Will Calif. Vote for a Non-Voter?

Given the state of the state, the California governor's race will be among the most important in the country next year. Whitman has two rivals for the GOP nomination: state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former congressman Tom Campbell. The Democratic nomination is likely to be a fight between Attorney General (or former governor) Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Poizner has aggressively attacked Whitman over her voting record. His advisers, not surprisingly, have tried to stoke media interest in the story.

Whitman has apologized more than once. The latest came in a statement issued by her campaign on Thursday. "Voting is a precious right that all Americans should exercise," she said. "I have repeatedly said that my voting record is inexcusable. I failed to register and vote on numerous occasions throughout my life. That is simply wrong and I have taken responsibility for my mistake."

Those words may be heartfelt, but they also have the sound of a committee-packaged response designed to deflect, but not deal directly with her political history. Did she think she was simply too busy to vote most of the time? Did she find politics repellent? Did she truly not vote in many of the presidential elections dating back three decades? Does she believe that one vote does not make a difference?

She has offered regrets, but so far nothing that would provide voters with a better understanding of why she acted as she did and how she since has decided to make the transition to public service in one of the most high-profile and challenging political jobs in the country. Is politics a newfound interest or a lifelong avocation that simply did not include voting?

It's clear that her campaign has decided to stick to a barebones apology. When asked in a telephone interview why she had such a poor record, spokesman Tucker Bounds replied, but not on point.

"Meg Whitman is an outsider candidate who is not making excuses," he said. "It was a mistake that she didn't vote and she readily admits it. Our belief is that California voters will come to understand that she is uniquely equipped and qualified to answer to the taxpayers' bottom line in a way that career politicians in Sacramento have failed to do."

Adopting the stance of an outsider is a long-practiced strategy, particularly for those making the shift from the corporate world to politics. Attacking career politicians is also a familiar game. But the voters of California may continue to have questions about whether someone who has declined to participate in the voting process has the interest, skills and patience to navigate through the political process in Sacramento.