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It looks like Mayor Gavin Newsom will take a stab at running for Governor of California in 2010. In addition to the gaggle of Democratic hopefuls looking to succeed Gov. Schwarzenegger after his reign comes to an end -- which include former governor Jerry Brown, former state controller Steve Westley, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, just to name a few -- San Francisco's very own mayor wants the title as well.
And seeing as how any serious contender "would need to raise anywhere from $30 to $40 million to mount a serious campaign," our wealthy mayor has a pretty good shot. According to CBS 5, Newsom "has been meeting privately with Democratic campaign strategists" about making the move from SF to Sacramento. CBS 5 goes on to say that "it's premature to talk about it in the open...we'll see what happens in the next few months."
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So we'd only have to put up with him for two more years?
Yeah!
Is it just me, or does that seemly like an awfully weak slate of Democratic candidates? A couple of big-city mayors with both serious personal issues and stances that would not go over well statewide, a relative unknown like Steve Westly, and a guy who has been around the block a number of times like Jerry Brown? What, no John Chiang or John Garamendi? Where have you gone, Phil Angelides?
'Course, I'm even more interested to see who the GOP could offer up. Poizner? Whitman? McClintock? Gah. I'd hang myself if I was a Republican in California.
Is the Gav a big fan of The Wire? Because he seems to get more like Mayor Carcetti everyday. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
His achilles heal (and the reason I'd definitely vote for him, being gay and stuff) is that he would definitely sign the bill to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in California and finally get equal treatment within the state government - with a influential push at other state governments and hopefully our national government to get back on the equality for all track and stop acting like a religious theocracy on this issue.
aw man! Now I know Carcetti wins the election. Sheeeeit.
So, we'll go from GI Joe to Ken? I'm not digging the Matel governors.
I hope he runs - it'll give me a chance to NOT vote for him.
@OrangeDrink
Well there was no way Carcetti's sleaze wouldn't get him to Annapolis. Anyhow it's a minor part of the story, I hope I haven't ruined it for you.
What, 'cause you tied up one thread on in the frizziest mat of threads since Phil Spector?
Nah, just don't say anything about Bubbles. I'm a few seasons behind (gotta say I love having the DVD's just for the subtitles).
@RinconHillSF - you've got a good point. For some reason I always forget how good Newsom's been to teh gays. While that alone gets him my vote, I think it pretty much makes him unelectable in a mauve state. But his vocalizing the issues will have a positive effect upon the the rainbow community regardless of the election's result.
Hey, could this non-native get a quick primer re: Gavin and why/how/how much he owes the Gettys?
The Hair Mayor is strongly connected to the Getty family and although Gav is invariably described by his sycophantic press core as "successful businessman" the truth of the matter is that the Getty family spotted Newsom tens of millions of dollars to start his businesses. Ask any businessman (especially restaurants) and you will find that large sums of free capital confer substantial odds of success upon the venture.
That would be tens of thousands not tens of millions. But whatever
jwb, thanks much. So is it generally known why Gavin won the Getty philanthropy lottery? His pliable nature? They hold shares in a hair-gel comapny? Was his mother someone's old girlfriend?
Oh man, Gavin is SO Thomas Carcetti except with better hair and more skeletons in the closet. All season, I've been thinking how similar they are, from the impassioned speeches about the underclass and crime to the seeming inability to actually do anything about them. Now if Gavin could only get a couple of cops on the SFPD to fake a serial killer as a ruse to go after all the drug kingpins in the Mission/Bayview area, we might be somewhere.
Don't forget the affair with the campaign manager.
KatyG: Newsom's father is the manager of the Getty family trust.
fizzandpop: don't where you get your numbers, but the bankrolling of Newsom by Getty is in the tens of millions. see http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/02/23/MN245262.DTL
jwb, thank you again. You're my Herb Caen!
Right, somehow Plumpjack is a $10million restaurant? Linking to the San Francisco Comical? Surely you're not serious.
Well, we have a Republican guv who acts like a Democrat. So why not a Dem who acts like a Retard.
Besides, he has he hair for the job. Now all he has to do is have it dyed that hideous orange color most politicians use.
- Arye Michael Bender -
Seems like Newsom's dad also orchestrated the release of Getty's son after he was kidnapped. they've been entertwined with that family for awhile.
Let's see here - screws his friends wife, snorts coke, and his hair is a superfund site. Sounds like Gubernatorial material to me.
Let's see here - screws his friends wife, snorts coke, and his hair is a superfund site. Sounds like Gubernatorial material to me.
He might as we be doing the job now; he's never here anyway. :P
So after exactly how many months of supposed sobriety did he a) fire all his old friends) b) pop the question to 'actress' Siebel and c) announce a run for governor? Anybody keeping track?
Meanwhile in France: "For months, polls have found the public angry that the president (Sarkozy) appeared more concerned with his personal life and whirlwind marriage to the model Carla Bruni than helping struggling families make ends meet....."
I was a bit flippant earlier. It should have been obvious to all what Newsom's intentions were, when he grabbed national headlines by coming out for the non-issue of gay marriage. This was a calculated move he just couldn't pass up. I call it a non-issue, because here in San Francisco it was simply pandering to the politically strong gay voters. Now had he been the mayor of say, Des Monies, it would have been a bold statement.
He did what hungry politicians will do, jump on a photo op issue, to test waters in a bigger pond. It worked.
- Arye Michael Bender -
I've heard that argument used a lot. Eh. The same could be said for environmental/green issues, in lieu of the gay marriage human rights one, and decisions made by SF politicians.
Wonder why no one does.
@fizzandpop: he owned more than just the one restaurant. he owned stores selling wine and plump jack has a primo spot at one of the ski resorts in tahoe. he also owns significant property holdings as well
you can rank on the chronicle all you like (and hey they deserve it) but this is one of those cases where yes, in fact he did more than just 1 plump jack restaurant.