Author: Joe Mathews

"Who would you rather have a beer with?" might have been the deciding question in previous political races. The California governor’s race is different. The state is a mess, and getting messier. Neither of the two leading contenders has a real plan – or any intention – of doing much more than managing the state’s decline.

So the question in this race might be: Which candidate would you prefer to drive your ship on a one-way trip to the bottom of the ocean?

That’s probably the best way to judge Tuesday night’s debate. Neither Jerry Brown nor Meg Whitman offered a clear vision of the future. And both were self-aware enough that they didn’t bother to inspire us. These two aren’t inspirational. They each know they are enaged in a classic lesser-of-two-evils contest.

I’d been trying to track down the most-talked-about player in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, but I didn’t have a phone number and I’d heard he’s too old to have email or a cell. I’d just about given up when the phone rang yesterday.

"It’s me, the Surplus," the voice said.

"You mean, Jerry Brown’s Obscene Surplus, from before Prop 13?" I asked.

Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman have the same problem when it comes to offering solutions to California’s budget crisis:

His name is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Whatever you think of the current governor, Schwarzenegger made many, many attempts to deal with the state’s budget problems. In fact, the governor has tried so many different tactics that he succeeded – not in balancing the budget but in showing that there’s really no way to balance the budget under the current budget system.

Steel yourselves: you’re about to hear a lot of Republican praise for, of all things, the Cuban government.

Yes, it’s the next insane and deceptive talking point on the horizon, in California and around the country.

In case you missed it, the Cuban government has decided to downsize, in what is being portrayed as the beginning of a move to a more market-oriented economy. Since an estimated 85 percent of Cuba’s 5.5 million workers are employed by the state, this would seem to be a good idea. The island’s official labor issue even issued a statement saying that "our state can’t keep maintaining…bloated payrolls."

Get ready to have two governors at once.

Jerry Brown’s governorship is almost certain to begin before Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ends.

Don’t believe it? Just ask them.

Have you come across a California voter – a civilian, not
someone professionally involved in politics — who profoundly, deeply,
truly cares who wins the contest for governor?

Me neither.

The longer this lesser-of-two-evils campaign of meaningless
attacks and pointless policy proposals goes on, the more it seems that
the only people truly invested in this campaign are the political
consultants. Talk to one-they show more passion about the thing than
anybody else.

On Monday, Meg Whitman’s rapid response division (team doesn’t do justice to its size) unleashed a response to Jerry Brown’s ad on his gubernatorial record today.

The response used lots of data and statistics to argue that Brown didn’t leave California in the best economic and budgetary shape in 1982. But looking at the numbers, I had a reaction that I don’t think the Whitman people intended.

Take me back to 1982!

The debate – well, calling it a debate is charitable, so let’s say the never-ending yelling match – over taxes in California politics makes little sense, particularly when applied to the governor’s race.

Meg Whitman says she opposes tax increases. Jerry Brown says he opposes them, unless the public goes along. Who to believe?

If past is prologue, believe Brown. And get ready for a Whitman tax increase.

You are absolutely right when you argue that state budget cuts are doing lasting damage to California.

It is plain foolish to cut the school year, lay off thousands of teachers, increase university tuition, undermine the safety net, and close state offices on Fridays. And you’re also right to argue that there need to be new revenues on the table to reverse the cuts to these important priorities.

If only you were effective advocates of these positions.