Many -- but certainly not all -- political professionals believe that Brown would stand a good chance in that field -- even though he'd be 72 years old if elected governor.
He's never had trouble finding issues: His emphasis on the environment, especially global warming, as attorney general does not fall from the sky. This is the guy who gave birth to the California Coastal Commission. And though he has always personally opposed the death penalty, he burnished his law-and-order credentials as mayor of Oakland. And besides, opposition to the death penalty is not such an oddball stance these days, with many states declaring moratoriums until execution procedures and evidence testing can be firmed up. He would also have a few years as "California's chief law enforcement officer" under his belt.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, September 26, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 76 words Type of Material: Correction
Rose Bird: An article in Section A on Aug. 19 about California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, and previous articles in the Times, have described former California Chief Justice Rose Bird as having been recalled from office. Bird was the target of unsuccessful efforts to hold a special election to recall her. However, she lost her seat in a scheduled November 1986 election in which voters were asked whether she should receive another term on the court.
Former Gov. Gray Davis, who was Brown's chief of staff, noted that the name Edmund G. Brown -- whether attached to the father or the son -- has been never been defeated in a primary ballot for state or local office since the early 1950s. "People underestimate the difficulty of getting known statewide -- particularly in an era of campaign finance laws
And everyone knows Edmund G. Brown."
Republican consultant Jim Brulte said: "Jerry Brown is the prohibitive favorite to be the next governor of California. He starts with a base of support within the California Democratic Party that is a mile wide and a mile deep."
Democratic consultant Richie Ross said: "I don't think he's beatable in a Democratic primary. And I think people would be intrigued by him again
Where did that derisive moniker 'Governor Moonbeam' come from? [coined by Mike Royko of the Chicago Tribune in 1978 and retracted in 1992.] It came from the wacky idea that the state ought to launch its own communications satellite. Sure doesn't seem wacky today, does it?"
GOP consultant Don Sipple said: "The Brown brand is a good brand, [something] hard for anyone to take away from him."
And Democratic consultant Bill Carrick of Los Angeles said that if Brown's opponents tried to stir up old resentments about his controversial handling of a medfly infestation in 1982 or the late California Chief Justice Rose Bird, whom Brown appointed in 1976 and voters recalled 10 years later because of her staunch opposition to the death penalty, "it would be hard to conjure up any of that stuff."
