Toss out the two career politicians! Elect new faces
Cali depends on it
1
John Chiang was my personal favorite but, unfortunately, due to the “jungle primary” it would be unwise for any Democrat to give him their vote as it could pave the way to let a Republican advance to the “second round” general election. In retrospect, the jungle primary is yet another one of those well-intentioned head-in-the-clouds progressive Californian experiment with “shoot yourselves in the foot” consequences for progressive and Democratic causes. (Think of it as the Jill Stein of election laws). I have advised all my Californian friends to vote for Newsom or Villaraigosa this Tuesday in order to stave off a GOP threat.
2
If you believe in math, and statistics, 50% of us writing/reading here have had secret affairs. So, perhaps, those who would vote based on a "value and moral" perspective are not those commenting here.
Most importantly, who is the harasser in this bunch? The #MeToo Movement is not about consensual activities, it's about men in power who harass women to get what they want. I hope the NYT will pursue this question and follow the (many) rumors about one of these candidates.
2
This article illustrates the problem facing the voting public. Are the issues irrelevant as they seem to be over the private life of a person who's not been charged with sexual abuse or harassment? I have no idea what any of the candidates stand for. California has been at the very forefront of progressive policies that are national in scope. What are they saying about immigration, housing, the environment and other issues that we need to know in order to judge them.
2
Will any of these candidates explain how they plan to fix the Calpers pension system? Last I heard there is $157 billion in unfunded liabilities .. Let me guess.. MORE TAXES? Keep in mind in our California Utopia we still want a single payer healthcare system, high speed rail, clean water, clean air and continue to support 4 million illegal aliens with free education, subsidized housing and now free healthcare!
https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/18/borenstein-calpers-about-to-bury-...
5
Thankfully Tuesday will be over with an done here in California in a couple of days. Someone will have to be in the governor’s chair to talk about like always.
2
Brown is a public official who feels an obligation to serve all of the electorate. He expresses his own preferences very clearly but he will implement policies contrary to those when the electorate or the legislature decides to do differently. He’s trustworthy in a way that few elected officials behave these days where playing to partisan constituencies or special interests is prevalent.
All of the Democrats are playing to special constituencies and trashing other Democrats and it’s going to assure that the Republican is on the ballot in November with a Democrat who might be unable to bring out the vote.
The same exclusive attitudes that gave Trump votes from Democrats who are not liberal enough for the elites who dominate the Democratic Party’s leadership nationally control the Party in California. They simply cannot treat all people with the kind of civility that they deserve while they try to help people in need like the homeless, the people who fear gun violence, the huge population of undocumented and documented people who have made homes in this country, to address race and gender inequities, and to end discrimination of people with uncommon gender and sexuality identities. Instead, they treat all who are not actively in support of all of these groups as adversaries, and trivialize their needs and concerns. They seem to think that they are in possession of all of the moral authority that any reasonable people can possibly have.
5
All the more reason to vote for Delaine Eastin for Governor. More important than a questionable label of being too progressive, I see her as the common sense candidate, unbeholden to corporate interests, who is the only candidate with the experience, intelligence, and ability to identify and carry out solutions to address the entangled issues pf quality education, quality jobs, affordable housing, and homeless, and once again achieve the values of her parents and mine to male California affordable again for all.
5
This article is a bit of a disappointment to this Calfornia voter. The essential fact for many of us is this: Jerry Brown has done a solid job and while there are still issues (like affordable housing) to resolve, we're happy. Just because there is no strong opposition leader isn't a sign of anything other than a lack of public opposition. We frankly could care less about whether a candidate had a consensual affair with another consenting adult. We have the 7th largest economy on the planet and have stood up to the more heinously racist, biased and misogynistic values of this president (whom 17 women still claim were NOT consensual). We know what matters.
10
“He was an excellent governor,”
Not if you're elderly, disabled or have children in school.
"Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law billions of dollars in budget cuts Thursday that will mean fewer government services, particularly for the old, the poor and the sick." http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/25/local/la-me-state-budget-20110325
"Higher education, K-12 schools, public safety, and health and social services all will see a drop in funding."
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Jerry-Brown-announces-1-billion-in-s...
Brown is just your garden variety Clinton-Obama "New Democrat": center-right economic policies wrapped in a veneer of social issue liberalism.
5
I've always admired Jerry Brown. I wish he could have been president. Newsome and Villarigosa seem like they could be competent if they could keep their minds focused on what they are trying to accomplish. The drive to success seems to be attached to many powerful male politicians sex drive. Brown and Obama are examples that winning the prize can be won without jarring misguided affairs or plain old sexual harassment.
9
I remember that Villaraigosa has taken $17 million dollars from charter school proponents. I wonder how supportive he will be of public education (said with full irony). Marshall Tuck, running for Superintendent of Education is also backed by the charter school movement. Think big bucks, think Walton Foundation, Betsy DeVos, think the destruction of public education - while not perfect (far from it) still one of the most democratizing aspects we have. Yes, please remember.
10
While Democrats are vetting their candidates for sexual misconduct the Republicans are running as many sexual predators as they can find. All the better to appeal to the misogynists in the party.
8
The problem with this tactic is that it considers rudeness and rape to require exactly the same retaliations, so it offends nearly all people’s desire for fairness. The importance of addressing a problem does not justify any actions taken, they need to seem to be appropriate.
Once upon a time Newsom's indiscretions MIGHT have mattered, but that was long ago.... if ever.
For instance, Rockafeller back in the 60's. Divorce killed his career.
