What Actually Happened at the California Democratic Party convention

By Phil Trounstine and Jerry Roberts
Calbuzz.com

Bottom line on the California Democratic Party convention: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made the biggest splash and showed off a slick campaign operation but Attorney General Jerry Brown proved anew that, even without a campaign apparatus, his political presence remains commanding.

Newsom's well-delivered speech, ubiquitous team of volunteers, flashy street party and fireside chat for bloggers signaled to potential donors, activists and cognoscenti that his nascent campaign for governor is for real.

But his effort to frame the 2010 Democratic primary as a generational battle of future versus past - casting Brown as a "stroll down memory lane" - was far from convincing. Portraying Brown as the political status quo is like trying to paint Mick Jagger as musically obsolete.

-- Read on at Calbuzz.com --

Comments

[MBryant]

This is an interesting race in California politics..­.

Two rising stars, either of which could be White House bound, either of which could be still a Democratic Sarah Palin - looks, ego, style, but no real substance.­.

and a great public servant - answering the call when California (and the nation) needs him...

If it were the nineties and things were going pretty well, there would be a logic in Jerry getting out of the way and letting these climbers duke it out.... But Californians should be asking if Newsome and Villaigrosso should postpone their career paths so that California and the nation can get the benefit of Gov. Brown during this economic and climate crises that rocks our foundation­s..

There's a need for smart, principaled consensus building and visionary reform.

Jerry's the one..