Jerry Brown gets a Democratic challenger

[andym]

Source: Los Angeles Times

It may appear that Democrat Jerry Brown has an unfettered path to the November election.

But technically, that's not true.

San Francisco resident Peter Schurman, a former executive director of MoveOn.org, announced his candidacy for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination via press release Tuesday.

Schurman staked out the ground to Brown's left, calling for tax increases and lowering the vote threshold in the Legislature to make tax hikes easier.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/04/jerry-brown-gets-a-democratic-challenger.html

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A move to influence policy positions by pressuring Jerry Brown from the left, or a serious attempt to become governor?

Proposition 13 (property tax protection) really needs to go, but can it be done? Considered the 3rd rail of CA politics.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I never heard of him...

I'm sure Schurman thinks he's serious, but I have no idea if anyone else does...

[xxqqqzme]

2. I'll vote for him if he is younger than 72!

"...Schurman, who is 40 and lives in San Francisco, announced his candidacy Tuesday. He says the Democratic nominee must take bold stands, such as forcing corporations and the rich to pay their fair share.

He supports raising taxes and ending the two-thirds vote requirement to pass budgets..."

from AP & http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/04/

[WheelWalker]

5. I've heard it's risky to trust anyone older than 30... nt

:hippie:

[No Elephants]

27. ....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x486224#486360

[lonestarnot]

3. Smells a bit fishy to me.

:shrug:

[xchrom]

6. What's fishy? Tax rises on the middle classes

And tax cuts for the wealthiest - combined with
falling wages are RUINING California.

We have at least one candidate to say so.
Jerry isn't going to fix those problems.

[lonestarnot]

8. Schurman staked out the ground to Brown's left, calling for tax increases

Just cut the fucking tax cuts the richies and you won't have to increase taxes.

[Duer 157099]

4. As much as I like Brown, any move to the left is good

We've been nudged so far over to the right that even our left is too far right, so ANY counterbalance is a good thing, imho.

[No Elephants]

24. Remember how Obama staked out the ground to the left of Hillary?

I'm more cautious now.

[cosmicone]

7. Great strategy.

This allows Brown to look moderate to the voters and takes away some of his "moonbeam" baggage.

This is a plus for Jerry.

Jerry will trounce either one of the repukes just based on his experience and savvy if he is not labeled ultraliberal first. This allows Jerry to move to left-center where the California electorate is.

[Robb]

9. +1. nt

[goclark]

23. +2

[Frank Booth]

10. I hope you're right.

Back in 2003, Ariana Huffington ruined it for everyone left of Schwarzenegger by reinforcing the worst stereotypes about "liberals". She was shrill, loony, self-entitled and certainly didn't seem fit to run California. Schwarzenegger seemed like a true statesman in comparison.

I have no doubt that Huffington's ambitions were fueled almost entirely by vanity, but I still wonder whether there was more to it than that. Her campaign was so ridiculous, it was almost as if it was intended to help Arnie win.

[FreakinDJ]

11. Bingo !

[David__77]

12. Does anyone under 60 have much idea of that "moonbeam" deal?

I mean, for all intents and purposes he'd been invisible to the people since 1982. Only reason I know about that stuff is because I'm a political historian. And let's remember that when he was at his lowest, he only narrowly failed to capture a GOP-held US senate seat in 1982 before temporarily slipping into oblivion.

Brown was never a left-winger. He has however been an opportunist. He opposed Proposition before he supported it, for instance. If he has a primary challenger to his left, I'll support him or her.

[cosmicone]

13. Jerry was in exile only for a short span.

He later became mayor of Oakland and did wonders to the downtown area before becoming attorney general.

His prior experience as governor, mayor and attorney general will make Meg Whitman appear juvenile.

He is also extremely savvy with media and would destroy Meg in debates.

[demwing]

17. Yes. Im in my 40s, know the "Moonbeam" theme well

and would guess we're all about to get reminded. I welcome the opportunity.

[No Elephants]

29. Brown got labeled with "moonbeam" because he had an idea tthat the state later adopted.

"As Governor, Brown proposed the establishment of a state space academy and the purchasing of a satellite that would be launched into orbit to provide emergency communications for the state—a proposal similar to one that would indeed eventually be adopted by the state. In 1978 an out-of-state columnist, Mike Royko, then at the Chicago Sun-Times, nicknamed Brown "Governor Moonbeam" because of the latter idea. In 1992, almost 15 years later, Royko would disavow the nickname, proclaiming Brown to be "just as serious" as any other politician.<35>"

I bet NYC first responders would have appreciated an emergency communications systems on 911. Giuliani's repeated refusal to provide first responders with effective communications equipment contributed (at a minimum) to a lot of deaths on 911.


