What the fuck is Gavin Newsom doing?

[Self Esteem]

I don't get it. Who's he trying to win over here? I get wanting to listen to the other side but Newsom is not just platforming the other side - he's platforming the most extreme people on the other side. Worse, he seems to let them control the narrative way too easily.

Look: don't take this as me bashing Newsom. I am asking a legitimate question: what the fuck is he doing? Because I'm not getting it.

[choie]

1. The answer is: pandering.

n/t

[Sogo]

2. Maybe the same thing Pete Buttigege is doing by regularly going on Fox.

nt.

[Self Esteem]

5. Here's the kicker: Steven Bannon is too crazy for FOX News.

So, even that comparison falls short. Steve Bannon is a lunatic extremist and no Democrat should ever be in the same room with him willingly.

[dflprincess]

8. Pete is better at controlling the narrative. nt

[Rebl2]

104. Yep

[Grenouille50]

30. I disagree

Buttigeig destroys their talking points. He doesn’t massage their message.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

34. Which is also a bad idea... why give Fux Witda News any credibility?!

[MadameButterfly]

62. because we need to reach the people in the bubble

who are reachable and who aren't going to change the channel

[Think. Again.]

176. No we don't need to reach republicans...

We need to reach non-voters and this is NOT the way to do that.

[MadameButterfly]

214. Of course we need to reach Republicans that actually vote

If last election didn't make one vote, what makes you think they'll vote now?

The people who voted for both Reagan and Obama, for both Biden and Trump--these people are changeable. They are maybe Republicans, maybe not. If they are in a bubble they'll buy the lies and won't have any real information to consider.

Do you think there aren't any people in this category who would care if they understood SS is at risk? Is it important for them to understand that it wasn't broken until Elon came along? They won't hear about that in the bubble. Do you think they need to know that Elon's claimed saving are a lie, and that Trump is wasting millions on unecessary military carriers for immigrants? Are Republican children immune from cancer? Are there any who rely on special ed for their kids that will go away with the Dept. of Ed.? Do they understand that tarriffs cause inflation and do any of them need to buy stuff?

They will hurt, but if they don't connect the dots they won't know to blame Trump. People will vote for their own interests if they understand where they are coming from.

[Think. Again.]

215. No, republicans will rarely change to vote Dem...

....an easier path is to plead our case to non-voters once they recognize how much politics done wrong is hurting them personally.

[MadameButterfly]

216. This is not a usual circumstance. Rare doesn't mean never. And people

who didn't vote in the last election will rarely vote.

The point is we will not get enough of each group so we need to go for both.

[LAS14]

140. I totally agree with MadamButterfly (#62). I'm hoping this thread will give ...

...Buttigieg's approach more visibility.

But that visual has me thinking Newsom is tipping over the edge.

[MadameButterfly]

217. Thanks but

Newsome and Buttigieg are the 2 most articulate politicans since Bill Clinton and Obama. I think it's worth giving them some latitude. If anyone can talk to people in the buble and not get tripped up by nefarious Fox hosts, it's these two. They are so good, they love the challenge. So I say go for it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

92. There's a difference between using your own platform to give fascists a chance to make their case and going on Fox

to make your case there. Does Newsom's platform give Bannon credibility to people who otherwise wouldn't listen to him? Does going on Fox decrease Buttigieg's credibility to his supporters? Does it decrease Fox's credibility to its supporters?

[pinkstarburst]

115. This right here.

I'm actually really disgusted by the direction this podcast has taken. Newsom was one of my top 3 that I was interested in for 2028 and now I feel like I have learned things I really don't like and no longer would consider him. I don't want a candidate who is reaching out to right wingers and giving them a major platform to reach our listeners. Just why?

[pinkstarburst]

114. Except Pete is a master at controlling the narrative

and getting democratic talking points across no matter how the Fox interviewers try to spin things. Every time I hear Mayor Pete interviewed, I feel more hopeful. Newsom's podcasts leave a gross taste in my mouth. Feels like he's pandering to right wing extremists to try to get attention.

[LAS14]

139. Can you imagine Buttigieg participating in a visual like that one? nt

[Carlitos Brigante]

3. He really thinks he's gonna be president and somehow making nice with authoritarian fascists

is gonna help get him there.

[leftstreet]

13. +1

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

35. Zero chance!!

[themaguffin]

144. That's not what he's thinking. FFS.

[chowder66]

4. I think he's trying to see if he can reach people on

The other side.

[Self Esteem]

6. The people who know and listen to Bannon are Neo-Nazis.

[leftstreet]

9. He needs to reach out to his own side

Trump won because Democrats didn't show up for Harris

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

36. BINGO!!

[RazorbackExpat]

93. How many Democratic voters were purged from the voter rolls

without their knowledge a la Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004? How many provisional Democratic ballots were rejected? How many Democratic mail-in ballots were tossed out?

[Callie1979]

157. How many? There should be a story on rejected ballots & why

I've been told this numerous times about GA but there's never been one story shown to me about a ballot being rejected. We had record turnout in GA.

[Think. Again.]

177. Sounds like an excellent topic for a Newsom podcast (instead of amplifying magats).

[orangecrush]

143. Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Callie1979]

158. You're right. But then we're not allowed to go into any depth as to WHY

WHY was the turnout lower & WHY did trump get more votes from Dems?

[Silent Type]

47. We win big if someone can convert 5% of people who voted for trump. Have no idea if Newsom's approach will

work. But if it doesn’t make him a viable/winning candidate, he’ll get bounced early in primaries. I’m OK with trying something different.

Maybe Newsom will punch him. That would be worth a few points in polls.

[crimycarny]

130. Convert 5% of Trumpers, lose 20% of your base

I don't think this will help Newsom at all. I understand what he is trying to do, but it will backfire.

