Posted on 10/30/2009 4:37:30 PM PDT by SmithL
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made a surprise announcement Friday afternoon that he was dropping out of the gubernatorial race, leaving the Democrats with no declared candidate for the top statewide office.
Attorney General Jerry Brown has opened an exploratory committee for governor but has yet to formally announce his candidacy.
Nonetheless, Brown has opened a wide lead over Newsom in both fund-raising and in polls.
"It is with great regret I announce today that I am withdrawing from the race for governor of California," Newsom said in a statement. "With a young family and responsibilities at city hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to - and should be - done.
"This is not an easy decision. But it is one made with the best intentions for my wife, my daughter, the residents of the city and county of San Francisco, and California Democrats."
In a written statement, Brown said of Newsom's departure from the race, "Mayor Newsom is a talented public official and I believe he has a bright future. I am sure this was not an easy decision. Anne and I wish Gavin and his family all the best."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
He had that scandal with the married staffer awhile back. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. There are also rumors about him at wild parties and some unsavory stuff. Drug use would not surprise me. He’s very ambitious so I can only surmise there’s a dirty jacket on him that he figures might even ruin the gig he’s already got so he’s backing out.
Just a guess.
Yes, I think it is all of the above
Anne?
The GOP frontrunner supports each of those positions (or pretty darn close).
You forget that Brown is very tight with a dollar and left a larger budget surplus than Reagan did when he left office.
He’s not gay? Who knew?
It's a nice thought, but I have the feeling that any obstacle to union ambitions, including a Democratic governor, would be met with the same chainsaw that they ordinarily reserve for Republicans.
Nope, nobody has forgotten. But Jerry Brown has matured a bit since his last stint as governor. There's still plenty to dislike about his ideology, and I don't expect to be happy about his next term as governor. But realistically, he may be the least of the evils we face here in California.
Face it, he's better than any of the other prominent Democrats who would otherwise be competing for the nomination in his absence. He's better than Arnold turned out to be. And although I don't know much about Meg Whitman, what little I've read does not give me much hope that she'd be better than Brown. Perhaps Whitman can be beaten in the Republican primary despite all her money, and the victor will be worth supporting, but I'm not holding my breath.
If I had my druthers, Tom McClintock would be Governor and California would not be spiralling down the drain. Instead, we're reduced to hoping that the next governor will reduce the frequency of flushing. Jerry Brown is the only prominent Democrat who shows any potential for reducing the frequency of flushing.
Maybe, but the unions had a horrible week, and it’s getting worse. Their business model is all done.
The members are going to end up voting them of the island.
From JB’s 74 campaign brocure:
Yet he has greatly expanded California’s criminal justice, environmental, consumer protection, and employment programs.
...............
And do any of these things seem to be a problem in CA NOW?
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