ANY (?) DEMOCRAT WANTED
Via Mickey Kaus, who has comments of his own, I see Mark Kleiman is looking for (just one) Democrat to jump from the anti-recall side into the California governor's race. His choice is Leon Panetta, the man who (in my opinion) saved the country from the dangerous chaos of the early Clinton White House. But is he really the Democrat who best meets the Kleiman Criteria?
The ideal candidate would:
1. Have enormous name recognition.
2. Have enthusiastic supporters who will come out in what is likely to be a light-turnout special election. (Doesn't matter much how many people hate him as long as a lot of people love him.)
3. Be able to raise money.
4. Not be associated in the voters' minds with the current mess.
5. Not have anything to fear from Davis in case Davis manages to squeak through.
I may be wrong about this, especially on #5, but I think Willie Brown fits the bill. (That parenthetical in #2 is crucial.)