his name is brought up, but instead to his run for the presidency in 1992, his time as mayor of Oakland, and his current office of Attorney General. I know my older Republican friends have a visceral reaction to him but what do the rest of you think? Check out his website and let me know.

It shouldn't matter in voting, but I don't care much for his website. The organizing tools are great but the color scheme and layout seem archaic. I am sure if he gets closer to the nomination there will be a complete revision but it seems dated as of now. By the way, I know he is constitutionally allowed to run again but it does seem odd, no?

Jerry Brown also left the Democratic Party to become DTS, which I don't think will matter much except to build the case he is a different type of politician.

The danger in supporting Jerry Brown is having to defend a decades long record that includes so much controversy. The same is true for most politicians that have been in public service for a few generations.

( John Garamendi with former State Assembly candidate Carole Lutness. Makes me wonder how much the other candidates have worked to support Democratic candidates across California.)

John Garamendi is a work horse candidate in this election. He has been involved in state politics since he was elected to the state assembly in 1974. I expect he has the early lead for the nomination because of his support for Democratic candidates, his decent name ID ( without caricatures like Jerry Brown has from his time as governor), and the fact his website already offers free campaign material.

Seriously, campaign material already being sent out for free? I just took down my No on Proposition 8 sign and my Barack Obama signs. My magnetic bumper stickers supporting Barack Obama came off in November. Are people really going to be putting up stuff already? I guess so and I am impressed, although fatigued, that people are campaigning this early.

( Jack O'Conell's Back to School message.)

Jack O'Conell is mentioned as a potential candidate by many people but his only official website I found is from his 2006 re-election campaign for Superintendent of Public Instruction. I have met Jack O'Conell before and he comes across as very down to earth. He is goofy and serious at the same time. He could find support because of his appearance in an ad against Proposition 8, but it wouldn't be the center of his public persona for voters.

With education being the largest expenditure in the state budget, his background could help propel him past his other candidates. But is he really going to run?

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is getting many endorsements from elected Republican leaders for the 2010 Republican nomination for governor. I don't know many of his positions and I don't know ideologically what type of Republican he is exactly. His tenure as Insurance Commissioner hasn't drawn much public scrutiny , which is normally a compliment. He also won state wide, which is something few Republicans can claim.

He already has a campaign staff, website, Facebook account, and regular email updates going out. His staff is quick too. I asked them about a fact they used on his website and I had an answer in a few hours. Thanks!

I am interested to see if he will position himself as the conservative candidate and align himself with many of their slogans, consultants, and positions.

He said he opposes same sex marriage but that he is pro-choice. I find that an odd mix. Are any of you pro-choice but against marriage equality?

Click on continue reading for a recent email he has sent out.

Tom Campbell has been a long time favorite of libertarian Republicans in California. He has liberal social positions and has the opportunity to appeal to the Ron Paul supporters in California.

Campbell served in the State Senate and the US House of Representatives but has been out of elected office for a few years. His support for the impeachment of Bill Clinton could rally Democrats against him.

He has consistently challenged and critiqued the right wing of his party. That makes me like him more, at least in the primaries.

Click here for his website.

Click here for his argument against Proposition 8 published on Reason Magazine's website.

( Meg Whitman helping raise money for Mitt Romney.)

She doesn't have a website up but she supported Mitt Romney, then flipped to John McCain, and she was in Support of Proposition 8. Steve Schmidt of the McCain campaign is working for her as she prepares to run for governor.

Click here for an article that explains in detail why Republican primary voters might or might not support her.

Because she didn't vote in a bunch of elections, she only recently became a Republican, and she has given large amounts of money to Democrats will give openings to her Republican Party primary candidates.

She is worth over a billion dollars ( but that was calculated before the economic slowdown) and would be able to self fund her campaign. If someone worth a billion dollars asks you for a donation would you be less likely to give them money?

The California Courage Campaign produces some pretty funny and irreverent videos. Their latest is a Christmas themed video aimed at Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the failure to bring in more taxes revenue cash for the state.

When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected I didn't have high expectations for his tenure as governor, mostly because of his campaign promises and platform. He pledged to open up the books and go after wasteful spending. So far there hasn't been much success there. He said he would balance the budget, not raise taxes, and not cut spending on education. That just seemed like too lofty of a goal for any politician in California. I guess because I had such low expectations it is easy for him to impress me.

I did overestimate his political appeal though. I really thought he would have long coattails and could win over state legislators who didn't want someone with his ability to attract attention campaigning against them. I am sure there are some isolated cases but I think I was wrong with that idea.

But my overall impression of his ability to govern has improved from when he was first elected. I have also been impressed with his pragmatic approach to governing. He is a member of the minority party AND that same party has been distancing themselves from him quickly, which means he has no constant base of support to depend upon.

Add to that his failed "year of reform" , voters that keep passing ballot propositions that mandate budget restrictions or money spent on particular programs, and a sudden decline in taxes because of a dramatic economic slowdown and he has serious problems to face.

The fact that he remains standing with these forces aligned against him is all by itself impressive. Sure, much of this has been his own doing and he is deserves criticism for many reasons. In fact, he is starting to seem more like Gray Davis more and more.

He should have asked President Elect Barack Obama to appoint him Secretary of Energy.

To my friends on the right:

Would you have preferred Gray Davis? He has his flaws to be sure, but many of the charges against him were just partisan attempts to gain power.

Maybe you shouldn't nominate people like Bill Simon, a man that couldn't beat Gray Davis during a time of serious problems, to be your leader.

To My friends on the left:

Maybe if Cruz Bustamante wasn't our standard bearer during the recall election things might have turned out better. Cruz Bustamante didn't even beat Steve Poizner to be insurance commissioner. Sure, Poizner could self-fund his race but this California is a progressive state where most statewide Democratic candidates should have an advantage.

Beating Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 would have been tough for anyone. Phil Angelides tried his best but I wonder how Steve Westley would have done?

Was there a Democrat in California that could have beaten Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Maybe someone needs to be crazy to run for governor of California? Are you impressed with any of the candidates for 2010?

I nominate Tom Hanks to run for the office.

Seriously, do you already know who you are going to support in your party's primary?