Many are comparing Newsom inviting Bannon to Pete Buttigieg going on Fox News. There is a huge difference between going into the Lion's Den (Pete going to Fox News) and inviting the Lion into your home.

If Newsom wants to reach Trump voters, he should go onto right-wing platforms, not invite them onto his.

[Silent Type]

134. I hope base is not that damn stupid. I'm not sure Newsom is our best bet, but it's not because he has Bannon on.

[crimycarny]

137. All I can say is that as a Newsom fan his recent pivots turn me off

And if fans of Newsom are turned off by this, imagine those on the fence. but maybe I'm just "stupid".

I would much rather see Pete Buttigieg put his hat in the ring for 2028.

[Think. Again.]

178. We would win bigger if we got 5% of non-voters.

[Silent Type]

179. Don't really care where they come from-x Potential voters or a small percentage that might vote Dem,

but didn’t like what we were offering, are good. Rallying the base didn’t work last November, gotta do more.

[Think. Again.]

181. Yes, reaching out to non-voters who simply don't think about how politics affects them...

....instead of trying to change the minds of hardcore republicans or disgruntled ex-Dems, would be doing more.

That was how the rightwingers built their base, reaching out to (previously) non-political, non-voters on AM talk radio.

[SunSeeker]

7. He's taking it to Republicans. He's very good at this.

I'm glad someone is debating them. Plus he might get Bannon to agree with him on a few things, like how Musk’s Medicaid cuts hurt MAGAts.

[Self Esteem]

10. Bannon isn't just a Republican. He's a Neo-Nazi.

This isn't taking it to Republicans.

And when he had Kirk on last week, he was not very good at shooting down Kirk's anti-trans comments. In fact, he readily agreed with them.

[SunSeeker]

16. All Republicans are racist. Some don't try to hide it. But they are all racists.

Newsom is a moderate Democrat. He opposes trans women who didn't transition until after puberty playing in women's sports. That wasn't because of Kirk. That's just Newsom's position. And that is more liberal than 66% of Democratic voters. Americans have grown more supportive of restrictions for trans people in recent years. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/26/americans-have-grown-more-supportive-of-restrictions-for-trans-people-in-recent-years/
A New York Times/Ipsos poll conducted in January found that nearly 80 percent of Americans, including more than two-thirds of Democrats, opposed allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports--regardless of when they transitioned.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/gavin-newsom-transgender-sports-democrats.html

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

37. 100+

[Sugarcoated]

11. Yes, he is

I look forward to checking out the interview

[Silent Type]

48. Totally agree. We only have to turn a few percentage points of trump voters. Something like this might

work. If not, Newsom won’t make it through primaries.

[flamingdem]

54. THIS!

There are overlapping issues.

Peel Bannon away from Musk

[Cha]

83. And, Mump thinking he's Entitled to Steal our SS is

Hurting maga, too.

[LeftInTX]

12. Trying to lose a primary?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

39. Not trying... succeeding!!

[Silent Type]

14. I'm not sure why either. I'm not ready to get too critical until I see how the approach works.

Did not see first podcast, but I might watch. In person, I’d probably punch Bannon.

Hoping there is method to Newsom’s approach.

[Frasier Balzov]

15. It's a third-way miscalculation.

In my opinion, ruining his chances in a Democratic presidential primary.

But he's the professional politician, so what do I know?

[Arazi]

17. Taking himself out of the potential candidate pool for 2028

And I’m ok with that. He’s too polarizing.

Let’s go Pritzker!

[CountAllVotes]

26. Newsom is not near a popular as some think

A lot of my blue friends don't like him much.

I'm not thrilled with him either.

Why in the hell am I paying close to $6.00 a gallon for gasoline and oh yeah, my PG&E was so high, I've had to turn the furnace to OFF. It was 52 degree in the house the other morning as Newsom looks the other way as they seek more money and another bail-out will be coming again soon!

He's a bit to slick for my likes, I will at least admit.

Presidential material? I really do not think so.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

40. Agreed.

[NewHendoLib]

18. OMFG. So many Dems have lost the plot.

[dweller]

19. Trying to win back

A Greek ambassador ?




ewww



✌🏻

[RockRaven]

20. I can think of several things but don't know if it is any of them, or an unnamed one.

He could be trying to pander to TCF et al to limit the harm TCF does to CA while he is Governor. Like after the Paradise Fire when he played nice with Donnie Dotard and his photo op to get federal resources and cooperation.

He could be trying to expose MAGAts/RWers (who may listen b/c their hero is the guest) to arguments outside of what they hear in their RW media -- to open them to the notion that Dems aren't all the crazy/scary demons their media and social media says. That is a long process, starting sooner is better than later if we are going to peel any of them off before the next election.

He could be trying to seem more centrist, just by engaging with RWers, in preparation for a run in 2028.

He could be trying to build a media presence for a career as a political gadfly after his term is up (2026/7).

He could be trying to build an image/presentation of a not-strictly-partisan figure to enable a post-politics career on various boards/organizations.

I wouldn't bet money on any particular one of these. Because it is also possible his motives and ideas are muddled.

[chowder66]

49. Here is what he is doing....

I’m Gavin Newsom. And, it’s time to have a conversation. It’s time to have honest discussions with people that agree AND disagree with us. It's time to answer the hard questions and be open to criticism, and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one other. I will be doing just that on my new podcast – inviting people on who I deeply disagree with to talk about the most pressing issues of the day and inviting listeners from around the country to join the conversation. THIS is Gavin Newsom.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-this-is-gavin-newsom-268904129/

[flamingdem]

55. He knows that Americans like to be entertained and have no

attention span.

They love celebrity and charisma.

He's got it.

