The Washington Post‘s Chris Cillizza published a column on Friday arguing that California Gov. Jerry Brown should run for president–a case made early on at Breitbart California, as well as by NBC News’ Chuck Todd, and now by Vanity Fair, Playboy, Bill Maher, and a growing number of Beltway pundits as Hillary Clinton’s appeal fades.
Cillizza makes the case:
Brown is also currently the governor of the largest state in the country — and one that is chock-full of Democratic voters and, maybe more importantly, Democratic donors. Brown is quite popular in the state — 52 percent approval to 27 percent disapproval in a May Public Policy Institute of California survey — and has overseen an economic recovery in the state that many people thought was impossible when he took over the office in 2011.
He adds that the acerbic, straight-talking Brown “is stylistically a striking contrast with Clinton.”
The only obstacle, Cillizza, says, is age. But he concludes: “Brown’s case against Clinton is as serious as anyone this side of [Vice President Joe] Biden.”
Brown has not ruled out running, and has said that he would definitely run if he were ten years younger. He will be 80 when he completes his fourth term as California governor in 2018.