From my latest for CAIVN. Jerry Brown is running an appallingly bad campaign. He doesn’t even seem interested or engaged in the process. For a supposed wily old fox, his campaign is beginning to echo that of his sister’s disastrously inept race for governor against Pete Wilson in 1994, arguably one of the worst-run campaigns ever.
A CBS 5 KPIX poll on July 12 had Whitman ahead of Brown by 7%. Just two weeks ago, a poll had Brown ahead by 6. Sure, polls can skitter a bit, but the trend definitely shows Whitman surging and Brown faltering. Brown’s positive ratings have been falling steadily too, which is never a good sign.
It should not be this way. California is a heavily Democratic state. Jerry Brown should be way ahead. But he’s not. In fact, he appears to be slipping. Part of the problem of course is that Meg Whitman can self-finance her campaign by spending tens of millions of her own money while Brown has to scuffle to raise money.
But, that masks a bigger problem, one that is becoming apparent to many, including Democrats. Jerry Brown is running an inept campaign. His website has been quirky. The same is true of his campaign. He still has said nothing meaningful about the California budget crisis. Meanwhile Whitman is relentlessly focused on jobs, spending, and education. She stays on message, something Brown can’t do because he doesn’t have a message.
If he does have one, I can’t discern it. Can you?
Read the article for my suggestions for the Brown campaign.