California Candidates Roundtable

The 2010 California candidates for governor must participate in an open California Candidates Roundtable before the November 2nd General Election.

After much debate and discussion with political strategists and candidates, Californiality has sketched an outline of a televised roundtable format to publicly address solutions for the State of California.

The Californiality Plan

The format accommodates a two-hour specially televised program which would publicly showcase positive and innovative solutions to issues, procedures and difficulties that stand in the way of California's progress and prosperity as a state.

With no studio audience, a total of eleven (11) people would participate in the program:

• 1 current California governor
• 1 current California secretary of state
• 3 former California governors
• 6 candidates for California governor

The current governor of California would serve as the Master of Ceremonies, as he is not a current gubernatorial candidate.  (Otherwise, the lieutenant governor would serve as the MC.)  He would open the program, introduce the current candidates for governor, then close the program at its conclusion.

• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

The current Secretary of State would serve as the presiding authority who maintains order during the roundtable session.  She would exercise the right to excuse any gubernatorial candidate who disrupts the constructive flow of ideas from the roundtable.  (The Secretary of State already presides over elections.)

• Secretary of State Debra Bowen

The three former California governors would serve as a panel of experts who have held the position which the current gubernatorial candidates now seek.  The panel would ask questions, prompt for clarifications, and would be allowed to briefly comment on answers.  (Jerry Brown would be ineligible to serve on the panel due to his status as a current candidate.)

• Former Governor George Deukmejian
• Former Governor Pete Wilson
• Former Governor Gray Davis

The six nominated candidates for California governor would all be seated at the roundtable, dressed in identical clothing tops of the same color.  Uniformity would draw attention to each candidate's IDEAS free of fashion and color distractions.

During the first half of the program, every candidate would be allowed a full four (4) minutes, uninterrupted, to describe their best idea(s) for creating positive change for the State of California.

During the second half of the program, every candidate would be allowed a full four (4) minutes to commend their favorite idea(s) heard from other candidates at the roundtable.

Any negative criticism or attacks against fellow candidates would result in being immediately excused from the session by the gavel of the Secretary of State.  The positive flow of ideas must be absolutely paramount.

Every candidate for California governor would have the opportunity to have his/her best ideas heard before all Californians in a democratic atmosphere of equity, decorum and respect.

• Carlos Alvarez
• Jerry Brown
• Chelene Nightingale
• Dale Ogden
• Laura Wells
• Meg Whitman

The two-hour televised format would allow time for all eleven program participants to be featured respectfully. 

Whether the California Candidates Roundtable program is broadcast on a public television network (such as C-SPAN or PBS), or on a commercial network (such as CNN or FOX),  the program would be an effective way of educating California voters on the candidates and their ideas for governing.

Viewers who might be unable to view the broadcast LIVE could view the program later on an internet video site (such as YouTube).

Supporters of democracy would certainly recognize the benefit of such an open and democratic forum of innovative ideas before the general public.  In our current age, such a program would certainly be watched by other U.S. states as well as by nations around the world.

Every idea deserves a hearing and every voter deserves accurate information.