[LAS14]

141. I'm afraid you're right. The future of democracy has never looked so threatened. nt

[red dog 1]

73. "It's time to answer the hard questions"?? (From your podcast link)

If that's what Newsom is doing, why does he waste so much time on his 3 minute podcast discussing the fucking Menendez brothers?

"Hard questions"?

Here's a "hard question" for Newsom:
WTF can Dems & other Trump-haters DO to stop this smelly A$$HOLE (who shits himself) from destroying the fundamental framework of America: a democracy based on "checks and balances" put into place by our founders more than 200 years ago?

Why doesn't Newsom address THAT question instead of the fucking Menendez brothers?

[Retrograde]

21. Running for president

He's pretty sure he'll carry California, but he needs a lot more states' votes. So he's pandering to the right wing so he'll be able to get voters in MI, MN, PA, AZ, WI, etc. He's term-limited, so he can't run for governor again, the two senators wont' be up for re-election until 28 and 30 (and he probably thinks that's a step down), so the only job he can ascend to is president.

I generally like him as governor, but he does have a tendency to stick his foot in his mouth occasionally.

[cadoman]

69. but the pivot to the center is supposed to happen _after_ you win the primary

...not three years before that...

This just feels mismanaged but maybe there's something I'm missing.

[Phoenix61]

22. Proving he's absolutely clueless about who he needs to reach.

Neo-Nazis and Christian Nationalists are never ever going to vote for him. His interview with Kirk was an effing disaster. I don’t imagine this one will go any better.

[SunSeeker]

27. What was so disastrous about it?

[Phoenix61]

28. Did you listen to it? He was all buddy with Charlie.nt

[SunSeeker]

31. No. So it was disastrous because he was polite to Kirk?

How about his actual debate points?

[Phoenix61]

38. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-this-is-gavin-newsom-268904129/

Have a listen.

[SunSeeker]

43. I prefer not to listen to Kirk. So you can't explain what you mean?

I tried to find a sumnary and all I found was this: https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-podcast-debut-charlie-kirk-transgender-athletes-2040705

Nothing in that article indicates disaster. On the contrary, it sounds like Newsom is genuinely trying to figure out how Dems lost young men, and how we can get them back.

[Phoenix61]

66. Here's one I found but listen for yourself and make up your own mind.

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a new podcast, and if the first episode is any indication, he plans to spend it sucking up to right-wing influencers and making digs at his own political party.”
https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/gavin-newsom-podcast-charlie-kirk-humiliating-20207067.php

[SunSeeker]

72. I want to know why you think it was "disastrous."

If you can't articulate it, so be it.

That SF Gate piece you provided bashed him for his stance against trans women in women's sports. But 80% of voters, including over two-thirds of Democrats, agree with Newsom. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/gavin-newsom-transgender-sports-democrats.html

In HuffPo journalist Yashar Ali's X post where Bannon's appearance was noted, several replies by right wingers weren't happy with Kirk's performance, complaining "Kirk threw softballs" and expected Bannon would do better. My guess is Newsom will get Bannon to agree that Musk shouldn't cut Medicaid.

Link to tweet

[Nixie]

88. It does just sound like he's going right into the fray and taking

up space in RW territory. Bernie goes on Fox and he also “critiques” Democrats, so what’s the big deal if a Democrat does the same thing. It’s not pandering. It’s just a strategy to go into a supposed hostile space and start owning it. Newsom is just being fearless.

[Phoenix61]

95. It was like listening to Eva Braun interview Hitler.

Does that help? He didn’t ask Kirk one question. He let him talk about whatever he wanted to. There wasn’t any mention of any of Kirk’s beliefs about anything other than young men felt abandoned and he reached out to them. Nothing about what he says when he’s reaching out to them. Things like women should marry younger and have more babies and pursuing a career isn’t important for women. None of that. No “Christ saved my life and the Bible is true.” Nope, skipped right over that. Not any of what Kirk actually believes . Just “I reached out to abandoned young men and trans women shouldn’t compete in women’s sports.” Made him seem like a nice young man just trying to help out other nice young men.

[SunSeeker]

182. Oh come on. Newsom was not being "Eva Braun."

I personally can't stand the sound of Kirk's voice and he is totally uneducated and crude. He has no college, but he has a feral cunning that allowed him to seize opportunities he saw in the social media sphere, developing an enormous following. I briefly scanned the transcript of the podcast and did not find any fawning on Newsom's part. He did let Kirk talk, which is the whole point of a podcast.

Newsom had him on to discuss the youth vote and why young men in particular swung to Trump, and how Kirk helped with that. That is how the show was advertised. It was not about religion or women.

And as I pointed out up the thread, the right wing were not particularly happy with Kirk's performance. They thought he was being too nice, that he "threw softballs."

Kirk did make some important and obvious points that we need to act on, namely that young men see no hope of doing as well as their parents, that college is no guarantee of a good job anymore, and they fear AI will take away what little decent jobs are left. Sadly, young men with no hope are more susceptible to men like Kirk and Trump.

BTW, if you are really concerned about sexism, you shouldn't try to insult a man by saying he is like a women.

[Phoenix61]

185. Wow, just wow. nt

[lapfog_1]

201. no, Gavin is NOT Eva Braun

He was once married to her.



That alone shows a serious lack of judgment.

[SunSeeker]

202. Oh come on. She was a completely different person when she was with Gavin.

She lost her mind as she got power hungry. That's why they broke up...which showed good judgement on his part.

I mean, it's like she became possessed by the devil after she was eclipsed at the San Francisco District Attorney's office by rising star Kamala Harris. She has been bitter ever since, and that was over 20 years ago. https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/kamala-harris-kimberly-guilfoyle-still-have-beef-19787547.php

Disappointment can turn a heart dark. Compare the woman she was when she was with Gavin in 2001 to who she is now:



Gavin is now happily married to a wonderful woman and has beautiful kids.

