Gavin Newsom addresses the nation

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"'The Speech' is what Ronald Reagan called it. Today we call it, "A Time for Choosing," and it was a pivotal turning point in Ronald Reagan's life.Ronald Reagan began a long side-career of public speaking as his acting career closed out. He traveled across the country meeting Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce and any other civic-minded local groups. This continued and intensified during his service as the General Electric spokesperson while hosting their sponsored television series. "The Speech" was delivered in various forms and to different audiences as each word was honed, measured and memorized. During the 1964 Presidential campaign, Republican party officials in California, who knew Reagan's powerful message and delivery, asked him to film a speech on behalf of the Republican candidate, Barry Goldwater. The speech was aired on October 27, 1964 and it was electrifying. Donations to the Republican party and candidates increased dramatically.The Republican Party took note and they targeted Reagan as a candidate from that point forward. He agreed in 1966 to run for Governor of California. He won two terms, and eventually won the Presidency."




This was aired on a national program titled Rendezvous with Destiny on October 27, 1964. He was elected governor of California in 1966.

So this shouldn’t be considered because Reagan wasn’t governor YET?
 
It was carried live on CNN and MSNBC in primetime.
What’d I say? It garnered national attention. And of course it did. The whole crazy shit of trump sending Marines AND CALLING UP THE CALIFORNIA GUARDSMEN without the Governor asking for that federalization was national news already.
It was carried live on CNN and MSNBC in primetime.

'Democracy is under assault': Gov. Newsom addresses Californians following days of LA protests​



It was a State-wide address which of course the cable “shows” picked up.

But don’t make it sound like he travelled to NYC and appeared on CBS with Scott Pelley.
And Simulcast on NBC and ABC and PBS.

And a 6pm address to Californians is obviously going to air in “prime time” on the east coast, if it’s picked up by cable shows.
 
I get where you’re coming from, but I think you’re underestimating how much of the right-wing electorate responds to aesthetics and performance, even if they don’t particularly like the person doing the performing. You’re right. Vance isn’t some magnetic figure with a deep bond to working-class voters, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t useful to the right’s project, or that he doesn’t know how to imitate the language of alienation well enough to be effective.

He’s not beloved, but he’s legible. When he rails against elites, even if he is one, he’s performing a script that a slice of disaffected voters, especially white men who feel culturally displaced, recognize. It doesn’t matter that he’s full of it. It matters that he speaks in the idiom of resentment and cultural grievance, which travels farther than people think.

Put differently: he doesn’t need to be loved. He just needs to be “one of us” in the way he talks and who he targets, even if it’s all theater. That’s enough to get people to shrug and go, “eh, close enough.” And in a low-trust, post-truth political culture, “close enough” often wins.

If Trump isn’t the nominee in 2028, who stands to tap into that emotional connection? Will they do it better than Newsom or whoever else the Democratic nominee is? I thinks that’s the terrain we’re playing on. Interested in hearing who others think can bridge both authenticity and substance.
The right-wing electorate responds to folks who tell them what they want to hear. It can be a Yale-educated lawyer like Vance, a NY "real estate mogul" who spent his career screwing over the little guy like Trump, an oligarch like Musk, a nutcase like Bannon, or anyone who will tell them that they're the "Real Americans" and that they deserve to have America - society and government - center on them despite no longer being the majority of the population and/or electorate.

That doesn't mean that any of those folks are actually connecting with them. Connecting implies a two-way relationship. The "connection" is only one way, the right-wing electorate is told what they want to hear and they'll agree with you until you no longer do so. (To be clear, Trump has actually connected with them, the rest have not, but that's mostly because Trump never wavers in telling them how special they are and how America is for them above any and all others.)

The Republican in 2028 who will get the support of the right-wing electorate is whichever candidate Trump tells them to support. Trump will be a king-maker for the Pubs and the party will support whomever he backs. They won't have to have an "emotional connection" to that candidate, the candidate will simply need to maintain the connection to Trump and that candidate will be the favorite. The only real question is: Will that be enough to get the person elected without Trump's connection to said electorate?

Dems shouldn't worry about turning any of these folks into Dem voters. They're almost certainly all a lost cause. The Dems' goal is to figure out how to get their supporters to the polls in 2028 plus a few convertible folks from "the middle" so they can outvote this block of the electorate.
 
Newsom, on the other hand, talks like a TED Talk and a DNC press release had a love child. It doesn’t connect emotionally. That doesn’t mean I think Vance is “authentic” in any meaningful sense. It means he knows how to perform it. And that performance matters to voters who feel like no one in power understands what they’re going through.
Dude. lol.
 
What’d I say? It garnered national attention. And of course it did. The whole crazy shit of trump sending Marines AND CALLING UP THE CALIFORNIA GUARDSMEN without the Governor asking for that federalization was national news already.

'Democracy is under assault': Gov. Newsom addresses Californians following days of LA protests​



It was a State-wide address which of course the cable “shows” picked up.

But don’t make it sound like he travelled to NYC and appeared on CBS with Scott Pelley.
And Simulcast on NBC and ABC and PBS.

And a 6pm address to Californians is obviously going to air in “prime time” on the east coast, if it’s picked up by cable shows.
I've lived in California for 30 years now. This is the first time that I have ever seen a governor make a primetime address to the entire country -- and that includes all of Covid. If the governor had something to say to Californians, he typically did it in the afternoon.

Look, @Centerpiece. It is obvious that you and half this board are looking for a hero. Don't let my Gavin hate rain on your parade. If you want Gavin to be your knight in shining armor, then be my guest. Just don't nominate him to be the 2028 democratic presidential contender.

 
And this bothers you…why? I think it’s great his speech went national. His message needs to be everywhere and amplified.
Exactly. Dems have been trying to play too nice and work things out with Trump and MAGA. They only way to confront a bully is to punch him in the mouth. I don't care if he did it partly for himself. That petty crap doesn't matter now. What matters is him standing up to Trump and getting others to stand up to him.
 
You are very weirdly reading into and misconstruing a lot of folks positions. I feel like Calheel, the apparent pragmatist lawyer, has been hacked.

When was the last time a President deployed the marines to a US city, while concurrently commandeering the NG, AND endorsed the arrest of a governor, on zero charges? Mind you, all in response to a series of protests the cops in Anaheim could probably manage.
First of all, I think a lot of people are applying the following logic:
Trump = bad
Gavin no like Trump
Gavin = good

Second, this thread has given me some insight into why Democrats don't win elections. They think a highly coiffed aristocrat feigning outrage about Trump on an MSNBC/CNN primetime speech actually does something. That is why I linked Bonnie Tyler (although maybe I should have gone with the Shrek video instead). Gavin is no hero and he is not accomplishing anything positive for Democrats. This whole thing is theater. It is no different than Trump conducting high profile ICE raids for theater. Gavin saying that everything was in control until Donald sent his rascally troops to LA isn't playing in Peoria.

It is "feel good" politics. Newsom says some words that are anti-Trump and everybody wants to give him a cyberhug. Count me out. I'll take the genuine AOC/Bernie rallies to SRO audiences or the Elon/no kings protests as something with a bit more gravitas. Newsom unveiling his 2028 candidacy does exactly zero for anyone in California or anyone anywhere.
 
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First of all, I think a lot of people are applying the following logic:
Trump = bad
Gavin no like Trump
Gavin = good

Second, this thread has given me some insight into why Democrats don't win elections. They think a highly coiffed aristocrat feigning outrage about Trump on an MSNBC/CNN primetime speech actually does something. That is why I linked Bonnie Tyler (although maybe I should have gone with the Shrek video instead). Gavin is no hero and he is not accomplishing anything positive for Democrats. This whole thing is theater. It is no different than Trump conducting high profile ICE raids for theater. Gavin saying that everything was in control until Donald sent his rascally troops to LA isn't playing in Peoria.
Vine Ok GIF
 
The classic "all politicians suck" defense of Newsom. There is some merit in that defense. Almost all politicians do suck. But I am not moved by a bosides defense. He is worse than the average politician.

If it takes a jilted lover approach to sound the alarm on Newsom and get people to realize that he should not be the standard bearer for national democratic politics, it is a worthwhile effort.
It's an acknowledgement that (A) all politicians have to make tradeoffs between their personal beliefs & their political stances and (B) all politicians have taken some personal actions which aren't/won't be popular with the electorate.

I would have said you're better than turning that into "bosides/all politicians suck" accusation, but it seems you're not. The real problem is that you seem to think that you've shown that Newsom is "worse than the average politician" while offering evidence that is only convincing to you.

You may think you're "sounding the alarm" like some kind of modern day Paul Revere, but you really come off much more like the mentally unstable person yelling about fluoride or chemtrails on the street corner.
 
It's an acknowledgement that (A) all politicians have to make tradeoffs between their personal beliefs & their political stances and (B) all politicians have taken some personal actions which aren't/won't be popular with the electorate.

I would have said you're better than turning that into "bosides/all politicians suck" accusation, but it seems you're not. The real problem is that you seem to think that you've shown that Newsom is "worse than the average politician" while offering evidence that is only convincing to you.

You may think you're "sounding the alarm" like some kind of modern day Paul Revere, but you really come off much more like the mentally unstable person yelling about fluoride or chemtrails on the street corner.
Hey, those fluoride people are actually starting to break through. Not so much on the chemtrails.
 
I've lived in California for 30 years now. This is the first time that I have ever seen a governor make a primetime address to the entire country -- and that includes all of Covid. If the governor had something to say to Californians, he typically did it in the afternoon.

Look, @Centerpiece. It is obvious that you and half this board are looking for a hero. Don't let my Gavin hate rain on your parade. If you want Gavin to be your knight in shining armor, then be my guest. Just don't nominate him to be the 2028 democratic presidential contender.


Actually, to be perfectly honest, Newsom is NOT my knight in shining armor. And if he is in the primary along with folks like Shapiro, Beshears, Whitmer, Cooper, etc. I probably would NOT vote for him.
But if, big if, he is nominated, obviously I’ll vote for him in the general.

What I’m arguing is he should not be thrown under the bus for coming out and speaking against what Trump is doing. I also don’t think too many points should be deducted from him for his hair, his dinner at French Laundry or his take on trans playing women’s sports. (Should points be deducted on those last two items? Yes. But should they be deal breakers and elicit so much hatred? No, not in my POV)

Finally, my contention is: his address was picked up by national media, yes, but it was an address to Californians first, and foremost. Should the national media have picked it up and carried the address? HELL TO THE FUCKING YES! And because the media did that, that’s not on Newsom, nor should it be a mark against him. It should be celebrated that a Dem has gone on record thumbing their nose at trump (finally) and the fact the national, cable networks put it out there, so be it. All the mo’ bettah!
 
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