Why can't we have Jerry Brown for president?

[flibbitygiblets]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/jerry-browns-legacy-a-6-1-billion-budget-surplus-in-california-1515624022?mod=trending_now_4

Yes, Jerry's old. He's 79 to tRump's 71 years old. Any opinions as to who's more mentally fit? Hell, most of the SCOTUS was around when people were still using morse code to communicate, yet no one seems to be clutching any pearls about that.

Yes, Jerry's from CA. And he's doing an excellent job turning around the world's 6th largest economy (AGAIN), thanks very much.
He's also got more experience than any governor in CA history.

He has no scandals. I know it seems like at least a decade since we've had a president with high ethics, but I did the math...it's barely been over a year. Wouldn't it be nice to have integrity again?

So yes, he's old and white. But let's be honest, for at least one more cycle, that's an important demographic, like it or not (and I do NOT). If Jerry ran for POTUS and picked a truly competent VP who's NOT from CA (maybe someone from Texas, like lovely, smart and brave Wendy Davis, or one of those nice Castro brothers perhaps?), no one could really even bitch about the "old" part. A little something for pretty much everybody.

I know many of us have our personal nominee dream team/wish list, but this ticket ticks a lot of boxes, and is still do-able. I just don't want we Dems to blow it again with someone too boring, vanilla, or so left-wing that it'll cause people to forget what evil traitorous fucks the R's have been.

[brooklynite]

1. Because people won't vote for him?

Yes, DEMOCRATS will vote for him. What is his appeal to conservative Democrats and independents in the battleground States?

[lapfog_1]

2. I believe he has stated that he has no desire to be president

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. Jerry is too smart, too educated, too knowledgeable to get the votes of many.

[Barn Owl]

6. The reason is

If you partition off Democrats on the West and East Coast then factor in liberals in major urban areas he is a star!!

Then factor in the rest of the country between the 2 coasts then he non electable!! This is why Joe Manchin is my guy! Would crawl over broken glass to vote for him and most rural Democrats voting Republican would as well!!

The reasons we have been getting hammered in state and now national elections is we are doing one size fits all!!

That is total fucking bullshit!! What a Democrat wants in Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota is at polar odds from Democrats in California or New york!! We have to bridge this gap and if we can not do so we will continue to get our ass handed to us on a platter!!

Joe Manchin in 2020!! He can win red states!! He will also get our votes if you are a good Democrat, would he not?!

[TheDebbieDee]

13. Sen Manchin will be brought down over his family's involvement in the

EPI-Pen price-gouging scam sooner or later. And he refuses to come out in favor of a ban on assault weapons BECAUSE HE HAS FRIENDS THAT OWN THEM - WTF?

The curvature in MANCHIN'S spine resulting from his bending over backwards to pander to republican voters already makes me want to stay home on Election Day in 2020. Note - I said "WANT TO STAY HOME"...

[pnwmom]

33. I think we have much better options in the red states than Manchin,

but I would vote for him if he was on the ticket.

[ghostsinthemachine]

4. 8 years.

Too old. .

[Cartoonist]

5. Compare Cal to Kansas

It's like comparing Dem policies to repub policies. Only the Dem policies work. Yet, the rest of the country can't see that.

[gibraltar72]

7. Way to compromised.

[frazzled]

8. Because he already ran three times before

In 1976, 1980, and 1992 ... and, obviously, was unable to win the nomination all three times. It would be crazy to try a fourth time, especially when he’d bein his 80s.

Let’s get a little realistic.

[flibbitygiblets]

21. Why is it not realistic, just because he didn't get the nomination before?

Why does lack of winning in the past mean someone can't win in the present? Nixon lost a few times before he won. Only in recent history does losing mean a candidate is permanently disgraced. (Obviously I know how the Nixon thing eventually turned out, but I don't see any relevance to the point.)

Jerry has recent experience, and did I mention the WORLD's 6th largest economy is thriving? He has success at turning things around. I think there's a chance he'd run if we asked him nicely.

[lunasun]

9. He wants to retire up north that is why he is not running again for gov. In an interview it

sounded like he is done and remember, he has been involved a long time serving the public . Best to him

[shanti]

16. Yes

He wants to move to his ranch in Colusa (north of Sacramento) when he's done, but that's not why he's not running again. He'll be termed out after 8 years, so he can't run again.

[sl8]

10. I blame the Dead Kennedys.

[roamer65]

14. Jello eventually changed his tune on Jerry Brown.

He backed him for president in 1992. I actually called Alternative Tentacles back then and asked who does Jello support. That was the answer.