Enough with the Gavin cheapshots. Sheesh.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

41. After 30 seconds of that I couldn't listen any longer.

[tulipsandroses]

70. Agreed. This is ridiculous. It would make a lot more sense to platform disaffected Trump voters

that are waking up to being hurt by trump policies. Platforming bigots makes no damn sense. Other than just being disgusting bigots, these people make a living being hateful. They are not going to give up their lucrative incomes spreading hate and lies to have a change of heart or meeting of the minds.

Secondly, I wish democrats would stop pursuing the proverbial white whale. Instead, double down on the base, reinvigorate voters that did note vote in 24, go after non voters. Platforming bigots is not the way.

[Yavin4]

23. The make-or-break primary for any DNC candidate for the presidency is South Carolina

where a majority of the voters are African American women.

How does hosting Charlie Kirk or Steve Bannon on his podcast help him win that primary?

[SunSeeker]

24. African American women want someone who can win.

That's why they went for Biden in the 2020 primary.

[Keepthesoulalive]

29. But they will not vote for someone

Who invites racists into the house.

[SunSeeker]

33. Losing an election invites racists into the White House.

African American women are very practical. They have had to be.

[Keepthesoulalive]

97. They are also know when someone

Is not sincere. Steve Bannon and people like him are not our friends and we don’t need democrats like Fettermen and Manchin. We need Democrats who stand for stated American values not people who pander to the looney right wing. It will take a very strong leader to put this country on the right path, I don’t know if the governor of California is that person. Right now he seems like a political opportunist.

[SunSeeker]

119. It is about time Democrats took advantage of opportunities.

Why do you think Newsom is not sincere? Geez, are we going to give him the Hillary treatment before he even gets out the gate?

[Keepthesoulalive]

124. I judge people by their associates

Steve Bannon helped elect trump the first time and also is a convicted felon. Tell me and show me where you stand on the issues. Right now I am not impressed.

[SunSeeker]

125. Bannon is not Newsom's associate.

Newsom is debating Bannon, and in the process contrasting their respective stands on the issues.

[Keepthesoulalive]

127. Associate as in dialogue with

The man is a toxic racist and grifter he should be shunned . There is nothing this cretin can add to the public discourse, don’t give him air.

[SunSeeker]

133. It's a debate.

Virtually every Republican is a toxic racist. Debating them does benefit the public. In fact, it is absolutely crucial. We can't just cede the public square to them. If we can't hold our own against them, we're done.

[Keepthesoulalive]

166. You don't debate liars

You do not give them a platform. I think we saw the fallacy during the presidential debates. It legitimizes them. They should be shunned.

[SunSeeker]

167. All Republicans are liars. We can't give up debating them.

The whole "don't legitimize them" ship has long sailed away. They control the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court and won more votes than we did. That might have worked when they were fringe, but these fascists are now mainstream Republicans.

Harris debated Trump, and he's the biggest liar of them all. We have no choice. We must engage with these assholes and debate them. If we can't stand up to them, we're done.

[Keepthesoulalive]

170. I am not a fan of Bernie Sanders

But he has the right approach . Get out there and rally the people. Forget the debates get out there and channel the people’s anger at these monsters. The people he’s talking to have nothing for the American people. Perhaps a town hall.

[tulipsandroses]

96. We voted for Biden because we TRUSTED him. Because he had Obama's back.

At this very moment, he is showing us that he cannot be trusted. We are organizing in record numbers right now. Win with black women, the first organization to boost VP Harris the moment it was announced she would run, organized Turn The TV Off movement. - WE are boycotting MSNBC. National Urban League went to court to fight trump's racist DEI bullshit. Pastor Bryant is leading the 40 Day Target Fast and there are a number of other black organizations right now doing the work and fighting hard. Trust and believe that we are not going to just vote for anyone. Any democrat that believes that, really needs to take a look at how we are organizing right now and the work that we are doing. WE understand that racism may make some uncomfortable, but for us it is dangerous. Our lives and our children's lives are at stake. Big mistake to take our votes for granted.

[SunSeeker]

117. Yes, racism is deadly for people of color. That's why it's so important to win elections.

Newsom is not taking anyone for granted. He's simply debating MAGAt opinion leaders, and sadly that is who Bannon and Kirk are. Trump gained with people of color. If we don't deal with this reality, we will lose again.

[tulipsandroses]

190. The black folks, especially in regards to black men that voted for trump, were never going to vote for Democrats

They are just as bigoted. The black manosphere is filled with hate for women, immigrants and the LGBTQ community. They are just as toxic as their white counterparts . This is not anything new. These problematic folks have always been a part of our community, just like all other communities. The type of men that rail against BLM because it was founded by Queer women. Their whining about women has been a thing unfortunately for some time.The so called black men vs black women war has been ongoing. Thankfully this is just a tiny fraction of black men.
I have yet to see any black trump voter give a coherent argument about voting for trump. It's the same bigoted nonsense. Trans, immigrants, abortion, men not getting a fair shot anymore or some other nonsense conspiracy theory.

There are a lot more people that feel that the system does not work for them, that do not vote. The smart thing to do is activate those people to grow the base. Follow what Stacy Abrams did in GA. What Jesse Jackson did in the 80's to get record #s of non voters to register to vote. It can be done.
Follow the blue print. .

Spinning your wheels trying to convince people who do not share democratic values is a waste of time and sure to piss off a core constituency.

[SunSeeker]

199. Sadly, a black man I went to college with voted for Trump.

He used to vote Democratic until 2016. He's an entrepreneur and is all about business being totally free to make money and he thinks Trump promises that. He talks a lot like Larry Elder.

But the real shocker is all the young men who turned to Trump -- that used to be part of our base.