However, Newt having an affair with his secretary while his wife suffered from cancer in the hospital.... naw, not so much. In fact, Newt is now on another wife, a different adulterous affair, and she's the Ambassador to the Papal States!
Oh, how things change.
Now it matters whether or not your affair violated what you were swearing were your "core values".
Did you demand that your mistress get an abortion while you were trying to end ALL abortions?
You see, that kind of hypocrisy is what matters today.
Too bad that Henry Hyde, of the infamous "Hyde Amendment" hadn't been drummed out of the Republican Party for his cheating on his wife......but even back then the Republican Party knew was okay with Republican sex. Only the Dem-affairs drove them mad with horror.
Now, they still scream bloody murder if a Leftie has an affair - but Trump?
No, No! There's nothing ever improper about Trumpie's cheating or using or abusing. Why, he even boasts about it and the R's still love his funny little grin!
Newt, Rudy, Trumpie......
I voted for Newsom.
He won't be "grabbing" me, but he will be setting laws to equalize this state.
What more could I ask...?
9
Newt hasn't been in public office for 20 years.
Rudy was elected in NYC.
Everybody knew what they were getting with Trump from day one. Most of his indiscretions occurred when he was still a registered Democrat.
So, Democrats have “indiscresctions” while Republicans have “affairs.”
Got it.
7
It looks as though many readers would prefer John Chiang as their first choice. Me too. I just don't think it would be wise with the jungle primary. But he certainly earned my respect many times. As for Newsom vs. Villaraigosa: I do not like that gigantic money dump and am not crazy about the charter schools angle, and I heard Mr. Newsom remonstrate the CSU Board of Trustees several times for raising executive pay while hiking tuition. Where education is concerned, I think he has it right. If it comes down to Cox vs. Newsom, it will certainly be a very clear, not to say stark, choice.
4
I voted absentee, like I always do. I already voted for John Chiang. The others weren't even considered. Chiang has a long list of accomplishments including being the state's Controller (2004-2014) and current Treasurer. He stood up to Wells Fargo and has been savvy in handling the state's money.
1
Villaraigosa has had a troubling relationship with Herbalife which in my mind greatly tarnishes his candidacy. Newsom is not a solid economic bet. Two disappointing choices.
6
I respect a person who admits to a mistake and tells me how they plan to improve. In my view, the Great State of California will be just fine after the election.
4
I thought Brown did a good job for the size of this state, but I don't have any hope at all for the near future when I look at the slate of candidates.Too many on the ballot means mass confusion for voters which most likely will turn into mass complacency. I say good riddance to Jerry's disastrous train to nowhere, but I fear a single pay healthcare system will completely gut the state. I am an independent and loathe the taxes that keep piling up on us in this state, but would NEVER vote for Cox, a neophyte and Trump supporter. John Chang and even Travis Allen would have gotten my attention if the cast of characters hadn't been so large. I will vote for the democratic candidate mainly for environmental reasons. But the prospects put me in a state of despair.
4
The hoops that the NY Times is going through to explain in advance why a Democratic electorate would elect Republicans without postulating that perhaps the voting systems may have been compromised is eerily similar to the posture they took in 2016 before that "surprise" result.
In case I'm not being clear. If Republicans win in California, it is ONLY because they have cheated.
And if you think I sound like Trump when I say this, fine, I do not care. He's our President and I have the right to adopt his attitudes toward an electoral system that both parties agree was compromised by outside influence in 2016.
3
California bubble, becoming a feudal state, homelessness is through the roof. Cannot even recognize it anymore. Very sad.
9
Fifth largest economy in the world. Brought to us by liberals.
Deal with it.
12
Yes, California was so much better under Gray and the Governator! Wait, it wasn't? My bad.
2
Thanks we'll be happy to compare ourselves to Florida any day. Perhaps because we don't have a corrupt governor who made himself a billionaire through sleazy healthcare contracts, you think we're sad?
4
I am a Democrat, but I just don’t like Gavin Newsom. He is too slick. He strikes me as shallow. I’d like to keep Jerry Brown for another 8 years. He is sensible, humble, and intelligent. Gavin tells people what they want to hear. We need someone with gravitas to take the helm of the ship. Gavin cares about Gavin.
9
With our nation's long history of politicians having affairs, such behavior is not a "disqualifier" IF it involved 2 consenting adults.
3
I think a standing ovation for Brown is in order when he leaves.
17
Can we get Jerry Brown to run for President? I'd vote for him.
7
We are well aware of Mr. Villaraigosa and Gavin Newsom’s sexual misconduct with subordinates and the following coverups. Just for the record the NYT failed to mention that Mr. Newsom is a recovering alcoholic.
In California we are used to holding our noses and picking the lesser of two evils. To the Metoo movement all I can say is we’re sorry but resistance comes first.
The resistance movement is alive and well in SF. We have idealistic kids out of college arriving everyday and our numbers are growing.
2
Read the story again. They state that he went to seek treatment for alcohol after the affair. You know, the standard response after a high profile scandal.
3
He sought treatment AND it worked. You're from NYC so you don't have a clue about Gavin Newsom. San Franciscans made their decision about Gavin. He was an excellent mayor. Deal with your own issues. Californians are capable of dealing with ours.
it's too bad..... jerry had experience and a pedigree that none of the men pretending to the throne have..... but newsom did a very good job as mayor of san francisco and has been learning as lieutenant governor. i don't think villaraigosa has the same depth.
2
Villaraigosa is running as a democrat, but his financial backers are all republican billionaires like Eli Broad and his cronies who also manipulated the Los Angeles School Board a few years ago to put in their puppet as superintendent. Their puppet had false credentials, and ripped off the district in the short time he had the job.
