“Jerry Brown has finished his cycle of bill signings and vetoes for the year. How would you characterize him – conservative, moderate, liberal, or something else entirely?”

Jerry Brown has been, is, and always will be “something else entirely.”

I would characterize him as a Jesuit.  He examines each issue independently and angers both parties. 

“Organized labor gets Brown elected governor and Brown smacks them in the face (vetoes of child-care unionizing, card check, etc). Disloyalty or good politics?”

We’ll see whether it’s good politics or not next year, when Brown will need labor to step up to the plate with tens of millions of dollars if he’s to run

California was solidly Obama country in 2008. What about next year, given the deep unemployment, the still-weakening economy, the voters’ unhappiness with government and disenchantment from the left with Obama?

All true, but way too soon to tell.  Libs have no place to go.  Depends on who the Republican nominee is and what the issues

“Are Capitol Republicans out-of-step with Republicans out there in the real world? The latest Field Poll suggests exactly that — at least on whether ballot initiatives should all be pushed to November. What do you think?”

Well, I don’t understand what world Republicans are living in, either under the Dome, or out in the cities

The Kinde Durkee scandal is spreading. A number of politicos have lost campaign funds, and there may be more. What impact, if any, will this case have on elections next year?

Because there are contribution limits at both the federal and state levels, much of the stolen money cannot be replaced. Donors who have already

“Given demographics and voting trends, realistically, what is the future of the Republican Party in California?”

Their immediate future (this political generation), appears to have ended in 1994 when Gov. Pete Wilson declared war on “illegal aliens.” Bye, bye, Latino vote.

Add toxic incompetence to that mix and you have another decade of decline. They

“The Battle for the City of Vernon is over. What was this fight really about? Who are the real winners and losers?”

Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Still not clear how this one became the fight

“Amazon, which has put another $2.25 million into its effort to repeal California’s online sales tax law through a referendum, is gambling that voters ultimately will agree to eliminate the tax. What do you think – is Amazon right or wrong?”

Right. California is already too hostile to business, the voters know this.

I’d bet

Antonio Villaraigosa for governor in 2014? What are his chances against Brown, not to mention the others who might be in the same primary – Newsom, Harris, Chiang, even Lockyer?

Brown wins. Next question.

If it’s time to contemplate 2014 let’s go long: Philandering politicians Villaraigosa and Newsom split the middle-age-males-in-crisis vote; turnout disappoints Brown

“Getting rid of term limits in conjunction with a return to a part-time Legislature. Brown’s thinking about this. What do you think?”

It’s Back to the Future … or should we say Forward to the Past!  Part-time Legislatures work well in other states.

I’m betting a part-time Legislature would poll (before arguments) at about 75