I would vote for Jerry in a heartbeat. He’s the real deal.

[shanti]

17. All three times

I voted for Jerry. His "no drama" attitude, like Obama, is what impressed me the most. He gets things done. I'll miss him.

[Blue_true]

19. He turned Oakland around and ushered in good leaders there.

Then, with the democratic legislature, he lifted California's finances out of an abyss.

[Sophia4]

28. He has done an amazing job.

I'm a big fan.

The problem with age within the year (years, month, months, etc.) is that the statistical likelihood of death increase very dramatically as we age.

Anyone can die at any age, but the likelihood of death when you are in a job as stressful as that of the president is higher when you are older.

Of course, JFK was assassinated and was one of our youngest presidents.

But it is still an important consideration.

I think Trump is too old. Bernie is a great voice for liberals/Democrats/progressives/irrelevant affiliation, but I will be surprised if he decides to run again.

[sl8]

25. Very good. Thanks for keeping me up-to-date. n/t

[kentuck]

11. We had our chance.

We voted for Bill Clinton.

[loyalsister]

15. Makes me wonder what might have been

If there had been a me too movement when Clarence Thomas' sexual harrassment came to light, it's tough to see how Clinton would have won the 92 primary.

[dsc]

30. Brown ran on the stupidest idea in the history of Democratic primaries

aka the flat tax. That is our fault it's his.

[Hortensis]

36. Agree. I do like Jerry somewhat and his flat tax wasn't our

dittohead neighbors' version, but that's hardly his only inept, half-baked, incomplete stand.

I decided his judgement couldn't be trusted after he continued Reagan's desperate underfunding of mental hospitals. They were in appalling condition, but he vetoed funding increases, then eventually closed a bunch of them. I was a kid then and imagined seeing mentally ill people ranting and huddling under cardboard to keep warm would force society to care. We cared by tightening up laws that allowed municipalities to run "vagrants" off the streets and back out of sight.

Jerry should have known, though, and maybe did. Clinton WOULD have; he wasn't raised as a governor's sheltered son or given to odd flights that ignore consequences to change. A basic competence thing.

[TheDebbieDee]

12. If Gov Brown ran for the Dem Nom, I would vote for him...

He may be aging but he's got 16 years of SOLID results while governing California, the world's 6th LARGEST economy! I also would trusy his foresight in picking a running-mate that was competent and would be more than likely to accomplish Mr Brown's objectives if his presidency were to end prematurely.

Frankly, I don't trust Sen Sanders, Sen Gillibrand or Sen Warren (she was quick and gullible to agree with Donna Brazile's story that the DNC robbed Sen Sanders of the Dem nomination)...

I DO like Sen Brown from Ohio, but after the two Mr Browns I'm racking my brain for a Dem candidate...

[Blue_true]

20. There are a lot of them, just get off the big names and look deeper.

Klobuchar, Harris, Duckworth, Schiff, Kennedy, to name a few. I like Duckworth because she is a quick witted fighter.

[flibbitygiblets]

22. Those are all good people, but why write Jerry off just because of his age?

If anything he should get lots of credit for his life's work in public service. SUCCESSFUL work. PROVEN leadership and financial solvency skills. It's a lot easier to discount a younger person's experience, and some of that discounting is true. Obama arguably would have made a better president had he waited longer. He definitely got better with experience. The same is true of Jerry.

Trump, should he miraculously be still a candidate in '20 and not a Federal Inmate, will be in his mid seventies. Biden, who is still being floated, will be in HIS eighties, and HE's still being considered, so I ask again, WHY NOT JERRY?

[Blue_true]

24. My position (obviously can't enforce it).

Any person over 65 that want the nomination of our party should make a pledge to serve only one term and select someone under 55 as a running mate. It is time for us to transition to other people with new ideas.

Jerry Brown? Proven effective leader at every job he has had. But the Governor Moonbeam label unfairly sticks with him. Can he beat Trump, yes, if Brown makes a pledge to serve only one term upfront. I seriously think that moderates will certainly vote for him with such a promise. Brown is tireless, he will out campaign Trump flat out. Trump should be weak in 2020, he is setting up horrible policy that will bite him in the ass bigtime within the next two years, if not earlier and last. An agressive campaigner like Brown will make mincemeat out of Trump.

[CountAllVotes]

29. Far more than 16 years

I've followed Jerry Brown most of my life.

He was also the mayor of Oakland for eight years and the Attorney General for the State of California for eight years in-between his two governorships.

