Jerry Brown coasts toward re-election

Fortunately, there's not much doubt about the outcome of the California Governor's race. (Reid Wilson, Jerry Brown is spending more on ballot measures than on his own campaign Washington Post 10/24/2014)

It's notable in Wilson's article that what's-his-name has "far outspent" Jerry Brown on TV ads. Although Jerry has had a fair amount of visibility campaigning for two propositions he supports, and those kind of double as ads for him. California's unique in some ways and Jerry is unique in quite a few. But still, he's governed as a real Democrat and the Republicans can't even get within striking distance of unseating him.

Polls show Brown running away with a fourth term: A Public Policy Institute of California survey released this week shows Brown leading his Republican opponent, former Bush administration official Neel Kashkari, by a 52 percent to 36 percent margin (the same poll showed 58 percent of California voters support Proposition 1, and 49 percent support Proposition 2).

Kashkari has far outspent Brown on television. Data compiled by the Center for Public Integrity shows he’s aired more than $2 million in TV ads. Earlier this week, Kashkari donated an additional $1 million to his own campaign, despite the public polling data.

I just did my weekly self-flagellation ritual of listening to Sleepy Mark Shields and David "Bobo" Brooks on the PBS Newshour Political Wrap, Shields and Brooks on the midterm mood PBS Newshour Political Wrap 10/31/2014:

They were both half-asleep Friday, which in Bobo's case is an improvement, because he didn't go into his "tell" voice where he tries to make some outrageous Republican nonsense sound like reassuring common sense. They both regurgitated the current conventional wisdom on the elections, Dems in trouble, some elections competitive, blah, blah. Mark told one of his favorite anecdotes for the 75th time.What they didn't mention was the word "California."

I mean, Jerry Brown, one of the most controversial politicians of the last 50th time, is cruising to such an easy re-election he's running ads for two Propositions he favors instead of for himself. That after four years as a pro-labor, pro-immigrant Governor who (OMG!) raised taxes!!! The drama with the legislature is whether the Democrats get a two-thirds majority. There might be something to analyze there. If PBS could find pundits that could stay away for 12 minutes or so on Fridays.