Brown was never a left winger? Disagree strongly.

Brown has been an opportunist? Which politician hasn't?

You left out the number of the proposition you were talking about, so I am not sure which you mean. If you mean his position on Prop 8, after the people passed it, he first said that, as attorney general of California, he would fulfill the duties of his office and enforce it. That is VERY different from opposing gay marriage, which Brown never did.

However, Brown did not leave it at that. He looked further into the law and decided that he might be able to make a case (literally) that Prop 8 should be overturned. And, once he realized he might have a legal basis for a challenge, he did an outstanding job. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1868504,00.html

Too often, policians say the liberal thing in a primary, then fade away (or claim impotence--same thing) when they are in a position to actually DO the liberal thing--for example, Obama on DADT. When a politician does the opposite, it's cause for me to celebrate him or her.

As far as Brown's challenger being to his left, maybe, maybe not. Brown is a known quantity. I'm not so sure about the challenger. Please see Reply ##s 24 and 28.

[demwing]

20. This was my second thought

my first being "Oh crap, here we go herding cats again, removing one of Brown's best assets - lack of a primary challenger to break his bank roll."

Then, after a little rationality set in, I came to the same conclusion that you did. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that this was all Brown's idea.

[No Elephants]

25. I agree that claiming Brown is too far right could help Brown.

I don't think the California electorate is in any one place.

To clarify, I think most California voters are either decidedly right or decidely left.

And a much smaller group than either of those two is in the center.

[SoapBox]

14. If Prop. 13 goes...it will force thousands? millions? from their homes.

I want Prop. 13 to stay. Period.

And all this blather about how bad it is...is from the greedy money
wasters in the state.

I simply cannot imagine the horrific tax bills that would come due on
people if Prop. 13 were removed. The only crime that many homeowners
have committed is, simply staying put in their dang home for many years!

NO, NO, NO...read our lips...Try to get rid of Prop. 13 and we'll get rid of those
in elected positions!

[rpannier]

18. Then continue to live in a state that is constantly on the brink of banruptcy

Actually you'll get to bankruptcy pretty quickly

Then you'll have worse things to worry about

[shanti]

22. then remove it for commercial properties

simple fix

[No Elephants]

26. News flash # 1. Most things cost money. News flash # 2.

The notion that government can afford things that cost money if only waste is eliminated is true only in very small part--and they never try really hard tto eliminate the waste anyway. So, it eventually comes down to things like closing schools and fire stations.

[slackmaster]

31. I voted for Proposition 13 in 1978, and I'd vote for it again.

The problem is spending, not low taxes.

[Doremus]

33. Do you think there's some middle ground between ALL and NOTHING?

Your statement "The problem is spending, not low taxes," is a tad simplistic, wouldn't you say?

Well, no matter. I do.

[slackmaster]

37. I'd be OK with removing some of the restrictions on increasing tax on commercial property

But the state spends too much money, money that it doesn't have.

[Doremus]

38. "Money it doesn't have ..." Well, obviously.

"...the state spends too much money..."

One's opinion on the matter is entirely dependent on one's station in life ... and how well their blinders fit.

Your "too much money" is someone else's "how the hell are we going to provide health care to all these kids on half a budget???"

Good day to you.

[Xithras]

35. Prop 13 doesn't just limit property taxes, it limits all taxes.

The Prop 13 protections on residential property taxes could easily be kept in place while lessening restrictions on other forms of taxation.

[Luminous Animal]

39. Schurman is not advocating revoking prop 13.

He advocates closing the loopholes that allow corporations to skirt the restrictions of Prop 13.

[yurbud]

15. Jerry needs something to pull him left and out of his drift toward DLC pablum.

[demwing]

19. Do you really think Brown is drifting toward DLC?

really?

[No Elephants]

28. Brown's challenger is a former Executive Director or moveon.org.

moveon.org was formed as a response to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Before he ran for President, Bill Clinton was a founding member of the DLC. Brown and Clinton are long-time adversaries, from the time Brown ran against (and way to the left of) Bill Clinton and, among other things, challenged Clinton on Whitewater. Clinton supports Gavin Newsom against Brown.

Just sayin'.

[yurbud]

40. I hope you are right.

[Vidar]

16. Wipe the floor with him, Jerry!

[itsrobert]

21. Why is this on the front page

This guy is going nowhere.

[cadeyrn]

30. Jerry Brown

 I would like to invite all the good people of the world to
join the Jerry Brown for Governor fan Facebook page
at................http://www.facebook.com/jerrybrown.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Zhade]

34. It's a shame -- considered voting for Brown, but then he called pot dangerous.

So he's either dumb or lying, which makes him unfit for my vote.

[shanti]

36. he's not dumb

by any stretch of the imagination.