3
Why is Villaraigosa backed by multiple REPUBLICAN BILLIONAIRES? The same billionaires backed backed an unqualified candidate for LA School superintendent. That guy did a lot of damage and cost the district millions before he was exposed as having false credentials and allowed to resign. Villaraigosa is a republican puppet.
4
While finalizing a divorce to Guilfoyle, (who is currently dating Donald Jr. by the way) Newsom had consensual sex.
It’s a non-event and a non-story.
Americans are the only country that ascribes obsessive morality to politicians’ legal private lives, it’s a little silly and very immature.
6
Could Newsom be the US's Trudeau and Villaraigosa be a Nieto?
Yeah, Brown was a GREAT Governor, he leaves the state with SIXTY FIVE BILLION DOLLARS in UNFUNDED pension liabilities.
Good luck out there hope you get another spendthrift. You will if you elect ANY of the democrats.
7
California's GDP is 2.45 trillion.
Compare CA unfunded pension liabilities to the actuarial deficit of Social Security and Medicare, and it is a pittance.
California has a population of 40 million people, about 13% of the US population.
Context matters for those interested in information, not blather.
5
No, Gavin Newsom didn’t “grow wealthy with the creation of a small wine and hospitality business empire financed by Gordon P. Getty, the investor.”
Does the name “Getty” sound familiar?
He grew wealthy on natural gas money when his father, Bill, together with Jerry Brown, helped Indonesian gas interests get a toehold in California’s market. That’s why they’re hellbent on replacing California’s largest sources of carbon-free generation, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and Diablo Canyon (nuclear) Power Plant, with dirty, gas-fired generation.
Jerry Brown’s Secret War on Clean Energy
http://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2018/1/11/jerry-browns-secret-...
Anyone but Newsom.
5
I would think that anyone living in Southern California would know by now that San Onofre was shut down because of dangerous design flaws.
Of course, facts seem to be troublesome these days...getting in the way of conspiracy narratives...
4
murfie, anyone who knows San Onofre had serious design flaws "knows" something that isn't true.
Two steam generators needed to be replaced. With both steam generators under warranty by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the estimated cost was $680 million - 1/20th the cost ratepayers will be charged to shut the plant down.
For comparison, in 2014 FirstEnergy completed an identical steam generator replacement, at a higher per-megawatt cost, at its Davis-Besse Nuclear Plant in Ohio.
To paraphrase Mark Twain: "It ain't what anti-nuclear activists don't know that gets them into trouble - it's what they know for sure, that just ain't so."
California has never had a woman governor. Delaine Easton is highly qualified. Why is the race described as between two men?
2
Because it is.
2
So sorry to be losing Jerry Brown. He felt like an institution. CA works! I am a third generation native Californian, living part time in New Mexico. One thing that must not happen is for CA to vote Republican. If you read Cox's mission statement it will curl your hair. This man is WAY scary! What CA has become under Jerry Brown will be wiped out and it will start to resemble Kansas! I have not yet decided on who I will vote for as I am not enthusiastic about any candidate, but hey, there is always Johnny Wattenburg, not party preference, whose statement is short and to the point, "Why not!" Hey, this is CA! :-)
4
Newsome or Villaraigosa with their proclivities for women both seem like Bill Clintons for our time.
5
Nothing quite as amusing as liberal politicos describing their #metoo moments as "they were just a friend".
5
I do not think you understand "#metoo".
1
Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa, the leading Democratic contenders in Tuesday’s primary must contend with voters’ memories of past idiots in office.
Adam Nagourney, Sydney Ember and Alexander Burns
Names that will live ... in infamy !
Sorry Grace I never heard of them.
So much irony here that California Democrats will neither notice nor care about. For all the talk about Trump's dictatorial tendencies, 80 -year old Brown, himself the son of a former governor, would win in a landslide if he ran again for a life term.
The two contenders most likely to replace him have personal lifestyles and indiscretions that rival anything Trump ever did in the tabloids.
Worse yet, their mayoral cities, once beacons of stability and happiness, have decayed into Third World failures. Unaffordable rents, crippling homelessness, transit problems that NASA wouldn't touch, and streets used as public toilets. They have decriminalized what they are too weak to police, and have ignored everything else. The San Andreas Fault has been dormant because, hey, why bother?
This won't matter, of course, because they "are on our side." They will only make worse what they try to fix, but lip service is a salve to the lazy minds that speckle the polling booths of the PCH. I shudder to think what hell the state as a whole will go through under any of these over-groomed, wannabe fashion model peacocks.
5
lol, are you sure you are not describing New York City?
Sadly, tom harrison, NYS isn't far off, given its political family dynasties. But in California, the Browns have ruled the roost for 40% of the last six decades. And unlike NYS, we have no mass transit, no water, and no sustainable plan. People live here for the sunshine, but CA has somehow found a way to overcharge for something that used to be free.
I wonder if Californians are smart enough to reject these "playboy" candidates and elect/hire a governor who understands how government works and wants to preserve and strengthen true democracy for all?
Social and economic justice for every American. WE will have it if WE elect the right socially conscious people.
6
Governor Jerry Brown came back to office and reaffirmed his legacy, nearly devastated by the myopic Prop 13 passed by Republicans during his earlier tenor in office.
California went from fiscal surpluses, premier public education, and a well kept infrastructure and traded it all for a property tax system that makes no sense at all.
