Thursday, September 24, 2009

Guess who's leading...

...in the race for governor of California in 2010? (I'm full of questions this morning.) If you guessed Jerry Brown, you'd be right. Yes, that Jerry Brown. Everyone's favorite Jesuit novitiate is 71, bald (not that there's anything wrong with that), and ready to take over the world's 10th largest economy (according to the CIA's World Factbook). Crazy? Maybe, but maybe not. California is in such a mess that it would be a little like taking over as head coach of the Detroit Lions--there's only one direction to go: up.

If nothing else, Jerry Brown is a Major League character and the whole spectacle will be fun to watch. You thought it would be interesting to have Schwarzenegger as governor? Trust me; this will be infinitely better, as anyone my age can tell you. I've always thought of him as a bit of a fraud, but an entertaining one. I remember when he was the latest "ABC" (anybody but Carter) candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976. He was only 38 years old and new to the national stage. A cartoon in the New Yorker said it best. A middle-aged couple was sitting in their living room and reading the paper. The husband said to his wife, impatiently, "Everyone sort of likes Jerry Brown!"

Stay tuned. This should be good.

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