When 'San Francisco' is on the ballot

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 7/27/8 | John Diaz

[SmithL]

A mayor knows he's having a bad week when its saving grace comes in a jailhouse.

Such was the case of Mayor Gavin Newsom, who found himself pleading with jailed tech whiz Terry Childs to give up the access codes to San Francisco's computer system. Childs did, and even some of Newsom's critics were crediting him with a heroic move in using his powers of persuasion to keep a Y2K from paralyzing the city's computer systems in 2008.

It sure beats talking about Edwin Ramos or the city's sanctuary policy.

Fairly or not, Newsom's chances in the 2010 governor's race are linked, in part, to California voters' perceptions of how well he is running San Francisco, a city that seems to defy the word "control."

It's not easy for any mayor to make the leap to governorship of this state. Just look at the history of the failed gubernatorial bids of former San Francisco Mayors George Christopher, Joseph Alioto and Dianne Feinstein. Or former Los Angeles Mayors Tom Bradley, Sam Yorty and Richard Riordan. The fact is, most Californians have, at best, faint impressions of the mayors of major cities on the other side of the Tehachapis, and their perceptions are likely to be colored by their regard for the city he or she represents.

The exception proves the rule. Two-term Gov. Pete Wilson, a former mayor of San Diego, lost his first bid for governor, then was elected as the state's chief executive in 1990 only after serving as U.S. senator. For Newsom, this history was a challenge even before Ramos became his uninvited running mate and his enthusiastic embrace of the "sanctuary city" ordinance became an object of national ridicule.

These are the perils of representing San Francisco. ...

[SmithL]

San Francisco Values

[winner3000]

Hey, a SanFrancisco leftist is Speaker of the House. So goes America.

[Oldpuppymax]

AWWWW, poor old any-twosome Newsome. Maybe he wouldn’t be in trouble if he considered the right of San Franciscos citizens to live, more important than the right of an illegal alien to kill them! Just a thought.

[Steely Tom]

Maybe he wouldn’t be in trouble if he considered the right of San Franciscos citizens to live, more important than the right of an illegal alien to kill them! Just a thought.

To those on the hard left like Newsome, who think in symbols, Tony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew were justified casualties. Their deaths are incremental, symbolic punishment of mainstream America for amorphous, unspecified crimes against that which Edwin Ramos symbolizes.

[Alia]

This author is absolutely right. Those in SoCal have no idea, usually, what a parallel universe is the San Francisco Bay Area. And SoCal, bearing the brunt of the illegal immigration industries, has got to be reeling at the idea of a "Sanctuary City" mayor of San Francisco also promoting the following types of policies throughout the state:

(from article): Newsom knew he had to overcome the stereotype of San Francisco as a Left Coast place that shunned the battleship Iowa, protested the Blue Angels, disinvited military recruiters from its high schools, provided health coverage for sex-change operations and even proposed a ballot measure to rename its sewage treatment plant after President Bush.

[Brilliant]

Fairly or not, Newsom's chances in the 2010 governor's race are linked, in part, to California voters' perceptions of how well he is running San Francisco, a city that seems to defy the word "control."

"Fairly or not"??? How could it possibly be "not"?

Newsom's defenders are quick - and correct - to note that there is plenty of blame to go around in the Ramos case, including with the federal government.

So the best we can say about this guy is that he only made the same mistakes that others also made? And that's considered "defending him"? Yes, he's an idiot, but so are a lot of other people.

It hardly matters that Gavin Newsom is usually a voice of reason on these and other issues in the city.

OMG! The city is so far gone that Newsom is considered a "voice of reason."

Why am I not surprised that this guy is considered a viable candidate for Governor of CA?

[ZGuy]

I’m waiting for someone there to have it dawn upon them that “San Francisco” has a religious, and even worse Christian (EGAD!) source and so put a referendum on the ballot to change the city’s name.

[MissEdie]

Newsome should be in a jail cell himself as an accessory to murder.

[highlander_UW]

If Newsome becomes governor of CA could we give the state to Mexico with the provision they must take and keep him too?

[GOP_Raider]

Such was the case of Mayor Gavin Newsom, who found himself pleading with jailed tech whiz Terry Childs to give up the access codes to San Francisco's computer system.

And he got booed at a Giants game a few years ago. That, as a conservative Giants fan put a smile on my face. :)

[Titan Magroyne]

Newsom knew he had to overcome the stereotype of San Francisco as a Left Coast place that shunned the battleship Iowa, protested the Blue Angels, disinvited military recruiters from its high schools, provided health coverage for sex-change operations and even proposed a ballot measure to rename its sewage treatment plant after President Bush. Didn't Hizonor ALSO deny a temporary street-closing permit to the Marine Corps Drill Team, which wanted to film a segment of a recruiting commercial there?