I'm trans. I hope Newsom falls off a cliff. But if he had been running against Trump instead of Harris I would have held my nose and checked the box, because strategy isn't about throwing a fit until you get the scenario you want, it's about doing what you can with the hand you've got.
I'm trans too, fwiw. I've reached a slightly different conclusion, though I respect yours:
I am going to pre-commit not to vote for Newsom. I'm going to encourage as many people as I can to pre-commit. If Progressives pledge not to vote for him, and the DNC knows they're serious, Newsom will lose the primary. He'll lose because it will be apparent to DNC superdelegates that Progressives won't show up for him, and that without the Progressive vote Newsom will not win the election.
Basically, it's like nuclear war: if you're nuked, you shouldn't retaliate, because nuking back would wipe out all of humanity, instead of half. But your enemy must know that you've pre-committed to retaliate, otherwise they will nuke you.
It's a stupid game equilibrium but inevitable, IMO.
if Progressives are supposed to vote blue no matter who, then Centrists can too. If someone like Mamdani beats Newsom in the 2028 primary they can suck it up and vote for him.
I've swallowed loads the past three elections, it's their turn to take one for the team.
Being trans has nothing to do with anything. How do you know what I've experienced or not?
Are you trans?
Are you a member of any minority group that Gavin Newsom has pledged to crack down on? (I'm referencing the Charlie Kirk interview (you know, the Turning Point USA guy) I linked on a sibling post, where he said he was in "100% agreement" with him.)
If not, you fuck off. It's like asking a Jew to support Röhm so Hitler doesn't get reelected führer.
However, I think California passed a law to require restaurants to only provide water when asked, but that might only be when there's a drought and a need to conserve potable water supplies.
while continuing to pump water to golf courses, of course.
I think we should ban guns altogether. Failing that, I'd like to guns away from violently unstable people. But this Administration is constantly portraying leftists and trans people in particular as violently unstable, while turning a blind eye to white supremacists, J6 truthers and "patriots."
I have zero confidence they won't include gender dysphoria and "Trump derangement syndrome" on the list of mental illnesses (states have actually tried this.)
As long as fascists are armed, trans people must not be disarmed.
I refuse to vote for him after he appeared on Charlie Kirk's podcast, said he completely aligns with him on trans issues, in particular banning HRT for minors and putting trans women in men's prisons.
At the close of the podcast, Charlie Kirk shifted the discussion to transgender healthcare, stating, "I encourage you to learn about the butchery that is happening under chemical castration in this state. The American people are overwhelmingly against it." Newsom responded, "Yeah. I think we have to be more sensitized to that."
Kirk continued, "Youth should be off limits, you might be right on deportations, I know I’m right on this," to which Newsom simply acknowledged, "Yeah." Kirk then cited the Cass Report—a widely criticized and legally discredited review used to justify bans on transgender healthcare in the UK—as evidence that gender-affirming care for youth should be prohibited. Newsom offered no pushback, replying, "I’m not an expert on this, but I appreciate your broader [point]."
I honestly thought he was looking to run as a Republican in 2028. Fuck him. I'm done. I held my nose and voted for Clinton, Biden, and Harris, but this is my breaking point. I've had it.
Trump supporters are likely to ban "lunatics" from owning guns. when conservative media reports on shootings, the focus is on the "lunatic" rather than the easy availability of AR-15s.
the problem is who MAGA frames as "lunatics": leftists in general, trans people specifically. every time there's a mass shooting, rumors spread that the shooter was trans. usually it's a lie, but this time it's evidently true.
I think they're manufacturing consent for mental illness background checks, so they can list gender dysphoria as a mental illness and disarm us.
I'm trans too, fwiw. I've reached a slightly different conclusion, though I respect yours:
I am going to pre-commit not to vote for Newsom. I'm going to encourage as many people as I can to pre-commit. If Progressives pledge not to vote for him, and the DNC knows they're serious, Newsom will lose the primary. He'll lose because it will be apparent to DNC superdelegates that Progressives won't show up for him, and that without the Progressive vote Newsom will not win the election.
Basically, it's like nuclear war: if you're nuked, you shouldn't retaliate, because nuking back would wipe out all of humanity, instead of half. But your enemy must know that you've pre-committed to retaliate, otherwise they will nuke you.
It's a stupid game equilibrium but inevitable, IMO.