Former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her 2016 presidential candidacy just over one week ago, and as the likely frontrunner for the Democratic ticket so far, speculation as to whom she might select as her vice presidential running mate has been on the rise. Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Jr. has suggested California’s longest-serving Governor, Jerry Brown–a potential candidate in his own right, according to NBC News’s Chuck Todd, host of Meet the Press.
Willie Brown, Jr. made the suggestion in a recent op-ed he penned in the San Francisco Chronicle, to which he is a regular contributor:
Think about it. Brown has a command of national, international, economic and environmental issues that is equal to or greater than almost any other Democrat. There’s no learning curve needed for him. He has the independence that independent voters will be excited about, and he’s run for president more times than anyone I know.
Governor Brown has, indeed, run for president three times–in 1976, 1980 and 1992. Consumer advocate and far-left radical Ralph Nader, largely recognized for his affiliation with the Green Party, has Brown’s record beat: he has run four times, first as the Green Party nominee in 1996 and 2000, and then in 2004 and 2008 as an independent.
Willie Brown also suggested that Gov. Brown’s age would help Clinton generate more votes. “Plus he’s a senior citizen, which is a vote that Hillary will need to win,” he wrote.
At 77-years of age, Gov. Brown is Clinton’s senior by 10 years.
The suggestion of Jerry Brown for vice president came, Willie Brown says, after he “ticked off half the world by suggesting Gavin Newsom as a possible running mate for Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz
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