It's not "spinning our wheels," it's seeing what that is all about and what we can do to get them back.

We can walk and chew gum. Newsom can do these podcasts and Dems can get people registered to vote like Stacy Abrams did in Georgia. The two are not mutually exclusive.

[questionseverything]

207. *rump got 30% of the black male vote, it's never been that bad before

[Keepthesoulalive]

209. 82% of black men voted for vice president Harris

The only other group that out voted them was black women . If other ethnic groups voted as black men did we would not have these issues.

[questionseverything]

210. That's not the number I have seen

That asshole k west has been preaching “dems are using you” since *rump’s first term and unfortunately it’s influenced some young men but even at 71% if everyone voted like that democrats would win, but to go from the 98% support Obama enjoyed to 71% was enough to lose Michigan or Wisconsin

[Keepthesoulalive]

211. Michigan , the middle eastern community was upset by

The Palestinian issue and they were encouraged to vote for Jill Stein, not vote or vote for trump. This discussion would not be necessary if 64% of white men had not voted for trump.
White people need to step up and vote for the good of the country not their fear someone is getting more than them, DEI.
Talking to the people who helped engineer this mess will not help, let’s give good democrats a viable platform.
I believe my sources are correct but if they are not, the blame for this mess still rests with the white majority, they have not voted for a democrat for president since LBJ.

[questionseverything]

218. Jokes on me, for a minute I forgot there's virtually no chance of another free and fair election

I wasn’t trying to assign the “blame “ to anyone, I was thinking of who we might be able to reach

[Keepthesoulalive]

219. I don't have answers

Young people do not have the ability discern misinformation pushed by people of the same age and ethnicity. There were a lot of influencers pushing Trump and his lies . One of them was he is going to spread coin all over the neighborhood, like he did with COVID. He will deport only criminals , not good hard working Hispanics. He was a successful businessman and none of the legacy media pushed back. What is very sad is he looks strong and decisive and the democrats look weak.
The only thing I can think of is our own group of influencers on alternate media.

[Yavin4]

98. Biden didn't do what Newsom is doing.

Biden didn't platform racists like Newsom is doing. Tell me, what's the strategy here?

[SunSeeker]

118. Newsom is not platforming them. They already have massive platforms. He is debating them.

Which is desperately needed. Kirk and Bannon have huge online followings, sadly. Many right wingers are complaining on Twitter about Kirk and Bannon getting on Newsom's little-known podcast.

[Yavin4]

121. Do you honestly think that debating fascists solves anything?

Do you think that they're going to come around from a debate?

Also, yes, inviting fascists on your podcast is indeed platforming them. Instead of hosting people harmed by DOGE cuts, he's putting on outright racists and White supremacists.

[SunSeeker]

126. Do you honestly think we can win elections without debating our opponents?

This isn't about getting Bannon or Kirk to come around. This is about getting the Obama-Trump voter to come around.

Face it, these fascists are mainstream Republicans now. That is the Republican Party now.

[Yavin4]

129. What about the voter that abandon the party over Gaza?

Democrats lost more voters from that than anything else.

[SunSeeker]

132. The FAFO is hitting those idiots pretty hard right now.

But ultimately they were not the reason we lost. They were probably the reason we lost Michigan, but not all the swing states.

[Yavin4]

135. So, we should reach out to Fascists but previous supporters who didn't vote bc of Gaza, those people can go FAFO.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant politics. Let's chase after voters who will never vote for us and completely ignore voters that did once voter for us, but balked over a policy dispute which we can resolve.

And then people actually wonder why the Democrats lose so much.

[SunSeeker]

148. All working people who voted for Trump will get hit with FAFO. That's our opportunity to pounce.

They need to hear us taking to the right wing thought leaders to see how wrong they were.

Again, Newsom is not "reaching out" to fascists. He's debating them.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

42. It doesn't, but no worries... there are so many qualified candidates ready to step up.

Glad to recently see Tim Walz among them.

[yorkster]

50. Me too. Think he's terrific.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

59. Yes!! In hindsight, the campaign should have given Gov. Walz WAY more public exposure out on the campaign trail.

He's got SO much charisma... would make a PHENOMENAL candidate to represent our progressive populist principles and bring frequent non-voters -- ones who, election after election, have felt ignored and indignant -- over to our side.

[yorkster]

81. Yes. Dynamic and very smart. Also funny.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

89. True on ALL three counts... would make an EXCELLENT candidate in 2028!!

[Tootbsb]

25. I can't find this on his pod cast page or website.

I’m not sure if this is real.

[In It to Win It]

45. Same

[WhiskeyGrinder]

91. It's there now.

[Hassler]

32. He's telling us who he is, someone who should never be president

[SunSeeker]

57. Newsom has been a great CA governor and would be a great president.

We'll see who wins the 2028 Dem primary. But whoever wins our primary, wouldn't you agree they'd be a million times better as president than Vance or Don Jr?

[Hassler]

64. Pandering to transphobic, racist antisemites

Like Charlie Kirk and felon boozehound Bannon doesn't inspire me to vote for him. If he's on the ballot, sure, but I hope to God not

[SunSeeker]

67. It is not pandering to them. It is debating them.

Face it, these two racists represent millions of Americans, including many young men and independents we lost to Trump in 2024.

Unless we can figure out how to debate these glib racists and come out on top, we're done.

[Hassler]

71. There is no debating them anymore than

We can debate the third Reich. When they tell you who they are, believe them

[SunSeeker]

74. Not debating is giving up. We can't just cede half the electorate to them.

We absolutely can and must debate the Reich Wing. That is who are political opponents are. They used to be fringe, but now they are the Republican Party. Ignoring them didn't work.

