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SAN FRANCISCO, CA --- Time for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to declare victory and withdraw.
When polling shows you’re losing in your hometown – where you've flashed all the right progressive hot buttons--- like, same sex marriage, universal health care, harnessing tidal power, banning plastic bans and doubling the local budget to $6 billion, and presumably services -- it’s definitely time for another political target... if there’s one available.
Look, San Franciscan voters are an idealistically lofty bunch.
They despise hypocrisy. They reward audacity and authenticity. So, where’s Newsom's support in the Excelsior neighborhood for his immigrant sanctuary policies. Where’s the support of the South of Market crowd for his hip twitter-Second Life antics. Where’s the support from the green community for his green initiatives. Why has he been abandoned by San Francisco’s Asian, Hispanic, Vietnamese, Filipino voters in the Western neighborhoods.
Why.
Because for six years, as nominal mayor, he’s been running for another office, and didn’t have the political acumen to hide it. Of course every politician is running for higher office. But the voters expect you to hide your political ambitions.
From nearly day one he’s been bored with the City and his mayoral duties. Meanwhile, unemployment now approaches 10 percent, the city’s hotel occupancy is plummeting, homelessness and harassing street people remain, the streets are filthy, public transit crashes too often, and petty crime goes unabated.
Numerous stories of Newsom’s early tenure (from his once-supportive local daily, the Chronicle), document a mayor caught in alleged substance abuse, family dysfunction and political dyslexia.
San Francisco voters were watching. Now they’re being polled. Their message: No thanks. For all his pomp and circumstance, they’re not buying it. ABN: Anybody but Newsom is what they’re telling the pollsters.
Which proves that when you become politically transparent, and your ugly political ambitions and personal addictions are broadcasted, even San Francisco voters will reject you – no matter how well you talk the progressive talk. Imagine if Mayor Newsom had stayed the moderate fiscally conservative course in face of the State’s current fiscal crisis.
If your hometown rejects you and rejects your campaign --- AND you need to raise $30 million to run a decent gubernatorial campaign ---- it’s time to for a new day job. A six year run for California governor has run out of political fossil fuel.
For President Obama, there’s a warning here. It’s always about the economy and jobs. Stay focused, or you expire politically. And your base will abandon you as fast as they embrace you.
Comments
Is this guy supposed to be a journalist? This reads like a bitter letter to the editor.
The Examiner shows again that for online journalism one shouldn't go here. Where are the facts? One poll 13 months from election day and months from primary day, before the first ad has aired, Newsom is down and he should quit? Newsom should quit because hotel occupancy is down? What does hotel occupancy have to do with running for Governor (or being a successful Mayor). Tourism is down everywhere.
Bruzzone says San Franciscans say Anyone But Newsom, but not one quote from a San Franciscan? Not one? Gee, with so many victims of crime and delayed rides on public transportation, you'd figure Bruzzone could pick up the phone and dial a 415 telephone number and get someone to back his thesis that Newsom is toast.
The support for Newsom will come, state-wide Newsom trails a former governor with higher name ID by 9 points, according to a DailyKos poll. If the SF Gate poll is right, SF will turn around and come home to Gavin. His message of progress will resonate with voters and he'll
As a life long San Franciscan and Democrat, I for one would not support Newsom for any job, other than District 6 Supervisor. Go Jerry! And Obama would be wise to read the warning - its all about the economy, stupid. HillaryCare was the end of Clinton's ability to be an effective President (not his affair with the intern), and directly led to the 1994 success of the GOP to take back Congress.
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