The first qualification I am looking for in a candidate is authenticity. Do they believe in anything besides that they should be elected. There’s no indication that Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris have core beliefs. Bernie and AOC do. It’s not obvious from Pritzker’s resume that he has deeply held beliefs, but the more I hear him speak, the more authentic he appears. Unlike first generation billionaires who discount the privilege of their upper middle class beginnings, Pitzker can’t help but know that he was born 1st and goal from the 1 yard line. That doesn’t guarantee perspective or introspection, but sometimes it happens. A rich president with a sense of obligation to the nation is a lot better than a self-centered striver.
I stopped trusting Newsom when I saw him photographed having a large group dinner in an expensive French restaurant to celebrate his birthday in 2020…flaunting the COVID restrictions he’d recently mandated for the rest of us. He showed in that photo that he was not trustworthy. Pritzker, on the other hand, has always seemed to be forthright, honest, and concerned with the people. I’d vote for him enthusiastically.
While I agree with you that Gavin Newsom is the worst possible Democrat this side of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be considered as a Presidential candidate, I still believe Bernie Sanders didn't "fail" as much as he was cheated out of winning by the DNC Establishment—they even admitted as much when donors for Sanders sued to get their donations back because they quite reasonably HATE the current power players in the Democratic Party!
I look at Schmuck Schumer, Notorious P-Lousy, and Nancy's Acolyte Hakeem Jeffries, and I think "A Plague on Both Your Houses" is the only reasonable response to them. I also think AOC stands a far better chance of ultimately winning because she's always been a Democrat (the whole "He's Not a REAL Democrat!" shit that followed Bernie in 2016 pissed me the fuck off, because at least he wasn't a fucking ex-Goldwater Girl like Hillary!), though probably not in 2028 because she won't even be 40 by then.
I would've said Walz before he started bad-mouthing Kamala Harris right after they lost in 2024—now, I'm not so sure about him. OTOH, I'd vote for him long before I'd vote for That Trumpian in All But Name Rahm Emanuel, the ever-unprincipled Cory Booker (who is, I might remind you, one of MY Senators these days!), or Pete Buttgieg—a gay man throws transpeople under the bus, and who comes off as Just Another Clinton Neoliberal...only, well, gay.
As for Pritzker? I have no feelings about him one way or the other. I'll have to see what he has to offer as a Presidential candidate....
I would love to see many of the policies of Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, and others come to fruition.
But they won’t win the presidency with them.
I’d also like not to see more bajionaires holding office.
But that’s the way it is right now.
Pritzker would be a good candidate for the presidency with. He is a practical candidate.
He is white and male. I would love to see a woman or someone whose skin color is not white as president, but to get white male rethuglicans to vote for a candidate, they have to be white.
With apologies for saying that from this white male.
Gavin definitely pissed me off when he platformed Bannon and Kirk on his podcast. But as a resident of California, his leadership has been, on the whole, very good. California moved from the 5th largest economy in the world to the 4th largest, surpassing France this year. He has a loyal backing of state Democrats, and union leadership, as witnessed during his press conference on re-districting last week. Yeah, sometimes he can seem like a callous, smug asshole, but honestly? I think we need more Newsoms and fewer Schumers in the party—people who are unafraid to call out the GOP and Trumpism, and who can stand up to fascist bullies while laughing in their faces. Is the whole re-districting thing also a launching pad for his Presidential campaign? You bet. But for once, I see a Democrat doing substantive work to fight for retaining our democracy, which, IMO, is job #1. The fact that other Democratic governors have not vociferously co-signed Newsom’s plan says more about rivals jockeying for the Democratic nomination than their willingness to set that aside for the good of the voters.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Pritzker, too. But given the insane levels of income inequality in this country—arguably the reason we’re in this mess to begin with—his billionaire status worries me more than Newsom’s triangulation. I could vote for either of them, and whoever comes out on top, I’d like to see them choose AOC as their running mate. Her identification as a democratic socialist and her unwavering ability to speak truth to power will bring younger voters out, as well as unions, people of color, and the generally marginalized. (And if not her, then Jasmine Crockett would also be a good choice—maybe even better to get out the black vote.) In any event, love him or hate him, Newsom is doing what so many of us have been clamoring for the Democrats to do. And not a moment too soon.
as the parent of a trans kid, I am very concerned about a d party going the way of labour. that seems to be what newsom wants to do. I think that's much more of a problem than Pritzker having money (as FDR did!)
