By Carla Marinucci on Oct. 19, 2014
While he still hasn’t done a single ad for his own re-election campaign, Gov. Jerry Brown hits the airwaves again Monday to push two state ballot measures — this time with a new TV spot that gives a subtle nod to the legacy of his father, the late Gov. Pat Brown.
The ad starring Jerry Brown is one of four new spots airing statewide to boost Propositions 1 and 2 — respectively, a $7.5 billion water-infrastructure bond and a measure to beef up the state’s rainy-day fund. Other ads feature economist Laura Tyson, a Central Valley farmer and Peter Coyote, a longtime Democratic activist actor who most recently narrated the Ken Burns’ “The Roosevelts” documentary series.
The ads, all created by SCN Strategies’ Sean Clegg, were paid for by Brown’s campaign fund and Sean Parker, the billionaire co-founder of Spotify, as well as the campaign funds for Props. 1 and 2.
In his star pitch, Brown — as in two previous ads — directly addresses the camera.
“It’s been over 50 years since we built the State Water Project that’s been the backbone of California,” says the governor, referring to the massive public infrastructure project considered the legacy of Brown’s father, governor from 1959 to 1967. “To stay strong, we need a reliable water supply and a stable budget.”
He ends the spot with a tagline he debuted in an interview with The Chronicle’s editorial board: “Save water, save money — vote yes on 1 and 2.”
Team Brown said the messaging in the piece polled especially well among likely voters, who agreed that “a reliable water supply is the foundation of our current and future economy.” Brown’s message goes to what his team calls a “core California narrative” — “our schools and water project built our wealth, and made us great.”
Another spot called “Roller Coaster” stars Tyson, the former chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. She says that “the roller coaster in California always seems to go up and down between boom and bust.” The two ballot measures, she says, “smooth out the ride.”
A third spot, called “Farmer Jake,” stars Jake Wenger, who says, “My family has been farming in the California’s great Central Valley for over 100 years, and we’ve never seen a drought that has been as tough on farmers as this one…it could go from bad to worse.” He argues that Prop. 1 “repairs our water system,” and Prop. 2 “makes the legislature save for a rainy day.”
The spot narrated by Coyote says that “the pendulum always swings in California. … Props. 1 and 2 prepare for the future by saving water, and saving money.”
You can listen to it here.
The ads hit the air a few days after Brown’s election opponent, Republican Neel Kashkari, put another $1,040,000 of his own money into the race, bringing his total to date to $3.1 million. Kashkari told us in an interview Saturday that he will use the money to tell voters about “Jerry Brown’s Watergate,” his record on education.
Dan Newman, spokesman for Brown’s re-election campaign, said the spots for Props. 1 and 2 show that “there’s a classier and more productive way to run for governor than accusing your opponent of drowning children,” a reference to a controversial recent ad by Kashkari in which he accused Brown of “betrayal” of state children.
Stay tuned to the Politics blog for more, and follow us on Twitter @cmarinucci for all the updates in the California governor’s race.