Is Jerry Brown the Anti-Obama?

Jerry Brown

Jerry Brown has avoided actually announcing that he is running for governor, but a Jerry Brown 2010 Web site and recent  glitzy Hollywood fundraiser make it all but a done deal.

With two young, pretty boy, Democratic mayors out of the race, Brown is easily the front-runner without even doing anything (unless, of course, this happens). And the prospect that Brown is our state’s only choice is making some Democrats increasingly uneasy.

It’s quite a turnaround from 2008, when Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy ignited people with a fervor I’ve certainly never seen in my lifetime. And in many ways, Obama is Brown’s opposite: Where Brown is the son of a former governor, Obama rose from obscurity; Brown has an extensive resume that includes a former stint as governor, Obama was a relative newcomer; Brown would be California’s oldest governor (Frank Merriam, currently the record-holder, was sworn in at 69, Brown will be 72 in 2010), while Obama is one of the country’s youngest-ever presidents; Brown is so far running his campaign on what Harold Meyerson called nothing but “silence and nostalgia,” Obama crafted one of the most forward-thinking, media-savvy campaigns of all-time.

Clearly, Brown has plenty of time to change course and bring his campaign out from its current covert status. But that won’t change his age, or help him explain how some of California’s most disastrous policies (Prop. 13, namely) happened on his watch. There’s something to be said for a wise, experienced politician taking the helm of a state when it needs guidance most. I’m just not so sure Brown’s experience – though lengthy – is really that impressive. Come back, Gavin Newsom, come back!