After decades of Republican mismanagement -growing debt, cutting education and infrastructure to benefit a few at the expense of the many, Governor Brown reestablished the priorities of the state with the full support of the public.
He kept California pristine, with a robust economy growing much faster than national GDP, strengthening public education while the state budget is back in surplus.
Only someone as tested and ready as Lt Governor Gavin Newsom can follow Brown. As sorry as I’ll be to lose Governor Brown, I’m thrilled to have such an inspiring choice as Gavin Newsom for Governor of California.
36
Prop 13 has, in my estimation, been very good for CA. When you buy a house you can count on your taxes not being raised and raised and raised until, when you retire, you are taxed off your property, as happens in many places.
3
I don't see how you can blame our fiscal problems on the republicans. We have had a democratic led legislature in both houses since 1994. The biggest whole in our budget come from the pension debacle created by Gray Davis. Thankfully we elected Jerry Brown who has ushered in some commonsense reforms with new hires. The underfunded pension liabilities are still a massive looming problem for our state.
6
Prop 13 is the WORST thing that has happened to California!
Gerry Brown II is going to be a tough act for anyone to follow. Even in his first term Brown was the total anti-politician.
23
If Californians want their states wealth transferred to the corporations and the one percenters, the Republican candidates will eagerly comply. Demonize and then penalize public education, strangle the UC system, unlimited guns, deny climate science and eliminate environmental controls, no problem if you are a Republican. Who needs that pesky middle class when there are wealthy party donors to be further enriched.
54
my solve.... Don't Go Jerry!!! You're terrific and the President of California in my book.
24
John Chiang seems to be a good candidate for California governor. As a state treasurer, he did things for the people. Instead of laying off people, he used IOU to sustain cash flow in a tough time for California budget crisis. It was a bold move but critically important for working people who depends on monthly check.
30
Cute, Republican attempt to split the Democratic vote.
Transparent and really, really unethical.
1
If competence were the voters guide, John Chiang would be the next governor.
4
Please vote for either Chiang or Villaraigosa but not Newsom. Newsom will bankrupt the state with the single payer plan the state cannot afford. Newsom aways skips any details of how he plans to finance his proposals.
17
Single payer??? He's got my vote.
4
I don’t care about politicians’ consensual relationships at all. As long as both parties are of legal age and are happy with the relationship, I don’t care about age differences either. Adult women are perfectly capable of evaluating a relationship with an older man and learning from any negative outcomes. In my experience, it’s common for couples (conservative and liberal) to make nontraditional agreements about extramarital sex, especially when they are separating or divorcing. Their private agreements are no one else’s business. I have enough life experience to know that only the two people involved know the particulars of their relationship. The media and public focus on this is juvenile. Please focus on factual information about the candidates’ political achievements and failings, and how they apply personal ethical standards in business and in office. Everything else is a waste of my time.
42
It's not "two people" here, Diamond. Alex Tourck didn't consent to his wife's having sex with his "good friend" (a term often used in news accounts) Gavin Newsom. Maybe Gavin should've cleared it with him first, no?
4
No.
Why no mention of Ms. Easton, former education secretary in the state.
16
We used to say the downfall of Democrats is sex and the downfall of Republicans is money.
10
Yet we now have as President a man who cheated in both arenas.
2
If a guy is willing to cheat on his wife with his own 'best friend's' wife, how faithful do you think he'll be to you, or the promises he makes to you. Elect Delane Eastin
28
Best comment yet.
1
With Jerry Brown, one gets the feeling that, for him, it wasn’t all about himself. Deeply intelligent and educated in the Jesuit tradition of service to the common good, his policies (with which I may not have always agreed) reflect that. Unfortunately, times have changed and the “common good,” has little place in our contemporary politics.
66
This is one of the problems afflicting liberals and progressives - they seek purity. Instead I'd urge them to coalesce around a candidate that can keep the district or state blue and progressive.
Just take a look at how evangelicals have forgiven Trump for not one but one thousand transgressions. Why? Because the'd rather have him advance their agenda on immigration and abortion and seat a person like Neil Gorsuch.
Just see how the working class Americans - mostly white - gravitate towards Trump even though he has done nothing for them. Or take a look at how college-educated white women voted for Trump in spite of his misogyny.
The right winders recognize that power of office is far more important than ideological purity. After all one need to be in office and have the requisite votes to enact policies. I only wish the liberals and progressives would heed that message.
38
Democratic centrists keep asking progressives to compromise. However, it is the centrists who have been losing elections. Most progressives don’t want purity- we want traditional Democratic values instead of the Republican-lite of Obama, Clinton, Pelosi, Feinstein, and Perez. So, I urge those of the Democratic establishment to stop demanding that we conform to their conservatism and to join us in returning to the ideals of FDR that served this country so well.
30
If one thing is universally untrue about Trump, without question, it's the claim he is a misogynist. It's likely he is guilty of liking women too much, certainly not hating them.
2
It’s funny how democrats are always expected to compromise, but never the republicans.
How many pro-choice republicans do you see in Congress?
3
Gavin is as sleazy as they come as Thomas has written. He is always vocal about a mandatory single-payer plan in California that the state cannot afford. Of course, his claims about building large amount of low income housing is also beyond the income of the state. He'll blow through Jerry Brown's rainy day fund and the budget surplus in short order.
His stature is in a league far below that of Jerry Brown.
23
The state can afford single payer, as it now boasts a stronger economy than almost every nation that already has it. The problem is that Democrats hold that out as a carrot to voters, knowing they will never actually enact it. Just being favor of it is enough in this climate of low expectations.
