CA: E-Meg Money and the Democratic Primary

In the Ventura County Star, Tim Herdt has an insight into how Meg Whitman's money influenced the Democratic gubernatorial nomination:

The size of her bank account essentially predetermined the Democratic candidate. Because he had a few million dollars in the bank and was relatively well known, Attorney General Jerry Brown was able to grab the Democratic nomination by default.

Democratic Party leaders and donors were well aware that they would have to husband all their resources for a fall campaign, so they closed their checkbooks to potential Brown challengers, who dropped out of the race one by one — John Garamendi, Gavin Newsom, Jack O’Connell, Antonio Villaraigosa. It was Meg Whitman’s shadow as much as Brown’s that chased them away.