Pritzker has been more consistently fighting trump for longer than newsom. hasn't gotten as many headlines yet, but that's mostly because of which states trump has targeted, I think.
Completely understand where you’re coming from. And, as I said, I could vote for either of them. Let’s see how Newsom’s re-districting pans out. There’s still a very long runway before 2028.
I used to think that way about Newsom, but his smarmy actions actively harm some of the most vulnerable of marginalized people, trans kids and unhoused people. He has joined the ranks of Rahm in my view: gaaah no to both of them!
" He has a loyal backing of state Democrats, and union leadership"
Newsom fucked over the unions! That's a definite "no" from me.
He's also delighted to toss the trans community under the bus, and his podcast just made me want to throw my Very Expensive Smartphone out the window.
Of my car.
Doing...uh, "65" MPH on I-95. (Yeah, 65 MPH! That's the Speed Limit, so that's what I was doing! 😇 )
Yes, with Trump having pushed his back to the wall Newsom's fighting him tooth and nail (and it's good to see!), but I wonder how "heroic" he would be if Mango Mussolini hadn't sent The National Guard into Los Angeles to intimidate anybody to the Left of Stephen Miller. In a post I wrote on my own Substack (https://drdarkeny.substack.com/p/gavin-newsomneoliberal-crusader-rabbit ) late last week, I used the term "Minimum Daily Requirement of Moral Courage" as my way of saying that what Newsom is doing should NEVER be seen as extraordinary, but what EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DEMOCRAT should be doing every hour of every day of the week.
The first qualification I am looking for in a candidate is authenticity. Do they believe in anything besides that they should be elected. There’s no indication that Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris have core beliefs. Bernie and AOC do. It’s not obvious from Pritzker’s resume that he has deeply held beliefs, but the more I hear him speak, the more authentic he appears. Unlike first generation billionaires who discount the privilege of their upper middle class beginnings, Pitzker can’t help but know that he was born 1st and goal from the 1 yard line. That doesn’t guarantee perspective or introspection, but sometimes it happens. A rich president with a sense of obligation to the nation is a lot better than a self-centered striver.
I’m in favor of candidates who put human rights first. I would definitely support Pritzker before Newsome.
As a long time Bay Area resident, I thoroughly endorse "Not Newsom, for God’s sake!"
I stopped trusting Newsom when I saw him photographed having a large group dinner in an expensive French restaurant to celebrate his birthday in 2020…flaunting the COVID restrictions he’d recently mandated for the rest of us. He showed in that photo that he was not trustworthy. Pritzker, on the other hand, has always seemed to be forthright, honest, and concerned with the people. I’d vote for him enthusiastically.
While I agree with you that Gavin Newsom is the worst possible Democrat this side of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be considered as a Presidential candidate, I still believe Bernie Sanders didn't "fail" as much as he was cheated out of winning by the DNC Establishment—they even admitted as much when donors for Sanders sued to get their donations back because they quite reasonably HATE the current power players in the Democratic Party!
I look at Schmuck Schumer, Notorious P-Lousy, and Nancy's Acolyte Hakeem Jeffries, and I think "A Plague on Both Your Houses" is the only reasonable response to them. I also think AOC stands a far better chance of ultimately winning because she's always been a Democrat (the whole "He's Not a REAL Democrat!" shit that followed Bernie in 2016 pissed me the fuck off, because at least he wasn't a fucking ex-Goldwater Girl like Hillary!), though probably not in 2028 because she won't even be 40 by then.
I would've said Walz before he started bad-mouthing Kamala Harris right after they lost in 2024—now, I'm not so sure about him. OTOH, I'd vote for him long before I'd vote for That Trumpian in All But Name Rahm Emanuel, the ever-unprincipled Cory Booker (who is, I might remind you, one of MY Senators these days!), or Pete Buttgieg—a gay man throws transpeople under the bus, and who comes off as Just Another Clinton Neoliberal...only, well, gay.