Moreover, if it were enacted, sadly it would wind up over-budget and misruled. Democrats would oppose any effort to restrict such a plan to legal residents who have filed a tax return, roll over for their big donors in the healthcare sector, and give everything else to the public unions.
The only way things ever work out is to let Democrats come up with the ideas, but have Republicans manage them.
1
The bottom line is that on the Democratic side there are a couple of minimally flawed candidates (one far more progressive than the other) that will continue on (and enhance) the progressive ideals that have made California wildly prosperous over the last few terms versus, a recently arrived neophyte of a candidate on the other side.
I think Democrats will walk in a landslide (as they will in most of the country come November)
13
Hey, I’ve got a newsflash for you, as though you didn’t know this, but California isn’t anything like the rest of the country, especially, flyover; sorry (not really) no landslide. I suggest you get out of your California Dreamin’ (or Californication?) bubble and breathe some fresh air.
14
Thank god and Jerry Brown Cali isn't like the "rest of the country."
But what are their abilities as leaders, their skills at governing such a massive state as California, which for all intents and purposes is it's own country and economy?! Their affairs are not relevant other than to their families, nor do they define these people as individuals or ascribe to them any specific shortcomings or qualities.
Donald Trump has had multiple wives and affairs and they didn't prevent him from becoming president after all...and we are all getting a bird's eye view how that is unfolding...
14
CA Dems will completely overlook any irregularities in the histories of either of the top two contenders, just as they overlook the same weaknesses in Samantha Bee, Jim Carey, Michael Moore, Joy Reid, and any an all others of their ilk. It's a completely wretched hypocrisy, but let's hope they simmer down a bit in President Trump's second term and the red wave this fall.
13
Al Franken
6
@ to make waves
You mean like the hypocrisy of evangelicals in supporting 45?
4
And Trump’s past? Trump voters not only overlook Trump’s past; they are completely blind to it... They have no standing whatsoever to criticize the past of any Democratic candidate...
It's strange that neither Newsom nor Villaraigosa have candidate statements in the California State Voter Election Guide. Did they think they have such high name recognition that they didn't need to provide one? I looked at all the other candidate statements on running for Governor and can only assume Newsom and Villaraigosa didn't realize it makes them look entitled and arrogant. I personally am likely to choose one of the candidates who cared enough to tell more about themselves..
19
Candidates for state office whose campaigns exceed the voluntary spending limit ($8,753,000) are not allowed to buy space for a statement.
22
Thanks for that information, Chip....
1
what kind of wine are they drinking in California?
do any if these guys ever pass up the opportunity
to be horndogs?
this is why I believe we need more women as
candidates. in general terms, they are more
sensitive than men and more able to control
their libidos.
21
Couldn't agree more, Frank. And in fact, CA does have a solid woman candidate in this race -- Delaine Eastin. But you wouldn't know it from this article, no?
1
Signs in nocal simply have GAVIN in huge letters. Suggesting to me somehow I know this guy !! What moxie ! Lost my vote. Sounds like the succession of NYC mayor Bloomberg by the current character. I see trouble ahead as Kamila prepares her scripted presidential run. No wonder people are fleeing the state.
12
In a perfect world, John Chiang would resonate with all as the next Governor. He does for me. Maybe next cycle.
For now, my vote will go for Antonio V. He is a hard worker. Sees the big picture like John C. Makes smart public sector decisions. He balances all points of view and then moves forward.
And he's not just lining up his next job like Gavin always is.
20
That's me interviewing Newsom in the Times photo. In fact he gave me the exclusive TV interview after he had his affair. He handled it honestly and with genuine humility and remorse. I've always respected him for that, and so, obviously, did San Francisco voters.
30
"He handled it honestly and with genuine humility and remorse."
Really? Is that why he backed off his initial apology in an interview with the NYT Magazine in July 2009? ""Things were much more benign than they actually appeared in print. ... It wasn't true that everything you heard was true."
Genuine humility and remorse? You were played, HAP.
5
"He handled it honestly and with genuine humility and remorse.' - AFTER the woman he was fooling around with spilled the beans.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/BEHIND-THE-STORY-Year...
6
S.B., thank you for including that link to the Matier & Ross story in the SF Chronicle. This is something anyone considering voting for Newsom should read if their vote is to be an "informed" one.
Republicans of California unite! Mexicans still remember that about half of the ‘republic’ was cleaved off of their country in a mass annexation, and all they want is a chance to work for a living.
Only the GOP is willing and wanting to enact the isolationist, xenophobic policies which will harm America as much as humanly possible. It’s like a grand mal seizure in Congressional form.
1
Nonsense, ubique. There was a little thing called the Mexican American War that resulted in the annexation. Nobody in the territory rebelled after joining the USA, and Mexico was paid very handsomely for all the land it lost.
Facts. They weigh more than a point of view.
2
Nobody in L.A. cares about Villaragosa's affair. What we do remember and care about, is his relentless self promotion, constant photo ops, and complete lack of leadership. He is a complete narcissist and we already have one of those in the whitehouse. Having said that, I will probably vote for him in the primary just to keep Cox off the ballet in November. Sorry Chiang, I would have voted for you but you are too far behind in the polls.
34
I agree but I'm going with Chiang anyway..the qualities you list are exactly why plus Chiang has intelligence, character and experience
3
I have high hopes for a Gavin Newsom administration. But the quotes of how satisfied everyone is with the status quo made the hairs on my neck stand up. People vote for something to believe in and go forward with-- not the status quo.