[Hassler]

75. What do you think debating Stephen Miller or Chump himself

Will do? I think some of his voters can be influenced, but not by talking to traitors like Kirk or convicted fraudster Bannon

[SunSeeker]

76. Trump has 34 convictions, is the biggest traitor of all, and Kamala debated him.

We have no choice. Republicans are all criminals, racists, traitors and con artists. Either we debate them or we give up.

If we debate them well, we could peel off some votes, enough to win.

[Hassler]

77. Maybe if Newsome debated normy MAGAts.

Otherwise, there is no cracking a cult until it cracks itself. All I see from Newsome is Next Gen Schumer/Jeffers. Good luck to you on your project.

[SunSeeker]

78. We can't wait for MAGAts to "crack" themselves.

We don't have that kind of time, nor can we allow that kind of distraction.

[progressoid]

160. We live in a post debate world

Kirk, Bannon & Michael Savage all have their own shows that spew their lies and grift all day. They are the worst of the the worst. The people that listen to them aren't interested in rational debate - they want their hatred and bigotry reinforced. Newsom will never get their supporters to flip. They are also the worst of the worst.

I don't think he's trying to find common ground or woo MAGA voters to our side. But... having these fascist blowhards on his show does probably gives him better ratings.

[SunSeeker]

161. We will never live in a post debate world.

We may change how we debate, but we will always debate. It is how we make decisions.

[progressoid]

163. OK. A post-fact world

Have you ever talked to a Trump supporter? I know too many IRL. It's a cult. They have no interest in facts (or debate).

The people that listen to Bannon et. al. are horrible people. These are not the people we need to find common ground with.

Also, I listened to a Newsom's foray into this podcast world, and Bannon bested him.

[SunSeeker]

168. We must learn how to debate these assholes or we're done.

Ignoring them has not worked.

[progressoid]

169. Well, if we "debate" them the way Newsom does on his podcast, we are DEFINITELY done.

Not saying we should ignore them. But neither should we invite them into our homes for a what amounts to a rally.

Newsom doesn''t debate them. He lets them take over his podcast and spew their propaganda unchecked. It's painful to listen to.

[SunSeeker]

174. What the fuck are you talking about? Newsom did great in that podcast with Bannon.

Did you listen to the whole thing? It was not painful at all to listen to. I listened to every minute of it. It was fascinating. Newsom got Bannon to repeatedly admit we need to tax the rich. Newsom then pointed out that is what California does. Bannon tried to get in a dig by saying California is one of the highest taxed states but Newsom corrected him that it does not have high taxes for working people, just the rich. Bannon had no comeback to that. As expected, Bannon bashed silicon valley tech bros, including Musk.

Bannon said DOGE needs to be transparent and needs to show waste, fraud and abuse, acknowledging that has not happened yet.

And what I found particularly amazing was he had Bannon singing the praises of Lina Khan, the Commissioner of the United States Federal Trade Commission under Biden, and how she went after corporations. Bannon praised the working class economic populism of Sherrod Brown, Ro Khana and John Fetterman as well. Bannon was quite congenial and closed the show by saying it was an "honor" to be on Newsom's show.

I am sure a lot of right wingers were really disappointed in Bannon's performance.

[progressoid]

204. Well the reviews tell another story.

Is there any proof that right wingers are disappointed in him? Other than the freeper crazies who already think he's a traitor to Trump.

I just saw a right wing Insta account (that I won't link to for obvious reasons) that said, "Bannon bullied Newsom on his own show for 56 minutes."

And in the rest of the media...

Gavin Newsom’s Podcast Interview With Steve Bannon “Unforgivable And Insane,” Says Adam Kinzinger

And Kinzinger wasn’t the only one.

CNN this evening had a panel discussion that was chyroned “Liberals Furious With Gavin Newsom For Giving Steve Bannon A Platform.” The dustup was also later revisited on the network’s Laura Coates Live. Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA) told Coates he also once interviewed Bannon, but it was for a very different purpose: to find out what the former White House staffer knew about Trump’s dealings with Russia.

Swalwell called Newsom “fearless” for going on Sean Hannity’s show and debating Ron DeSantis.

“I just think we can learn a lot more from people who are not Steve Bannon or Charlie Kirk,” he said. “Steve Bannon’s an arsonist who doesn’t contribute to the dialog.”

Steve Bannon's Brand of Populism Finds Unlikely Support From Gavin Newsom

Bannon told Newsweek that his conversation with Newsom, which was cordial and included several moments of agreement with the Democratic governor, signals that members of the Democratic Party are beginning to move "much closer to MAGA."

Gavin Newsom Finds Some Surprising Common Ground With Steve Bannon

The tenor with Mr. Bannon was set early on, when Mr. Newsom did not push back on his guest’s repeated false claims that President Trump won the 2020 election. The governor does not appear to view the discussions as fact-checking sessions: He interjected only intermittently, including when Mr. Bannon referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts as “Pocahontas.”

“Senator Warren,” Mr. Newsom said.

Mr. Bannon proceeded to repeat the derogatory nickname.

Steve Bannon Mocks Gavin Newsom: ‘You Love All the Oligarchs, and Particularly Elon, Until They Flip’

Gavin Newsom's Latest Podcast Sees Democrat Governor 'Enjoy' Chummy Chat With Steve Bannon
The MAGA kingpin joked about turning the "globalist" California governor into a "populist nationalist," while Newsom quipped about his "deprogramming."

...Newsom had no pushback as Bannon, when explaining how the MAGA movement had to reboot when Trump was booted out of the White House, stated erroneously that Trump beat Biden in 2020.

