Gavin Newsom or Antonio Villaraigosa will beat you like a drum

[DemocratSinceBirth]

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R), who is being recruited by party leaders to run for California governor.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/13/trump-2018-midterms-gop-alarm-238342

Deplorables don't fare well in state elections in the Republic Of California. Go run in some Deplorable state.

[haele]

1. Faulconer has always positioned himself as a moderate.

San Diego is a relatively prosperous and limosine liberal type of city, so a Republican here is more of a New England pragmatic Republican than, say, an Inland Empire pro-business Bircher type that spews out the Devin Nunes or Kevin McCarthey types.
You do need to be wary of his potential.
He's going to run as a Pete Wilson type, and woo the Moderates and Independents based on his socially and fiscally moderate record here. He's not a boat-rocker - very much a weathervane. The Republicans have run too many scary idiots running under an extremist lable over the past decade or so; they are foolish if they don't take the chance on a relatively safe pick to both combat White middle and Millennial class anxieties, and who also has a rather successful Hispanic outreach reputation down here that will attract the skeptical Hispanic business folk.

I would be very wary of a Faulconer run. He seems reasonable and doesn't draw hard Right lines in his governance and there's very few scandals that would stick on him if he looked to a higher office. This is what he had to do to remain elected in San Diego. Who knows which way he'd go one he didn't have to watch his back due to a stronger Left political opposition?

The Taliboragains won't like him, but their greedy corporate masters may put up with his apparent moderate stance to present a "kinder face of the GOP" to the public, hoping his genial, pragmatic coat tails may be enough to carry some of their criminals and bigots back into power with him.

Haele

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. Californians are not going to elect anybody with a (R) after his name in the age of Trump.

Last edited Sat May 13, 2017, 11:54 AM - Edit history (1)

They couldn't even field a candidate who could make the run off in the 2016 Senate election. Gavin Newsom or Antonio Villaraigosa are fine with me though it would be nice to have a Latino governor in the nation's most populous state during the Trump error, errr, era.

I suspect Newsom will win a runoff against Villaraigosa. The Republican won't make it that far.

[haele]

21. You miss my point. All politics are local.

Never forget that.
My concern is that both Newsom and Villiraigosa both have some "big city" political baggage that can be twisted and used to turn weak democrats against them, especially when presenting a stalking horse like Faulkner, who appears to be rather clean and capable of "reaching across the aisle".

California politics is somewhat detached from DC, especially since Gov. Brown has been at the lead in the rebirth of California independent and in spite of the U.S. Congress. Californians can be lulled into a sense of "We can ignore the Feds and do it ourselves; the Trump/GOP drama does not affect us."
There is also the too significant number of special interest "liberal" groups that have derailed progressive movements here in the past, and I don't trust them not to play Democratic purity politics games here when not presented with a GOP opponent who can be readily ridiculed or demonized.

The greatest enemies we have locally and state wide can be our own party members when we aren't united against a common enemy. I've seen Democrats ignore the political middle at their peril too often not to be concerned about "The next Pete Wilson, except this time, he's Hispanic and LGBTQ-friendly".

Haele

[Blue_true]

32. Pete Wilson was a moderate republican Mayor of San Diego.

Then he became California a Governor and went hard right on immigration, he is the reason why Democrats are so dominant in California now. Gavin Newsom would have a problem against the republican Mayor because of his past problems keeping his pants up, but the Mayors of Oakland and LA won't.

[JI7]

36. villaraigosa also had the affair while mayor

Newsom has actually gotten elected statewide after and he hasn't had any personal issue since he married his current wife.

[Blue_true]

39. Bill Clinton didn't have issues during his last two years

and after, but our purists and soulless republicans made what Bill Clinton did an issue that cost Hillary critical votes with character assination and other negative things that they threw at her, Bill's infidelity allowed them to impeach Hillary enough to make the race close. I prefer a strong Democrat that is free of scandal completely.

[JI7]

40. hillary won california

[DemocratSinceBirth]

41. by a whole f---ing lot.

[Blue_true]

42. Republicans will focus on the infidelities of Newsom

and weaken his base support. If a socalled moderate republican (no such thing, but republicans don't hesitate to lie) run against him, a horse race take place, one that is open to more republican corruption to win.

[yuiyoshida]

3. I got to meet Gavin Newsom...

He was a pretty awesome guy

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. I think he wins fairly easily.

I'm fine with Gavin Newsom, John Chiang, or Antonio Villaraigosa.

[yuiyoshida]

5. I hope so...

Thing is, I know he got a divorce from his beautiful wife, and I don't know if that will hurt him, cause I got to meet her as well at the time, and she was amazing. Must be either on Television or was a model. They seemed like a power couple to me, at the time, I was very impressed by both of them!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I don't want to disappoint you but...

http://kimberlyguilfoyle.com/

[yuiyoshida]

7. Oh that is sad, no wonder he got divorced....

I would never ever marry a Right Winger, and I don't care how much they would love me, because I just can't deal with Republicans, anyway, shape or form.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. She's very right wing...

She talks about meeting Nancy Pelosi and other major Democratic leaders when she was married to Newsom but is pretty restrained when it comes to describing the meeting. I will give her credit for tact.

[yuiyoshida]

10. seriously WTF

What did she see in him, if she was so much leaning to the Right?? Newsom is very much a Democrat and a liberal. Maybe she was in it for the MONEY?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. She could always have been a conservative or she became a conservative to work at FOX.