1
I lived through Gavin Newsom, who is a Clear and Present Danger to the state. His gay-marriage thing was a way to distract attention from the Board of Equalization's forensic audit of Clerk/Assessor Mabel Teng's office, which was overrun with organized crime racketeering at the time: 90% of its staff just happend to be Filipino. Teng even lived in a satellite location of the Russian Consulate on 16th Avenue operating a "buy-a-visa" operation for mafia figures to move in, mostly for smuggling operations at the Port, protected by the City Attorney (a maritime lobbyist elected with ballots floating in the bay). When the Panama Papers came out, about 200 companies were registered at Teng's home address, and part of the reason why the Community College nearly closed on Newsom's tenure was Teng's sister, Judy, was its administrator, appointed by the DNC patsy Evan Dobelle back in the 90's. The papers mis-reported Teng's involvement in organized crime saying her house was bought by a "Russian business woman," which was not true, it was the STVKA Trust (Stavka = soviet high command), and the paper's reporter, John Cote, now works for the City Attorney. There's a bizarre court case brought by Patrick Missud, a disbarred attorney who shut down City Hall in a suicide attempt and was later pushed three stories to his death in a San Jose jail. Then there's Newsom's SFHA appointee Henry Alvarez the vile racist housing chief (and Berkeley Restaurateur) who is Newsom's true housing legacy.
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Sad when people constantly make judgements about the private lives of people, even if they be public political figures. They know little about what transpired with either Newsom or Villaraigosa, other than what's salaciously reported to sell newspapers.
I'll take a politician who admits and apologizes for being human every time over one who denies wrongdoing. Those who make public pronouncements about other's private lives do so to deflect from their own personal transgressions.
What difference does it make if Newsom had an affair with his best friend's wife? Maybe the best friend was okay with it? Why should I make assumptions about private matters that have nothing to do with me?
Those running to be governor of California, if elected, will either serve the people and be re-elected or we'll go in another direction. Simple as all that.
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A report from '07 said "As one source close to all the parties explained, "Gavin was basically seen as a jerk who betrayed Alex, who everyone feels is a really great guy."
"I'll take a politician who admits and apologizes for being human every time over one who denies wrongdoing." - The affair was revealed when the friend's wife went to rehab and spilled the beans - NOT because Newsom was being honest.
"Maybe the best friend was okay with it?" - Alex Tourk quit his job in Newsom's administration as soon as possible after finding out about the affair.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/BEHIND-THE-STORY-Year...
He is an unserious and untrustworthy politician with (at best) pie-in-the-sky ideas. The rubber does not meet the road with this one. In Texas, a politician like Gavin would be described as 'All hat and no cattle'.
He is a part of the corrupt Willie Brown political machine, and there is no way in H that I will vote for him - I have been voting in SF for a third of a century, watching these people sell my city off to their pals.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to vote for Chiang.
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Five billionaires, among them Eli Broad, Reed Hastings and Michael Bloomberg, are funding Villaraigosa. They are looking to install a pawn who will do their bidding (they are also supporting Marshall Tuck, a charter school advocate, for Superintendent of Schools.) Newsom may not be a choir boy but his progressive creds greatly outweigh those of the neo-liberal Villaraigosa (yet another ethically challenged candidate.) Policy wise I think the choice is clear- Newsom. Hope the California voters agree on Tuesday.
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After the trump cartoon show this seems as mild as Charmin. I would be more concerned if I was a Californian as to the skill set of any candidate especially his or her ability to "close deals" which obviously trump has no ability to do. It would also position a successful California governor as a front runner for the 2020 presidential race. If Jerry Brown were not 80 years old and set to retire he would destroy trump if he chose to run.
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California Governor's race should be a breeze for a Democratic a clean candidate winning the primary on Tuesday. But may not be a sure thing depending on what happens from now until the general election.
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I didn't like the affairs, but their personal baggage is not really the issue. I remember how Newsom moved the gay marriage issue forward at a time when it seemed like political suicide, so I give him credit for that. However, neither of the front-runners did much to address the housing crisis, which is the biggest problem our state now faces. In both San Francisco and Los Angeles, things got much worse while they were in charge. They talk big about pouring more money into redevelopment, but nothing will change unless the governor and state legislature loosen zoning restrictions. I voted for Chiang.
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Political suicide? Newsom was not mayor in Salt Lake City; he was mayor of San Francisco. If a Democratic mayor could not move the gay marriage issue forward in San Francisco, of all places, when Howard Dean & Vermont had already passed civil unions legislation providing equal legal rights 4 or 5 years earlier, no one could. It was inspiring from civil rights perspective whatever your sexual orientation but in no way screamed political suicide in San Francisco.
And the LGBT organization in San Francisco has noticeably not made an endorsement for the primary.
As for the housing & poverty problem, yes unfortunately that generally follows when embracing a path of turbo-charged population growth via importation of millions of lower skilled and lower educated immigrants (of whatever status, legal or illegal). Loosening zoning restrictions will be great for the Chamber of Commerce crowd and real estate developers that pour money into Democratic Party coffers but not exactly a positive thing for the environment, wildlife habitat, & dwindling fresh water resources (not to mention the already horrific traffic, sprawl, etc.)
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Barney Frank thought that Newsom's grandstanding on the gay marriage issue actually held up the movement by a couple of years. So there's that.
If there weren't term limits, Jerry Brown would probably run again and almost certainly win. Sadly, it would have been the same for Obama.
Term limits in California were a GOP driven issue, mainly in response to Willie Brown's long tenure as Speaker of the Assembly. U.S. presidential term limits were, I think, in large part a GOP response to FDR. But now we have a Republican president talking about becoming "President for Life". Oh well, he's no spring chicken.