Bannon said, “We disagree on this, but President Trump won the 2020 election, and we were kind of shattered as a movement when he left Washington, D.C., and we had to go back to basics.”
...
Newsom wrapped up the episode by saying he “really enjoyed this conversation.”
“I think it’s incredibly valuable, and I appreciate the spirit to which we were able to engage,” he continued, before praising Bannon for calling “balls and strikes” on the Trump administration.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[SunSeeker]

208. Those aren't "reviews," it doesn't sound like any of those people even listened to the whole podcast.

The right wing is disappointed with Bannon's performance. This was not the beatdown by Bannon they were expecting, as you can see from their comments to Newsom's post about the podcast:

Link to tweet

In those comments to Newsom's above X post, the right wingers complain that Newsom "didn't even let your guest talk." Another right winger acknowledged Newsom did well: "America has to be careful with Newsom. He’s a great public speaker. He will sell an eskimo ice."

And yes, Adam Kinzinger is bashing Newsom for even talking to Bannon. As are a number of progressives like yourself. You provided a long list of that, but I was not disputing that.

Nonetheless some progressives appreciated the effort, and think what Newsom did was smart.

Link to tweet

Newsom got a lot of Musk criticism out of Bannon, as I said he would. That is most definitely a good thing for us.

You obviously did not listen to the 56 minute podcast. I suggest you listen to the 2 minute snippet above where they're discussing Musk. It's quite good.

[ibegurpard]

146. HE'S NOT DEBATING THEM!!!

He's coding ground to them! Did you watch the Charlie Kirk one???

JFC...

[SunSeeker]

153. Stop yelling. Newsom is not ceding ground.

Did you watch the Kirk one? What did Newsom "code" (cede?) ground on?

[progressoid]

164. Listen to them here:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-this-is-gavin-newsom-268904129/

Or where ever you get your podcasts.

[SunSeeker]

173. Thanks for the link. Great show. Hope everyone listens to that! nt

[In It to Win It]

44. You gotta get into their circles. It's one thing I like about Gavin Newsom.

He's always willing to engage in their media ecosystem. Maybe he'll pop a few bubbles, maybe not.

[kansasobama]

46. Misreading the electorate

Newsom needs Democrats to win. He is getting zero Repugs. What is the point?

[SunSeeker]

51. Trump gained 4% among independents. We need them back. That's the point.

While Harris beat Trump with independents by a margin of 50%-45%, he gained 4% among independents from his performance in 2020. Support for the Democratic ticket among voters between the age of 18-29 dropped from 60% in 2020 to 55% in 2024, an exit poll conducted by CBS News found. How did Trump win? He improved his standing with Asian, Black, Latino, youth, independent and women voters.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/how-did-trump-win-he-improved-his-standing-with-asian-black-latino-youth-independent-and-women-voters-221013171.html

Young men and independents listen to Kirk and Bannon podcasts.

[kansasobama]

106. Newsom needs to fight against untruths in these poscasts

Just helping right wing lies does not help peel off.v

[totodeinhere]

52. This idea of playing nice with the other side won't work.

Kamala Harris found that out when she cozied up to war criminal Dick Cheney and his neocon daughter.

[SunSeeker]

58. Newsom is debating them, not "cozying up" to them. nt

[Shipwack]

53. Perhaps he's trying to revive the Third Way.

Claim to be reasonable by threading a "middle ground" path for the presidency...

[JI7]

56. Aren't people always demanding Democrats do something

and about messaging and things ?

I don't really care about this but it seems like people will attack democrsts no matter what.

I think it would be better to have regular people on that can discuss a bit about their lufe and about policies and issues that are important to them. And people can hear how the things we support help people.
This is especially true with things like science research and how people often things it's government waste.

[Blasphemer]

60. He's not courting me because he thinks my vote is in the bag. It's not. nt

[ibegurpard]

61. If you're going into the lion's den

Then you better be prepared to fight some lions. From what we saw with Chalie Kirk Newsom is offering them his belly.

[FirstLight]

82. this.

From what I can remember and gathered here, he did not challenge or debate his last person that he had on. What makes you think that it's going to go any differently with this monster?

I have been a little put off by his behavior as of late. At first, I thought that we'd be safer in California because of him, now I am worrying that he might just sell us down the river...

One thing I do know, is that if Kamala runs for governor, I am very much voting for her!

[YoshidaYui]

63. IT SIMPLE ,,, THEY ARE TRYING TO SHOW WHO IS WHO

THATS GAVIN AND THATS AN ASSHOLE... EASY PEASY

[Hekate]

86. Well spotted, Yui

[Pachamama]

128. Agree Hekate and Yui

Gavin is being very smart - and trolling them at the same time

[Hekate]

151. And my God do people here get hysterical, & SO eager to throw our own under the bus

[SunSeeker]

154. Couldn't agree more.

We demand that Dems do something, but when they actually show guts and actually debate the right wing face to face, we criticize them and accuse them of "pandering" to fascists.

[angrychair]

65. What is he doing?

Destroying any hope of ever becoming the Democratic Party nominee for president.

[AlexSFCA]

68. He is one of the dems who is genuinely trying

The guests he is inviting are no longer extreme, unfortunately. They are now mainstream maga base. He is doing something smart which may make him a viable candidate in 2028. The key is to engage with everyone and ignore blue/red states mindset. Gavin like Harris, is not really ideological.

[flvegan]

79. "It's a big club, and you ain't in it!" - Carlin n/t

[JustAnotherGen]

80. Disqualifying Himself

[betsuni]

84. "Platforming"? No, interviewing. As always, never give Democrats the benefit of the doubt and assume bad

motivations. If the interviewer doesn't correct every little thing, "push back," and yell at them then it's letting them "control the narrative" -- and most of the time the ones most upset haven't watched or assume what's going to happen in the future.

Evidently holding shout-rallies in swing or red districts is great, fighting, being a leader, praised but anyone else trying to reach those voters is bad.

