Gavin Newsom’s campaign hasn’t exactly been soaring lately. His fundraising numbers are rather disappointing when compared with Jerry Brown’s robust numbers, he fired/lost his closest, and best, adviser, while keeping one who kind of despises the grassroots. Oh, and then there’s the SF Weekly article sort of ripping him to shreds.
But all is not lost for the dashingly slick mayor of the City of St. Francis. He’s getting some big time help. From a press release:
San Francisco, CA – Former President Bill Clinton and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will participate in two events together in Los
Angeles on October 5, the Newsom for California campaign announced today. One event will be a fundraiser to benefit the Mayor’s primary
campaign for governor.“President Clinton’s record of achievement as president and as a senior statesman is inspiring to all Democrats,” said Newsom. “I am truly honored that he will join me in October.”
If there is one thing that the Big Dog can do, other than rescue reporters, it is raise money. The fundraiser and appearance will give Newsom a desperately needed boost at a time when Jerry Brown is running away with a race that he hasn’t actually entered yet.
It is going to take more than a couple of campaign stops for the Newsom campaign to really challenge the Jerry Brown Express, yet, if you had to pick a name that would help in a Democratic primary, Bill Clinton would be pretty high on that list.
UPDATE by Dave: ABC News has a report. A (public?) event is reportedly scheduled to be held in October in East Los Angeles, a largely Latino area. The real benefit of this endorsement will come if Newsom can tap in to the ground effort that Hillary Clinton used so well to defeat Barack Obama, particularly in the Latino and Asian communities.
must still get to the Big Dog, ay?
This means little unless Newsom accesses the Clinton fundraising and, more important, ground machine here in California. Hillary beat Barack Obama here by tapping into that ground machine.
That wasn’t the experience in this year’s Virginia primary where Clinton could turn out dick for crowds and didn’t raise much — for his best friend.
All one has to do is insert a cruel joke about both men’s personal lives and well…there you go.
It’s really no surprise though. I mean, Jerry Brown really raked Bill over the coals in the primaries about his ethics. Remember that debate in Chicago when the secret service was ready to separate them because Bill was furious anyone would suggest Hillary didn’t walk on water?
Plus, Gavin’s way behind, and can’t take any criticism. One only has to take a video camera on Muni for a day, and edit the footage into an ad, and that’d be enough to scare anyone away from the boy.
Plus, we saw how well Bill worked out for Hillary.