Brown v. Whitman Debate

Jerry Brown was on fire tonight in the first debate between he and Meg Whitman, the two candidates for California governor. Like your granddad discussing politics at the dinner table, Brown used the word "hell" several times and said "damn" at least once in a spirited defense of his record of public service, and I would swear the word "bullshit" was poised to come tumbling across his lips when he was asked about one of Whitman's more misleading campaign ads. He chose instead to call the ad "misleading."

When it was pointed out that he ran for President within two years of election to his first term as California governor in the 1970s, Brown dismissed the notion that he might entertain such ambitions again, noting that he'd be 80-years-old at the end of his term this time around.

"Age," Brown said. Then he grinned and continued: "Hell, if I was younger, you know I'd be running again."

But "I now have a wife, I come home at night, I don't try to close down the bars in Sacramento like I used to do when I was governor of California.

Why not Jer? That's my kind of governor!

In a bit of a tell, Whitman referred several times to Brown -- who is California's sitting Attorney General -- as "Governor Brown."

Despite Whitman's repeated efforts to saddle Brown with the perceived baggage of "public employee labor unions" (a group to which -- full disclosure -- I belong), I though he did a good job of deflecting the negative tone of the attacks by noting that he twice vetoed pay raises for state workers and he was the first governor to call for pension reform (in the 1970s!), but he also took time to thank public employees for their service.

Whitman, on the other hand, decided the best way to run for governor of California was to tell voters how well things are going in other states around the nation. At one point, as she named dropped Texas Governor Rick Perry, I think she forgot where she was and decided to run for governor of the Lone Star State.

Brown was funny, earnest, offbeat, determined and knowledgeable. Whitman was scripted, unspecific, untruthful and, while Brown may have dropped a few 'H' bombs, Whitman must have said "ya know" at least 25 times. All in all, I'd say it was a win for the professional. Brown in a TKO. Calitics' takes on the debate can be found here.

The next debate, to be hosted by Tom Brokaw, no less, takes place on October 12th.