Poor first impression

Re “A little too Reaganesque?,” Opinion, April 6

If the Fortune magazine cover photo reflects gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman’s political instincts and sensibilities, she’s a goner.

Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, whom the picture may have been meant to evoke, was familiar to everyone thanks to movies and television, and he enjoyed a public image of affability, charm and good humor. Whitman shares neither the name recognition nor the generally positive perception.

The Fortune cover is, for many, a first glimpse of this would-be governor. And instead of Reagan’s folksiness and authentically worn jeans, she exudes imperious hauteur, less Gipper than Barbara Stanwyck in “The Big Valley.”

How exactly is this billionaire MBA CEO “let’s cut taxes” Republican going to relate to the vast majority in this state, who are none of those things?

Keith Scheuer

Marina del Rey