http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
On paper, Jerry Brown looks like he could give Hillary Rodham Clinton a scare. He's a governor with a compelling record of fixing California's budget and reviving the biggest state's economy. He's admired by liberals for his work to combat climate change and address immigration laws. And he caught the presidential bug long ago, running for the White House three times.
So why is Brown not stepping forward to challenge Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016?
"Running against Hillary is like running against Jerry Brown in California," Brown, 76, said in an interview Friday at The Washington Post. "In the Democratic Party, it's not going to happen. You reach a certain point of party loyalty and it's very powerful."
If she ends up unopposed or with token opposition, we have to live with that. But to say it out loud or encourage it is not good for the party. It is almost as bad as those on dkos who spend their time ripping HRC a new one instead of writing diaries in support of Warren, Sander or O'Malley.
Brown disagreed with some leading Democrats who believe a strong primary challenge would actually benefit Clinton by helping her get into fighting strength before she faces the eventual Republican nominee in the general election.
"Primary oppositions are not helpful," Brown said, recalling his own 2010 race for governor when former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman was wounded after veering right in her rhetoric and positions to fend off a primary challenge from Steve Poizner.
"Some people think that strengthens the process or helps the candidate go through his or her paces," Brown said. But, he said, "the truth is it’s not helpful. The real competition has to start right away with a Republican-Democratic difference. There’s plenty there to create conflict and debate and do whatever you have to do to get ready for the November election. You can do that facing off against the Republican opponents, of which there’s so many, and there’s so many stupid things they’re saying. That’s a far better place than cutting nuanced differences with some Democratic insurgent."
I truly believe that the ebb and flow of the 2008 Primary helped BO and HRC. He would not have been as strong in the general, and she would not be the front runner if she hadn't hung in there and finished strong. Look at the Ford/Reagan battle of 1976. Conservatives pushed and supported Reagan while at same time ripped Ford as a closet Liberal (read "Marathon" by Jules Witcover or Rick Perlsteins "The Invisible Bridge".) Primaries are healthy, clown car or not. It gives everyone a stake in the race, no matter how nutty.
That Brown is advocating an unobstructed glide path for Clinton to the Democratic nomination might come as a surprise given his own history. In 1992, Brown was Bill Clinton's most persistent and pesky Democratic primary opponent and for months refused to endorse him.
EXACTLY!!!!