As for Pritzker? I have no feelings about him one way or the other. I'll have to see what he has to offer as a Presidential candidate....
I would love to see many of the policies of Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, and others come to fruition.
But they won’t win the presidency with them.
I’d also like not to see more bajionaires holding office.
But that’s the way it is right now.
Pritzker would be a good candidate for the presidency with. He is a practical candidate.
He is white and male. I would love to see a woman or someone whose skin color is not white as president, but to get white male rethuglicans to vote for a candidate, they have to be white.
With apologies for saying that from this white male.
I like Pritzker's politics but I am terrified the stress of the job will kill him.
Gavin definitely pissed me off when he platformed Bannon and Kirk on his podcast. But as a resident of California, his leadership has been, on the whole, very good. California moved from the 5th largest economy in the world to the 4th largest, surpassing France this year. He has a loyal backing of state Democrats, and union leadership, as witnessed during his press conference on re-districting last week. Yeah, sometimes he can seem like a callous, smug asshole, but honestly? I think we need more Newsoms and fewer Schumers in the party—people who are unafraid to call out the GOP and Trumpism, and who can stand up to fascist bullies while laughing in their faces. Is the whole re-districting thing also a launching pad for his Presidential campaign? You bet. But for once, I see a Democrat doing substantive work to fight for retaining our democracy, which, IMO, is job #1. The fact that other Democratic governors have not vociferously co-signed Newsom’s plan says more about rivals jockeying for the Democratic nomination than their willingness to set that aside for the good of the voters.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Pritzker, too. But given the insane levels of income inequality in this country—arguably the reason we’re in this mess to begin with—his billionaire status worries me more than Newsom’s triangulation. I could vote for either of them, and whoever comes out on top, I’d like to see them choose AOC as their running mate. Her identification as a democratic socialist and her unwavering ability to speak truth to power will bring younger voters out, as well as unions, people of color, and the generally marginalized. (And if not her, then Jasmine Crockett would also be a good choice—maybe even better to get out the black vote.) In any event, love him or hate him, Newsom is doing what so many of us have been clamoring for the Democrats to do. And not a moment too soon.
as the parent of a trans kid, I am very concerned about a d party going the way of labour. that seems to be what newsom wants to do. I think that's much more of a problem than Pritzker having money (as FDR did!)
Pritzker has been more consistently fighting trump for longer than newsom. hasn't gotten as many headlines yet, but that's mostly because of which states trump has targeted, I think.
Completely understand where you’re coming from. And, as I said, I could vote for either of them. Let’s see how Newsom’s re-districting pans out. There’s still a very long runway before 2028.
I used to think that way about Newsom, but his smarmy actions actively harm some of the most vulnerable of marginalized people, trans kids and unhoused people. He has joined the ranks of Rahm in my view: gaaah no to both of them!
" He has a loyal backing of state Democrats, and union leadership"
Newsom fucked over the unions! That's a definite "no" from me.
He's also delighted to toss the trans community under the bus, and his podcast just made me want to throw my Very Expensive Smartphone out the window.
Of my car.
Doing...uh, "65" MPH on I-95. (Yeah, 65 MPH! That's the Speed Limit, so that's what I was doing! 😇 )
Yes, with Trump having pushed his back to the wall Newsom's fighting him tooth and nail (and it's good to see!), but I wonder how "heroic" he would be if Mango Mussolini hadn't sent The National Guard into Los Angeles to intimidate anybody to the Left of Stephen Miller. In a post I wrote on my own Substack (https://drdarkeny.substack.com/p/gavin-newsomneoliberal-crusader-rabbit ) late last week, I used the term "Minimum Daily Requirement of Moral Courage" as my way of saying that what Newsom is doing should NEVER be seen as extraordinary, but what EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DEMOCRAT should be doing every hour of every day of the week.
I also made a passing reference as to why Transphobia might be an issue for me, which I went into in a bit more detail here (https://drdarkeny.substack.com/p/neoliberal-dems-show-their-true-colors ).