Brown's Oakland odyssey began after that last failed presidential bid in 1992, when he bought a warehouse that became the We The People headquarters in Oakland's Jack London Square.

Now Brown is on the verge of making Oakland his extended coffee shop, with an opportunity to hold forth to a largely captive audience.

But there are signs that this transition may not be as smooth as Brown would like. And when he is challenged, and someone breaks the flow of the monologue, he will grill whoever has broken his stride.

On November 16, Brown lashed out at Oakland NAACP president (and now mayoral candidate) Shannon Reeves on a radio talk show after Reeves needled him for making a mistake about a swimming pool at Castlemont High School.

“There's a lot of things I don't know about Oakland,” thundered Brown, a purplish vein standing out from his red neck. “But by the time the election comes around, I'll know a hell of a lot more than you do.”

Brown served as governor from 1974 to 1982. After a failed Senate bid in 1982, he dropped out of politics, worked briefly with Mother Teresa in India and studied Zen Buddhism in Japan. Following a short and frustrating stint as chairman of the California Democratic party, Brown ran unsuccessfully for president in 1992.

Brown's Oakland odyssey began after that last failed presidential bid, when he bought a warehouse that became the We The People headquarters in Oakland's Jack London Square, a spartan corrugated metal warehouse with its own auditorium and broadcast studio.

The 59-year-old Brown announced his candidacy last month, in an all-black outfit, replete with combat boots. According to friends and a campaign worker, Brown wears the outfit every day, no matter what the occasion - whether at a press conference or a trip to the grocery store.