I'm leaning to the latter.

[JI7]

37. she probably isn't personally political but just ambitious and willing

To say whatever helps her at the moment.

[grossproffit]

19. His new wife is a former member of both the Republican and American Independent Party*

*The American Independent Party is a far-right political party that is anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, anti-NAFTA and anti-tax.

She is now an a registered Independent.

Opposites attract.

[yuiyoshida]

20. Yeah I guess....

Stranger things have happened, I guess..

[MurrayDelph]

9. On the other hand

Antonio Villaraigosa was a contributing factor in why this native Angelino left the state after 58 years.

[yuiyoshida]

11. Maybe you could have moved north...

The bay area maybe expensive, but at least being near San Francisco, you would have met and been with more serious Democrats who are liberal.

[MurrayDelph]

28. I DID move north

Oregon has the best Senators. I have met with both of them, and didn't have to carry a small piece of rectangular paper containing the words "Pay to the Order of..."

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. What did he do ?

I love L A.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

14. Newsom was my mayor when I lived in

SF and I'm not convinced he's not a John Edwards waiting to happen. He didn't just get divorced. He had an affair with his friend and campaign manager's wife while she worked for him (ending their marriage) and then he blamed it on his drinking when it all came out.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. We live in the Trump error. Do voters care about marital fidelity/infidelity?

BTW, Villaraigosa had an affair with a local news anchor while he was mayor.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

16. I don't know about anyone else, but I care if a politician

has a possibly-predatory relationship with an underling while at the same time stabbing a friend in the back. Did John Edwards do worse?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. Edwards cheated on his dying wife.

I don't know about John Chiang but both Newsom and Villiagrossa had highly publicized affairs. Some men are only as loyal as their opportunities. That's an explanation, not an excuse.

[shanti]

43. I like John Chiang

and remember when the state workers were "Chiang for Governor", when he stood up to Schwartzenfuhrer during the furlough crisis. He's a good guy and has no baggage that I've heard. If he runs, I will vote for him, and secondly, Newsome.

I would never give Villaigrosa my vote.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

47. I would never vote for a Republican, i.e. Deplorable even if my life depended on it,

[shanti]

48. ok...

But who mentioned a Republican? You stated that you didn't know about Chiang, but I do.

There's not a snowball's chance in hell that a R will gain control of California ever again.

[BannonsLiver]

22. I've noticed this meme being pushed on DU lately

i find it "interesting" whenever it's brought up. I'll leave it at that. I'm a big fan of Newsom and to compare him to Edwards at this point is a slur.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

23. I think we're better off thoroughly airing

a potential candidate's vulnerabilities early rather than pretending those weaknesses don't exist or that they'll be overlooked by voters nationwide just because San Francisco voters didn't care.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

30. They voted for a thrice married philanderer who brags about grabbing women by the hooha.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

31. I guess my standards are higher.

[BannonsLiver]

45. I don't have a problem with that

Newsom's issues a decade ago are known. The poster above is the one who thinks they are making news on that. But to my knowledge he didn't fuck around on a dying-cancer stricken wife. That's another echelon of slime so to compare him to Edwards is pretty fucking ridiculous.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

25. Newsom has a zipper problem

It is an open non-secret.

[BannonsLiver]

44. Exactly. Everyone knows. Thanks for making my point.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

46. It's a known liability

If you don't want the election to be a public airing of everywhere he has stuck his dick since high school it might be an issue.

The inability for California to produce better candidates for Governor, from either party is a mystery to me. That Tony Villar is even being mentioned as a possibility is wildly discouraging to me.

[Blue_true]

33. Democrats care about extra marital affairs.

A lot of potential Hillary voters say at home because in their world they could not see a difference between Trump's sexual deviation and what Bill Clinton did. Our side make our politicians pay for infidelity, republican voters don't.

[yuiyoshida]

18. and someone said she is a conservative on FOX now...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029058349#post6

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

24. Not Villaraigosa, Not Villaraigosa, Please Not Villaraigosa!

Gavin Newsom doesn't make me retch the same way Gray Davis did, but I'm not enthusiastic about him either.

[itsrobert]

27. Plus 1

exactly

Antonio Villaraigosa is a big phony and lightweight intelligent.

[itsrobert]

26. Please no Antonio Villaraigosa

he's a big phoney.

[MFM008]

29. The human sacrifice

Required to look like the repubes have a party in CA.

[Warren DeMontague]

34. LEADERSHIP. Newsom has led on everything from marriage equality to cannabis legalization.

When as recently as last year we had "leadership" at the DNC voting to send medical marijuana users to federal prison, he is exactly the sort of leadership we need.

First the CA Governorship, then who knows.


For the record, no one cares about his dick. It is 2017.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

35. We live in California. Nobody with a (R) after his name will win statewide in the Trump error.

Last edited Sat May 13, 2017, 06:52 PM - Edit history (2)

I was one of 750,000 to march against Chump in L A. I went past a pro Trump march near Hollywood and Sunset. There were fifty people.

I don't care if this Deplorable, errrrr Republican clown from San Diego puts on a sombrero and goes to every quinceañera in the state he ain't beating Newsom, Villaraigosa or Chiang.

And don't forget the seven California GOP representatives from districts Hillary won and voted for Chump Care are on the ballot.

[Warren DeMontague]

38. I hear ya, man.

I'd like to see Walden lose OR-2 in 2018, then we would be solid blue congressionally.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/04/greg_walden_holds_town_halls_i.html