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I sure would have been happy to see Jerry Brown stay in office.
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Term limits were actually a standard set by George Washington himself. No one broke that until FDR, and then, yes, it was a reaction to that. Term limits are a good thing, just look around for examples of places that don’t have them :(.
FYI, there are some that would have made Washington king. As a man of integrity (something we seldom see in politics these days :)), he refused.
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Newsom:
Good hair. Check
Looks good in an expensive suit, but knows when it's cool to take the jacket off: Check
Has a beautiful wife and family: Check
Is rich: Check
Demonstrates good character and ethical behavior: Negative
Is bright: Negative.
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Too slick: Check
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Got marriage equality done when nobody in the entire US had the guts to: check.
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Based on policy positions, I believe that John Chiang, the State Treasurer, is preferable to both.
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Agree. But Delaine Eastin is preferable to all of them. C'mon California voters, Georgia of all places could well elect a Democratic woman governor this year. We're supposed to be the pacesetter, remember?
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Calf can't lose if Newsome or Villaraigosa win. I'm proud to live here.
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A positive perspective, absolutely refreshing!
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Lt. Governor Newsom's support for public school education will be a determining factor. Mr. Villaraigosa has chosen profit over purple charter schools and that will be part of his downfall. Mr. Chiang was looking better until the debate and his advertisements came out and then I didn't like the disingenuous nature of his attacks on Newsom.
Mr. Newsom is smart attacking the Republican Cox. If Cox can squeeze past Villaraigosa then Newsom is a shoe in in November.
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Some of what is discussed here inclined me to vote for John Chiang for Governor.
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So, according to Villaraigosa it's alright to have extra-marital affairs if they are not with 19 year olds!
“Because in my case, it wasn’t somebody working for me and it wasn’t a 19-year-old. It was a woman who I had a consensual relationship with.”
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The affair had occurred in 2005, when Mr. Newsom was in the middle of divorcing Ms. Guilfoyle and when Ms. Rippey-Tourk was working as his appointments secretary. Alex Tourk, Mr. Newsom’s campaign manager and friend, resigned. Mr. Newsom, 39 at the time, apologized swiftly and said he would seek treatment for alcohol abuse.
Why did Alex Tourk resign?
The sleeze-ball Mr. Newsom should have resigned!
So much for honour!
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I would have liked to hear more about the CA electorate. My guess is that there is some advantage for Newsom, being from the Bay Area. More statewide folks get elected from the north - turnout is higher I believe.
And the article should have explored any policy differences between Newsom and Villaraigosa, however narrow. Their personal transgressions seem to cancel each other’s out.
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Newsom wants single payor. Can’t wait to hear the screaming when seniors bumped off Medicare wait in line behind illegal immigrants for shoddy healthcare. Never mind the cost of such a fiasco.
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Medicare is the very definition of single payor. Why would seniors be “bumped off” it?
If anything you’d just expand Medicare to cover the entire population to implement single payor. Only insurance companies would be bothered. In fact they’d be finished. Can’t wait.
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Newsom has made it v clear that Medicare will not be eliminated, rather grown. He has also said single payer is a PROCESS which probably won't happen under his reign but he can atleast explore what needs to happen if CA were to move to single payer.
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Yeah that universal healthcare nuisance. My oh my, how have countries like Canada, Japan, Sweden and others ever survive it?! Oh yeah...because they have healthcare!
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How charitable of the former Ruby Rippey-Tourk to publicly defend Gavin Newsom and declare that he did nothing “untoward.” Unfortunately, The Times glosses over a very bitter sex scandal that involved Gavin Newsom who, while serving as San Francisco Mayor, was secretly carrying on an affair with Rippey-Tourk. Her husband at the time, Alex Tourk, was Newsom’s political campaign manager. To make matters worse, Alex Tourk was also one of Gavin Newsom’s best friends.
In the end, honor, character and integrity still matter to a majority of voters.
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Really ???? Can't very well use "all voters" .... otherwise, how'd we end up with the current occupant in the WH ???????
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Lucky for Tourk that he was one of Newsom’s “best friends.” God alone knows what awful thing might have happened otherwise...
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Honor, character and integrity are no longer important to a public that elected Donald Trump.
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What a sorry field we have to choose from, a bunch of career hacks with more baggage than Samsonite. PC liberals bought and sold by their special interest groups- with no backbone of their own. Sad Sad Sad!
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You are ignoring Chiangmai and Eastin who are both good candidates. There is only so much money to go around. Name recognition and glamor also play a part in this race. Chiang did a great job in his post but isn’t Mr Charisma. Voters are too lazy to check out the issues or candidate info. If a Khardasian ran I’m pretty sure it would garner votes.
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The governor of California should not be a man who had an affair with his friend's wife
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@Luciano. Are you ok with our Presidents personal behavior? If so, why the double standard?
These guys are choir boys by comparison.
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No instead he should the president, a man who had three wives and multiple affairs, colluded with a foreign power to sway the election in his favour has corruption and lying as his modus operandi and is rapidly destroying his country and hurting his own people beyond repair. That is much better!
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But if a man paid hush money to a porn star, forcibly kisses and grabs women’s reproductive parts he can POTUS!
Please let’s not be blinded by sanctimonious piety! This is not the papal conclave.
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So California's next governor will either be a guy who slept with his friend's wife or partied down in Mexico with Charlie Sheen?
Isn't there anyone else?
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Delaine Easton.
