CA-GOV: Whitman Squirms To Defend (Non)Voting Record

This is absolutely incredible. Meg Whitman did not vote in an election until she was 46 years old, 28 years after she was first eligible to vote. Listen to her try and defend this record on the record with a reporter. Absolutely Priceless.

REPORTER: Ms. Whitman, can you address your voting record? Have you ever registered as a Republican before 2007?

WHITMAN: So what I’ve said is there is no excuse for my voting record. I cannot be proud of it. Being able to vote in this country is a right and everyone should take advantage of, and I didn’t as often as I should. And you know what, leaders need to stand up and acknowledge their mistakes, acknowledge when they wish they would’ve done something different or better. And I have said now on numerous occasions I have made a mistake and there’s no excuse for it.

REPORTER: Did you ever register as a Republican before 2007?

WHITMAN: So what I have said is that I did not vote as often as I should. I didn’t register as often as I should and I’m sorry about that and there is no excuse for it.

REPORTER: …you were registered in 1998, and there’s no record of that. Are you inferring that you did? The Bee reported after you were not registered at all before 2002.

WHITMAN: So when I came back to California, I registered in 2002, so I don’t know where that came from, but I registered in 2002 when I came back to California, so thank you for that.

REPORTER: Steve Poizner suggested that you should get out of the race because of this because no one who hasn’t voted before needs to be elected governor, but also can you address the general appearance that someone who did not register to vote or vote over almost most of their adult life didn’t really care about politics and didn’t care about certain civic affairs on either a state level or a national level.

WHITMAN: So I could imagine that Steve Poizner would like me to get out of the race, and it’s not happening.

REPORTER: But answer the question.

WHITMAN: I will, just give me a chance, okay? So I think it doesn’t look good, right? I made a mistake. I didn’t register to vote as often as I should. I didn’t vote as often as I should. It is inexcusable and it’s not the right thing. But as I said, leaders stand up and take accountability for their mistakes and that’s exactly what I’m doing.

REPORTER: But the question is why, and I think the Washington Post today said it may be a display of stunning indifference in not having any interest in issues and social problems and so I think people want to know why.

WHITMAN: What I have said is it was not the right thing to do.

REPORTER: But why?

WHITMAN: It just wasn’t the right thing to do. I should have and I didn’t.

REPORTER: Why not?

WHITMAN: I should have voted and I didn’t and there is no excuse for it and I should’ve voted. I have said many times that I should have and I didn’t and there is no excuse for it.

REPORTER: But why? I’m not saying

WHITMAN: I shouldn’t have — should have and I didn’t. We’re going to move on. Thank you for that.

REPORTER: You made a good point today saying people want to hear the truth, and you made a big push for authenticity. So why can’t you answer the question of why you didn’t vote for - it’s not a small span of time. It’s almost your entire adult life.

WHITMAN: Well I’m going to repeat what I said— I did not vote. I should have voted. It is inexcusable. Voting is something that all of us should take advantage of and I didn’t.

REPORTER: We’re just trying to get some sort of sense of your frame of mind.

WHITMAN: I understand, and I’ve said what I’m going to say about it, so thank you for that. Jack.

No wonder Jerry Brown is currently leading Meg "It's inexcusable" Whitman (and all other potential Republican candidates) in the latest polls.