Just read a great piece from Nathan Gardels over at the Huffington Post.
A Phil Angelides/Warren Beatty combo would be the best ticket for California's future.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Nathan Gardels is editor-in-chief of NPQ, the journal of social and political thought published by Los Angeles Times Syndicate/Tribune Media, which has 35 million readers in 15 languages through scores of the world's top papers. Gardels has numerous fellowships and is a well known lecturer.
See discussion and poll on the flip-side. Who do you like in 2006 California Governors Race?
I found his thoughts on not only how to defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 very interesting but more so his proposed political union of a Phil Angelidies and Warren Beatty as just the ticket California needs to become once again the top progressive state in the U.S.
Gardels made some insighful comments such as.
- "The public would more likely trust the non-Hollywood Angelides to be the responsible executive. By taking the Lt. Governor's slot, Beatty would have an official pulpit to shape public opinion but remain free of the day to day tasks of governing. The critical importance of a thematizing role by Beatty should not be underestimated in the years ahead when a historic shift back toward a progressive agenda is
possible."
- "The candidate for governor who best understands how to renew California's foundations in this new context is Phil Angelides. He had the political courage to become the "anti-Schwarzenegger" at the height of the governor's popularity, declaring that more wealth for the richest through lower taxes -- but less money for community and state colleges and education in general -- was a recipe for shutting down opportunity for the majority, not unleashing prosperity. While Arnold was huddling with his Wall Street contributors, Angelides led the charge by CalPers and CalSTRS -- the stunningly powerful state pension funds which dominate institutional investing with their $270 billion in assets -- to force Richard Grasso out of the New York Stock Exchange and clamp down on the fraud and crony capitalism of WorldCom, Enron and others."
It is not to early now (special election over) to focus on the 2006 CA Governors race. Given the Republicans weakness at the top of their ticket and Arnold's promise to run next year (predict he won't -insiders say he has singed for two movie projects) the next Governor of California may well be decided in June's CA primary. Just six month's away.
I had not been a fan of Angelides up until now as I have been worried that he seemed to be the same type of career politician like that of Grey Davis and we just ridded ourselves in the recall. Having read Gardels piece now I might been mistaken on Angelidies. I have always liked Warren Beatty. A more so Rob Reiner is he is a DEAN guy. marKOS has stated Reiner is rumored to be waiting until 2010 when the seat will be wide-open. In the Bay Area Steve Jobs name comes up often when this discussion gets going. Martin Sheen the same down in LA.
I am undecided at this point. I guy I really repect Assemblyman Mark Leno, the Democrat who sponsored the bill allowing same-sex marriages that Schwarzenegger vetoed. He has already endorsed Phil Angelidies. So has Boxer/Feinstien/Pelosi.
Thought I would make a diary out of this and see what KOSsacks think at this point. Also let me know who else might be running that I failed to mention. I would like to know what you are hearing.