San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Newsom a sure winner in battles with Trump
Gov. Gavin Newsom is increasingly engaging with President Trump, with what I think is a winning hand for the governor and the Democrats. Trump appears fixated on whatever Newsom says and does, setting up the two as a study in contrasts. Newsom is much cleverer than Trump, comes across better on TV and is an equal match on social media for the man who considers himself the king of tweets.
And he’s better looking, which shouldn’t count for a lot but does. Plus he has the good taste to button his jacket and tie his tie so it doesn’t look like a rope line.
Does a public feud with Newsom hurt Trump in 2020? Maybe not directly. But Newsom has endorsed
his fellow Californian Kamala Harris, and to the extent he mixes it up with the president, the beneficial fallout among a super-energized Democratic base may be hers.
Big field: Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont came out swinging in his quest for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
It’s much the same way he entered the ring four years ago, when the object was to beat Hillary Clinton.
He’s got a problem this time, though: There are a lot more people to beat.
Start with fellow Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris.
Still by the water’s edge, dipping their toes in, are former Vice President Joe Biden, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas and maybe even New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
And I still think billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s candidacy is a distinct possibility.
Sanders topped everybody out of the gate on the money front, with thousands of people giving him an average of $27 each, which translated to more than $5 million.
This should not be surprising. Sanders has been running going on five years now, and everyone who has given to him in that time has been asked to re-up.
It would be interesting to see how many of Sanders’ previous donors are giving just to him and how many are donating to other candidates who express the same views — because there are a lot of them.
Please note that once Bernie jumped in, he had his hair styled and had someone do his makeup. He didn’t look much like the Bernie brand, but he still has the Bernie voice. Balance of power: If Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to have a good first term, he ought to stop by the state Republican Party convention this weekend in Sacramento and give a few pointers on how to win some legislative seats.
Newsom is facing a oneparty nightmare in the Capitol, with more than two-thirds of both the Assembly and Senate consisting of Democrats. That’s a lot of egos and agendas to feed.
The secret to a governor’s power in Sacramento has always been the ability to cross party lines, to maintain a degree of leverage that you sometimes need with your own side.
The idea is to play both sides off each other and push them to the middle — but if you don’t have two sides, then the only direction to push is on you. Thank you: I spent last week in Dallas for the funeral of my sister Gwendolyn Hill, who died unexpectedly. I am grateful for the many people who reached out to comfort the Brown clan, especially Mayor London Breed, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Kamala Harris. To them and a host of other friends, thank you for the sympathy.
Pix picks: OK, OK, I know the Oscars are Sunday night.
The best picture will either be “Green Book” or “BlacKkKlansman” — in other words, it will be a black-based movie.
The best actor will for sure be Viggo Mortensen for “Green Book — although my Texas friends seem to think Christian Bale will take it for his portrayal of Dick Cheney in “Vice.”
My bet for best actress is Glenn Close for “The Wife,” and the best supporting actor will be Mahershala Ali for “Green Book.”
Emma Stone will probably win best supporting actress for “The Favourite,” although it should go to Regina King for “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
And finally, my friend Spike Lee should win best director for “BlacKkKlansman,” but I don’t think he’ll get it. Bet it goes to Alfonso Cuarón for “Roma.”