Who's your choice for governor right now

[davidinalameda]

Poll question: Who's your choice for governor right now

this list was taken from Politics1.com

It includes those who have announced their intention to run and those who are rumored

[proud patriot]

1. I voted Gavin Newsom

though I was highly tempted to vote for
Lorretta Sanchez I love her .

[soleiri]

2. Funny

I felt the same way, but I ended up voting for Loretta Sanchez.
She sends me a Christmas Card that has a picture of her cat on it.
For that, and other reasons (more sane reasons), she's my pick.

[davidinalameda]

4. anyone who loves cats can't be all bad

[proud patriot]

7. Very True

:hug:

[AsahinaKimi]

3. I got to meet Gavin Newsom

I was highly impressed with him, and he was great chatting with us. I like
him as Major of San Fransisco, and think he would do a wonderful job moving up
to the most important position in the state.

[Auggie]

5. Mmm.... good question

Not sure yet, but the vote will have big implications -- not just gubernatorial, but in as, "What Democrat would be left to run for Feinstein's Senate slot should she retire?"

[davidinalameda]

6. we have a very deep bench

you have lots of congress critters

John Chiang, the current controller, comes to mind

I'm not worried about a Democrat keeping her seat

[Auggie]

8. After seeing how easy it was for big dumb ugly

to get elected governor there's no guarantee.

[davidinalameda]

10. Grey Davis wasn't the most lovable governor

and Phil Angelides ran one of the worst campaigns I can remember

he had no chance against Ahnuld

[JI7]

9. Jerry Brown and Newsom, i still think Angelides could have been one of the best

Governors for the state. but he ran against Arnold who was being propped up by the media whores.

of those mentioned i lean to Newsom or Jerry Brown.

[XemaSab]

11. Anyone who isn't a DINO developer

n/t

[EFerrari]

12. Newsom's media machine would get him elected but imo, Brown would be

a better governor. Newsom relies on the camera too much for my taste like the time when he was criticizing the Supes in pulbic for not settling the voting machine problem here while knowing full well that the machines he was recommending we buy had just failed all over Cook County. He went for the soundbite and not the solution. He does stuff like that too often.

[mackerel]

13. That maybe true but he'd lose. You have to go for the big

picture and a win for the party. Newsom is our best bet right now.

[davidinalameda]

14. Newsom's such an empty suit

[Le Taz Hot]

15. Jerry Brown can be governer again?

I'm confused.

[Xithras]

17. Yes, he can be.

The term limits law was effective on terms from that date forward. Since Brown last served before term limits were enacted, he is still eligible to serve two more terms as governor.

Still, I'm not a big fan of Brown. First, he has little political capital with younger voters. I'm 33 now and was in diapers when he became governor. His appeal, in my experience, is largely limited to the over-40 crowd that remembers him from the last time around. The Jerry Brown I know is the guy who ran a series of failed presidential tries, eventually becoming a centrist mayor in Oakland who quit the party and cozied up to developers and the military. He got back into statewide office with his AG win a few years back, but since then has failed to set an active agenda and has been almost completely out of the public eye. Seriously...without looking it up, can you name THREE things Brown has done in the last 10 years that really impacted Californian's or made the headlines in any significant way? I can't.

I don't think he could win today.

[Le Taz Hot]

18. Dang! That's right!

I didn't even think about TL being enacted after his term of office was expired. I'm not a fan and would probably go Garamendi but it's one of those interesting little factoids. Thanks for the clarification.

[Xithras]

16. Anybody but Newsom.

Well, any DEMOCRAT that is. Unless that other Democrat is Feinstein, who is even worse.

Newsom gets play on the left because he's a social liberal, but he'll get ripped apart at the state level because of his positions. He's a well-known opponent of homeless rights, he was elected from the most conservative and Republican district in San Francisco, and is a pro-business centrist who is soft on union support. He's even donated money to Republicans to get their endorsements. Newsom is wise enough to avoid the term "fiscal conservative" when talking about his economic positions, and instead calls HIMSELF a "fiscal watchdog". Same difference.


And how about that in-office affair? San Franciscans may have been quick to forgive their mayor for sleeping with underlings, but the Republicans are sure to drag that through the mud all over again. And speaking of the Rethugs, the Prop 8 ad most commonly credited as the most effective has the clip with Newsom proclaiming that gay marriage is coming "whether the people like it or not". Newsom is very closely identified with gay rights at the state level (to the point where it's common for people outside the Bay Area to assume that he IS gay), and a candidacy on his part will largely be seen as a way to get those rights back on the agenda. That will bring MANY conservatives to the polls to vote against Newsom, who might have otherwise stayed home.

Instead of choosing a lightning rod centrist, how about choosing a genuine liberal Democrat like Garamendi? More experience, better liberal credentials, and none of the dirty laundry. Garamendi has garnered endorsements from people like Al Gore, the Sierra Club, the California Teachers Association, and other groups who know what the heck they're talking about.

I truly, genuinely hope that our party chooses a real candidate, and not just a good looking smooth talker who uses a liberal position on gay rights to prop up an otherwise moderate agenda.

[EFerrari]

19. Newsom has been adopted by the Clintons. We're going to be stuck with him

for a long time in one way or another. I agree, btw, with just about everything in your post and especially on homelessness. Newsom's answer to that is to get articles into the Chronicle claiming that the problem is solved, shipping people across the county line and rousting people before the sun comes up and lying about it.

[davidinalameda]

20. he's made some progress on homelessness

I'll give him that but not enough

I doubt he'll run; I honestly think that he'll see the writing on the wall and realize that he doesn't have a snowball's chance

[mackerel]

21. Look I'm not saying Newsom is great, I'm saying he can

win. That's key right now unless you want the Reps in...again.

[davidinalameda]

23. he wouldn't be elected mayor again in SF

he wouldn't be elected anything again in SF

he can't win

he will guarantee a repug in the governor's mansion if he's the nominee

[cascadiance]

22. Maybe George Clooney? Heck, we already have an actor in there now!....

Though then we'd miss his work on the big screen too..

[Kablooie]

24. Rod Blagojevich

He needs a job.

[AsahinaKimi]

25. Chris Matthews on Hardball asked Diane Feinstein ..

If she will run for Governor of California. She has not made up her mind as yet, but says
who ever it is, has to hit the ground running!

[ronnykmarshall]

27. Dianne would take the election in cake walk.

I know that's not a popular position here.

But it's the truth.

She is most popular democrat in the state.

[Semi_subversive]

26. Garamendi! Garamendi! Garamendi!

If you want a real progressive. Do the research.