Vote against Trumpism on September 14

Good SF Examiner editorial:

Don’t let Donald Trump win in California

Aug. 20, 2021

If you think Donald Trump did a great job as president, it’s understandable why you might support California’s gubernatorial recall campaign. If you don’t support Trump, however, then there’s only one choice in the recall election on Sept. 14: Vote “no.”

Just as a vast majority of Californians rejected Trumpism, California voters must reject the recall. Unfortunately, polls show a tight race. This is likely due to the fact that, in an off-year special election, few voters are paying close attention to state politics. The highly motivated voters are the vocal Republican minority with no chance of winning statewide office under normal circumstances.

The result: California Democrats find themselves scrambling to save Gov. Gavin Newsom. It’s a humbling predicament for Newsom, but this recall is about something bigger and more important than one politician’s career.

On Sept. 14, California voters will decide the future of the state. Will they unseat a Democratic governor to install an anti-immigrant, anti-woman, anti-science Trump wannabe in Sacramento? Will they turn their backs on workers’ rights, climate action, racial justice and equality? Will they choose a new anti-mask, anti-vaccine governor even as the COVID delta variant surges?

It seems unthinkable that a Trump Republican could become governor in a state where only 24% of voters identify as Republicans and where Newsom won with 62% of the vote in 2018. But Trump’s 2016 campaign also seemed like a longshot joke — and few Californians were laughing on election night.

Californians can’t risk such disaster. They should vote “no” on the recall ballot’s first question....

Rob's comment:

That Elder is supposedly "a marijuana user" is a dumb argument against Elder to include in a San Francisco publication.

I've been following Gavin Newsom's career since 2004---he was elected Mayor of San Francisco in 2003 on the strength of his promise to do something about homelessness in the city. The promise was credible, since Newsom got Care Not Cash passed in 2002 while he was still a supervisor.

The Republicans on the recall ballot are trying to use the homeless issue against Newsom. The reality is that Newsom is familiar with the issue that helped get him elected mayor in the first place. He didn't of course solve it here in San Francisco, and every mayor since has struggled with it.

It's clear that Republicans have no serious ideas about dealing with homelessness. Build more housing? Where and how to pay for it?

In the early years of the homeless crisis in SF, it seemed evident that most of the homeless had serious mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues. The homeless issue has now morphed into an even bigger and more complex issue that affects working people priced out of housing around the state.

Some of the first posts on this blog were about Newsom and the homeless issue: The Guardian and the SF Weekly and Head counts and body counts.