To the surprise of no one, Attorney General Jerry Brown has sent out a fundraising pitch on behalf of his undeclared campaign for governor, seeking to “build a large base of supporters from every part of the state and even beyond.”
Brown has not exactly been coy about his ambition to become both the oldest and the youngest person ever elected California’s chief executive, but his new solicitation puts front and center the concern that he might have to face off against a Richie Rich Republican like Meg Whitman or Steve Poizner.
Says General Jerry:
“…when I see the mess in Sacramento and think about all the people who are suffering as a result, I think seriously about running for governor again…
“But before I make a final decision, I would like to know if it’s possible to build a large base of supporters from every part of the state and even beyond. Two of the Republican candidates for governor are talking about spending their own wealth on hundred million dollar plus campaigns. To counter this private assault on our democracy, people will have to join together in a grassroots effort by the thousands and then by the tens of thousands. We need to fight back to overcome what will literally be a hostile takeover of the airwaves during the next governor’s campaign.”
If all this assault on our democracy talk rings a bell, let us recall that it was the onetime Winter Soldier himself who practically invented the art of small donor fundraising (with the help of visionary consultant Joe Trippi) that was later perfected by Obama.
Running for president in1992, he famously used the then-cutting edge technology of an 800-number both to raise money and to emphasize that he wouldn’t accept contributions larger than $100, which just happens to be the maximum amount he’s still asking for. Carla Marinucci has the complete text posted on her blog.
— By Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine
