GAVIN NEWSOM, SIMPLY TOO LIBERAL FOR CALIFORNIA?

It is with sadness that Icheoku received the news of the sudden withdrawal of the Democrat governorship candidate wanna-be and mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, from the race. We say with sadness because on the surface, Gavin looked like the ideal candidate for a California governor, both in his looks and progressive brand of politics; but it would appear that California may not really be what it appears to be and hence Gavin's bid could not take flight. Gavin Newsom, a man who I have personally met, shook his hand and had a conversation with; appeared and sounded like a man with the right type of vision for California. But like all tides of men, he possibly came ahead of his time as California is not yet liberal enough to give a safe passage to their governor's lodge, a man who thinks and acts like Gavin Newsom. This unreceptive crowd of Californians forced Gavin's hands and he jumped-out; what a sudden exit!

To many uninformed observers, California is a very liberal state? But to those who know better, California is not just the Bay Area of Northern California, the home of unapologetic liberal politics. To the informed mind, California is geographically, politically and religiously three states lumped into one, technically speaking? There is the liberal San Francisco Bay Area Northern California and some parts of Los Angeles 'state'; there is the conservative San Diego area of Southern California including some outer areas of Los Angeles 'state'; and then the Modesto to Sacramento hinterland valley-axis of ultra right wing conservatism 'state!' That is the nature of a state which has been intra-fighting itself to death over practically every issue; and goes both ways in its electioneering politics. Republican and Democrats alike, can win elections into California's governorship lodge anytime one of them out-mobilizes the other. The same State that produced Nixon, Reagan, Djukemejian, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the father and son Brown duo, Gray Davis as governors, a mixed-bag of both parties. California is notorious for always dragging issues out as disparate people who populate the various parts of the state always have different things they would rather is done with the state's money. So now you know why the squabbles and sometimes shutting down of government that constantly goes on in Sacramento? That is the nature of the state that Gavin Newsom tried to woe for her governorship, but which gave him a cold shoulder, forcing his sudden exit from the endeavour.

His campaign ran out of steam so early that to continue in the face of what was obvious would have been foolhardy; - no cash and no favorable opinion polls, the two most import must-haves in American electioneering politics. He has the looks and the gait, I have met him, but that alone was not sufficient as was proved in the past with the defunct pretty face and good haired Senator John Edward's presidential campaign? To be successful, one must in addition have the needed 'mojo' which cash-money and high favorable ratings provide, which supplies the needed air beneath the wing of politics. Icheoku asks, but why did Gavin Newsom's campaign flop-out so early in the game since we refuse to buy into the political-speak, in which he tried to explain away why he aborted and called off the effort as family and city hall issues-related?

In Gavin Newsom's own words, "With a young family and responsibilities at City Hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to - and should be - done?" Icheoku says, what a typical politician not forthcoming with the truth and real reason why he hurriedly threw in the towel? He met and married Ms. Jennifer Siebel, got her pregnant and now have a daughter with her; so he had always known that he has a 'young family' before he stepped forward to offer himself to serve. He is also the elected 2nd term mayor of San Francisco and so fully aware of the 'responsibilities of the City Hall' long before he threw his hat into the ring? It is also not for 'lack of time' that Gavin pulled out, no, as he was fully aware and possibly anticipated the rigorous time-consuming effort a governorship run would be in California before he said, please send me to Sacramento! He is not a political neophyte, after-all he was a former supervisor and now in his second term as a Mayor, so he had a good insight on what demand on his time the governorship run will entail? Somebody is not telling all here. Icheoku postulates, it was because Gavin Newsom found out that he is not marketable in a state-wide election in California; and that no investor was willing to part with his cash and burn it in an un-winnable candidate, that forced him to abruptly end his sputtering campaign!

It was the same virus that killed-off opposition to Prop 8 that also fatally afflicted his campaign effort - his advocacy for an unfettered right for gay men and women to freely marry! Gavin Newsom instantly became a polarising political figure in California the day, the hour, the minute and the second he declared 'whether you like it or not, gay marriage is here to stay' and threw the gates of San Francisco City Hall open for the flood of marriage of homosexuals witnessed in 2004. The conservatives and christian right wings Californians saw him as drawing a line on the sand and immediately marked him for elimination, politically. Having earned the title of their 'Enemy Number 1,' all their resources and battle tanks were trained on him ever since, waiting for any opportunity to exact their vengeance; including his now failed governorship-run. First they pushed Proposition 8 through; and have fought off every attempt to overturn it ever since up to the states Supreme court and the legislature. They have the money and political muscle to do a duel with Gavin Newsom and now that he has quit his governorship bid, is it a fair assessment to say the christian right wing Californians have extracted their pound of flesh? But where were the GBLT with their money and why did they not fiercely back a Gavin Newsom, trying to become governor of California and most likely would have signed into law their right to marry? Why did the gays, bisexuals, lesbians and trans-genders of California not reciprocate a well earned favor to a guy who placed all his future political aspirations on the line just to help them gain the right to marry whoever they chose and love. Where was the quid-pro-quo? Why did they fail to rally around his effort at the governorship? Why did they abandon Gavin Newsom in his greatest hour of need, forcing him to jump ship mid stream with his quest for California's governorship?

Further, former President Bill Clinton's recent endorsement may have done-in Gavin Newsom's governorship aspiration. That blessing of Clinton may have served to remind many California's Obama supporters that this Gavin Newsom went rogue and pitched his tent with the Democrat old brigades during the last Democrat presidential primaries when he sided with Hillary Clinton instead of his fellow youthful and ebullient Barrack Obama. Could this endorsement have proved lethal to his now botched campaign by provoking a people still seething at Gavin Newsom for then taking the wrong side, who now decided to pay him back by maintaining a deaf ear to his message and not opening their wallets for his campaign effort? Icheoku believes that Gavin Newsom, a youth, erred in not supporting a fellow youth, then aspirant Barack Obama and that it played a major role in his campaign loosing traction, derailing and finally ending in its today's moribund state. Californians could not have technically rejected him because they considered him too young or over-ambitious since youth is now in, and they overwhelmingly voted for President Barack Obama!

The only consolation is that he is still young and may be appointed into a position in the future or wait long enough for Dianne Feinstein to quit politics and Nancy Pelosi upgraded to the senate, so that he may try his hands in an opened house of representative seat. His political territory now, for all intent and purpose, appears restricted and confined only to the Bay Area of Northern California where his views, vision and brand of liberal progressive politics are shared by the majority. But his chances at a state-wide office seems diminished; but at least he still have a job, being the mayor of San Francisco which will subsist till January 2012.

Whatever he chose to do thereafter, Icheoku wishes him good-luck; but the two decisions he made which made him a polarising political figure in California will haunt him for a long time if not forever. His unabashed support for gay marriage and not supporting President Barack Obama during the primaries are two errors of judgment which any clever politician would rather wish he never made. In politics, every action has its consequences and although they may seem forgiven but are never forgotten. His attempt to suddenly portray himself as a candidate of change and largely targeting his appeal to young voters with a heavy Internet presence and online fundraising failed because when the youths were pushing through the brick-wall of the establishment Democrats trying to get Obama through during the last primaries, he abandoned the bloc and went with the old hacks - the then Hillary Clinton squad. Now he wanted to reap where he did not sow, invoking a bloc of the Democratic party he never identified with during the primaries and he got a resounding rejection! With a Field Poll showing him 20-points below his prospective rival, who has not even declared his intentions; and a war chest also suffering 7 to 1 disadvantage; he had no option but to throw in the towel and quit. Icheoku believes that he did the right thing by deciding not to spend the next seven months in a primary contest he couldn't win. It is our well considered position that anybody thinking that Gavin would have done otherwise, is not a calculating person and must be living in the land of wishful thinkers. At least the smarts in him correctly read the political landscape and he decided to cut his losses and run away, which is the only meaningful thing to do under the circumstances and he just did that. We wish him the best of luck.

One of the lessons of the now defunct Gavin Newsom's attempted run for the governorship of California is that California is not as liberal as it appears to be; and also that San Francisco and Los Angeles areas do not correctly reflect California. Any attempt to try to read California using data collated from these two geographical areas would most likely result to a faulty statistical sampling as they do not correctly represent the entire California landscape. Gavin's rejection also shows that hot-button issues like gay marriage should not constitute any politicians mantra, but should be merely caressed by such politician who still have plans for future state-wide office. Finally it marks the end of the political gravitas of former President Bill Clinton, a man who could not even put his wife Hillary into the White House; and now his endorsement of Gavin Newsom could not provide the shot in the arm needed to avoid the end which was just witnessed. But whether Gavin Newsom was simply too liberal or too radicalised for governorship of the state of California, Icheoku cannot categorically state, but his rejection does not sure look good for obtrusively liberal progressive politics in a motley, diverse, varied and multi-cultured state like California. Once again, good-luck Gavin with all your future endeavors!