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Yes, because the "standards" by which Trump operates have set a new norm of decency, class and integrity...SMH...
Luciano:
By comparison, Trump BRAGGED about having affairs while married to each of his three wives, two of whom had affairs with him while he was married to their predecessor, and is a liar, a scammer, and a grifter to boot. And Republicans just look the other way.
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I will support Gavin Newsom, Villaraigosa brings too much baggage. I don’t necessarily believe that Villaraigosa has the power to unify Californians.
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Until non-corporations get a chance to pick candidates for primaries, we'll just have to settle for not a perfect Union, but a "more perfect" one where the best available candidate wins.
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As an SF native, I remember Mayor Gavin Newsom. He's a lightweight who appears to think he can just slide right into being governor of California. We need a serious person in that office, not an actor or a playboy, and Newsom is only a shadow compared to Jerry Brown. I have seen nothing from Newsom in all these years that tells me he has the work ethic, the character or the chops for the job.
There is no substitute for very hard work, and basking in the limelight while displaying very poor judgement in your personal life is the opposite of what we need in a governor (or a mayor).
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If you've ever spent time with him, you'd know that Gavin Newsom is no "lightweight". He's a person of integrity and great intelligence, who stands up for policies that are forward thinking despite strong opposition from both sides of the aisle. For example: He implemented the "Care Not Cash" reform of the General Assistance program as Mayor of San Francisco, in response to widespread alcohol and drug abuse by recipients. This despite very vocal opposition by so-called progressives and homeless advocates. He has been a very prominent advocate for gun control, despite fierce opposition by NRA and its following of gun nuts. He has been a very strong advocate for LGBT issues. He's been a very successful businessman. He's a stand-up guy who knows exactly what he's doing.
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I seem to remember Jerry Brown dating Linda Ronstadt, living the LA highlife and whatnot and yet he turned out to be an excellent governor. So why can't Newsom do the same? He sounds like a better man than our Machiavellian governor, Cuomo
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"There is no substitute for very hard work."
Ah, but there is, proven daily in the white house.
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Our so-called leader has lowered the bar so much these candidates look like choir boys.
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Let's remember that a lot of our other so-called leaders were not choir boys either- FDR, Ike, JFK, and Clinton. And these are only the ones in my lifetime.
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Donald Trump is the King of Indiscretions, none of which he has apologized for and was elected President.
To suggest that past infidelity will mean anything in electing Gavin Newsom the next Governor of California is preposterous, next to Trump's example of 3 marriages, infidelities in all three, a penchant for hookers, on the record statements disrespectful and demeaning to women, a total ignorance of government and a serial liar as well.
Apparently, disgraceful behavior is meaningless to Republicans, since Trump enjoys near unanimous approval by that party. To suggest that Newsom's past will have any push back from Me Too or any Democratic voter in California in light of this stretches credibility, but worse, gives a false equivalency to hypocrites everywhere.
Newsom will win in a landslide and likely emerge as a presidential candidate in 2020.
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Please don't tell me.
Once one sleezeball is not re-elected as the Republican favourite, another one (Newsom) will?
Ugh!
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I don't think that one affair, consensual, makes one a sleazeball.
California voters finally ended the refusenik Republican stranglehold on the legislature in Sacramento and elected Jerry Brown as governor in the middle of the Great Recession. The state economy rapidly recovered and became a model for the nation. Things are good in 2018, very good.
This is a great time for California voters to hand the reins back to obstructionist Republicans. Makes perfect sense to me!
Why are these guys even competitive? Oh, wait, I forgot: this is an American electorate, no rhyme, no reason.
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M,
I notice you live in Oregon! Things there are very good for Californians. In California, not so much! Especially if you buy gas ($1.50 per gallon extra) or rent! And then there are the roads! (Think 3rd world class potholes)
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The Democratic People's Republic of California used to be part of many Native tribes then Spain then Mexico then America. Before it succumbed to the Hollywood charms of Governors Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While Jerry Brown used to be derided and mocked as"Governor Moonbeam". Now he is exalted as the most savvy and successful governor in the country.
Compared to the thrice married and counting moral degenerate Donald Trump, Gavin and Antonio look like celibate saintly monks. Trump, Kudlow, Mnuchin and Ross have 12 wives and counting among them. While Jerry Brown like Bill Clinton has had only one wife.
Most of the popular vote majority won by Hillary Clinton in 2016 was in California. But those votes did not count nor matter in any other state.
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That’s right, the rest of the country (save New York, Massachusetts and some lib counties in other states) doesn’t want California choosing the President. Thank the founders for the electoral college which levels the playing field for less populated states.
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And yet it is supposed to be of, for and by The People. Not states. Lets talk about Americans, not states.
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The votes of American citizens in federal elections should count the same, whether they live in California or Montana. Californians don’t want Montana choosing the president.
For this election, I have suspended my usual practice of researching candidates' positions and thinking through the issues. Instead, I'm going to do what succeeded so well for Trump's contingent.
I'm going to evaluate every choice I can make on its likelihood of preventing any Republican from gaining, or holding onto, political power. Nothing else matters for America at this time.
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Jerry Brown had to clean up the mess left my Arnold Schwarzenegger. No one wants to go back to that. Gavin Newsome and Antonio Villaraigosa would certainly continue the progress made by Brown. Neither of them is perfect, and their personal indiscretions are nothing compared to the current president. Since this is a solid blue state that went for Hillary Clinton in 2016, I don’t think anybody here is going to vote for a Repulbican who has been endorsed by Trump no matter what his record is.
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