California has the king of the hybrid politician/populists running for governor this time, Jerry Brown. There is a lot to admire about Jerry, in that he lives the way he talks. He had a two room apt. while governor, allowing the state mansion to be sold. As Mayor of Oakland, he recovered some shabby neighborhoods and then showed they were o.k. by moving into a loft in one of the areas. As governor, he ran a surplus. He appointed more minorities and women than any previous gov.
On the politician side, he's son of a governor, a former governor, a Mayor of Oakland and a state Attorney General. He ran for President, but the rest of America thought they could get a better candidate with Carter, Mondale and Dukakis.
I don't know if he could solve the problems, but I know, that unlike Ahhhnold and Davis, he would give it a real try.
Of course, the fact that he's a little loony might count against him. But, at least he never dated Linda Ronstadt AFTER she bulked up. |