He is an impressive man and very intelligent.

I'd vote for him in a minute without a second thought.

I hope he NEVER retires, NEVER!

Jerry Brown for President 2020 !!!

[left-of-center2012]

18. He's 80 years old

Time for a new generation.

Pass the torch for God's sake!

[flibbitygiblets]

23. Tell that to all the millenials who voted for Bernie.

I'm not trying to be divisive or re-hash election '16. I'm just saying that sometimes the young folks adore a feisty coot with good ideas. Just ask fans of Maxine Waters and Betty White.

[Sophia4]

27. Bernie was younger.

[LanternWaste]

41. another meaningless bumper-sticker with all the depth of thought that implies.

What is the precise age that qualifies one as too old, and on what objective evidence do you base your allegation?

Else your 'premise' is simply another meaningless bumper-sticker with all the depth of thought that implies.

[Sophia4]

26. Love him, but age would be an issue.

Sad but true.

[StevieM]

31. There is another Californian who I look forward to voting for: Tom Steyer.

If he runs I will probably support him.

[jberryhill]

32. I asked that several times when I was much younger

Brown has had a great career and we’d be light years ahead if we’d done it then.

[fmdaddio]

34. Because

We cannot have nice things. We have to hedge our bets on someone who is not too Liberal.
No we cannot have a successful Governor who understands that trickle down economics is a loser.
Oh and it's California and we all know how wacky they are.

[flibbitygiblets]

37. Your answer is probably the most accurate, sadly.

[McCamy Taylor]

35. Because Putin wants us to squabble and bicker, so his trolls will object to the penis

that is part of the Jerry Brown package. Or his melanin. Or his surname. Or his religion. Or the fact that he has four intact limbs (at least I think he does).

Trust me, the meddling in the Democratic Primary in 2020 is gonna make 1972 look like a Love Fest. I say we front out own Manchurian candidate--or rather, a Moscow candidate, who pretends to swear loyalty to Russia but who is actually working for the CIA/FBI/NSA and who comes into power and whose first official act is to round up, indict and jail all the Russian agents in this country. It can be done. It would be very easy to do. The Dems could even offer two or three different choices for Russia to choose from. China could help. China has got to be super pissed off at Russia for 1) attempting to start a war in the South China Sea to keep China from achieving energy independence and 2) trying to manipulate the price of oil that China buys from Russia and 3) trying to trash the economy of China's number one buyer (the U.S.). U.S. plus China can outsmart Russia. Also, I am pretty sure that India does not like it when Russia tries to torpedo the U.S. economy either. And after the little stunt Russia pulled in the UK, we should be able to get British Intelligence on our side. I say the whole fucking world gangs up on Russia and shows them how three dimensional chess is really played.

Russia's only claim to fame is post WWII western capitalists needed a straw man to justify their colonial ambitions and to scare their own workers into submission, so they gave the USSR half of Europe and illusions of grandeur. Well, Russia/USSR has outlived its purpose. It needs to go crawl in a hole and become just another member of the European Union with quaint ethnic customs and way too much winter weather.

[Tarc]

38. Old, White, Male

Sorry, I do not want a candidate that tics all 3 boxes. 1 is enough, 2 if the person is truly exceptional. We've had enough 3s.

[ehrnst]

39. You must want it, and have the set of skills needed for POTUS

which is by definition a more centrist role than governor (which is a more centrist role than delegate or even Senator).

The ability to suffer fools on the job is part of the job of POTUS, and the ability to work in teams.

We'll never have someone with the temprament of Obama, but HRC came close.

[highmindedhavi]

40. California's homeless problem

he has done nothing, its get worse every day.

[Willie Pep]

43. Yeah I am not sure if California is the big success story that some think it is.

I don't blame Jerry Brown for the homelessness crisis but it is something that will get brought up. California is facing a big housing affordability crisis. There is a lot of tension between residents of places like the Bay Area and affluent newcomers working in the tech industry. It is ground zero for some of the fissures within the Democratic Party because it pits poor and working-class people against affluent professionals who also likely vote Democratic. I could see a Brown candidacy opening up many of these wounds.

[maxsolomon]

42. Because mortality exists

He'll be fucking 82 1/2 on election day in 2020.

Try to think of a Dem who'll make Trump look like a sad old clown.

No, not DiFi.

[Brother Buzz]

44. An eighty-two and a half year-old man living with cancer

The man abides, and has stayed ahead with two treatments for prostate cancer, but he has earned the privilege to ride into the sunset a happy, contented man.