[Hekate]

85. He's trying out some new things to see what works. He's still young, & he's an ambitious pol

If something doesn’t work, he’ll modify it or drop it. I don’t see experimentation as a bad thing.

[uponit7771]

87. Ffffffuck, there are more dems who didn't vote than could be picked up on MAGA's side. It's cheaper and easier to ...

... involve non voting dems than to convince MAGA swing voters to switch again.

The problem was dems didn't show up for Harris, democrats need to recreate that

SHIT !!

We're learning the wrong lessons

[SunSeeker]

122. And why didn't they show up for Harris?

Kamala "pretty much kept those who had said they were voting 'for' Biden four years ago, but really tanked with people who had said they were casting their ballot against Trump four years ago. Those people just stayed home. That’s about 20 million people.....like [James] Baldwin said: Not every problem that’s faced can be solved, but no problems can be solved unless they’re faced. The first step has to be facing where we are."
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/harris-trump-biden-why-democratic-turnout-cratered-1235164354/

[uponit7771]

212. Thx for this, figured the M$M was involved even on the democratic party side.

[leftstreet]

131. +1

[aocommunalpunch]

90. LMAO

Is he debating any policies with the left? What a way to reach out to his base! Giving airtime to the reichwing is fucking dumb at best.

[SunSeeker]

123. The reichwing is already getting more airtime than he could possibly give them with his little-known podcast.

Last edited Wed Mar 12, 2025, 04:14 PM - Edit history (1)

In fact, on X, reichwingers are complaining about Bannon and Kirk giving time to Newsom.

[aocommunalpunch]

149. So, no talking it out with the left?

Again, what a way to reach out to his base! Why talk to your voters? Fucking dense.

[SunSeeker]

150. We're already talking to "the left." Navel gazing alone won't get us the win.

"Fucking dense" indeed.

[aocommunalpunch]

162. What left guests is he having on? n/t

[SunSeeker]

165. He started his podcast to address MAGA.

As Newsweek explained:

California Governor Gavin Newsom sat down with an unlikely guest in the debut episode of his new podcast: Charlie Kirk, the MAGA influencer and Trump "enforcer" who became a key part of the president's campaign strategy of reaching younger male voters.

Newsom, a Democrat who many expect is setting up for a 2028 presidential run, announced that he was launching a podcast last month, telling his party that they "need to change the conversation." "In the first few weeks, we're going to be sitting down with some of the biggest leaders and architects in the MAGA movement," Newsom said in his announcement.

The governor's new show comes after President Trump's podcast campaign delivered major gains for the Republican Party in November. Dodging traditional interviews with mainstream outlets, Trump opted to appear on podcasts hosted by influencers, like Theo Von and Joe Rogan, to appeal to young male voters in 2024. The media gamble paid off, helping Trump shift young white and Latino men to the right by 22 points and 38 points respectively.

Newsom's podcast also doubles as a notable pivot from the long-held Democratic strategy of ignoring voices in conservative media. Kirk's Thursday appearance marks the first of what Newsom has teased as a string of interviews with influential MAGA figures.

https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-podcast-debut-charlie-kirk-transgender-athletes-2040705

I imagine he might get thought leaders on "the left" after his initial set of guests from the right. Or he could just keep going. If you want to watch the left talking to the left, watch MSNBC or the numerous left wing podcasts out there.

[Nanjeanne]

94. Pandering.

[Quiet Em]

99. I'm guessing he's trying to reach out to Joe Rogan type voters

If he can actually win some over I guess that's good but he's not doing anything that would get me to support him in a primary if he runs in 28.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

100. God help us if he's the nominee.

And it has nothing to do with him going on right wing shows.

[JohnSJ]

102. I agree. He is my Governor, and I have no problem with that, but I do not think he can win a National Presidential

election either, especially in the current climate.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

105. He's my governor too.

CA has a lot of problems, some that aren't his fault, but he would own them in a general election.

[JohnSJ]

107. Agreed.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

109. Wouldnt be surprised if they're building up his profiile so he wins the nomination and they can run against him.

[JohnSJ]

110. I think there will be plenty of competition for the nomination, and I do not think anyone has it in the bag.

[NEOH]

101. I wonder if he paid a visit to Merde-a-Loco?? nt

[SocialDemocrat61]

103. Opposition research?

[Omnipresent]

108. Gavin smiles while Steve looks like a serial killer.

[milestogo]

111. I have no interest in whatever he is doing.

He lost me a while ago.

[DiverDave]

112. He is leading a huge

Economy. And doing it well.
I will still vote for him

[pinkstarburst]

113. He's trying to be Pete Buttigieg, or a weak copy of him

Trouble is, Mayor Pete is fabulous in debates and interviews and podcasts and is a master at controlling the narrative and getting OUR message out there. Gavin Newsom is demonstrating that he is... not, and these podcasts are coming across a little too right wing (at least to me) for someone who wants to run as leader of our party. I get being a moderate. But pandering to Bannon and offering up his platform to the most right wing extremists? Hard pass, no thank you.

[ibegurpard]

147. Exactly

Pete will go anywhere and engage with anyone but he doesn't roll over to them.

[BannonsLiver]

116. Once again the responses here make me think he might be on the right track.

[JCMach1]

120. Perfectly okay, we need people who can 1. Talk to these people and

2. Supplex these people

Only downside is any legitimacy he gives this 💩.

Rush Limbaugh turning on Bush Sr. is what got us Bill Clinton. There can.be upside to this kind of interaction.

[ibegurpard]

145. He's not turning them

He's agreeing with them.

[republianmushroom]

136. Trying to set himself up as Dem. Presidential Canidate in 2028.

[pinkstarburst]

156. He just lost my vote

[LAS14]

138. You phrased it perfectly. Now I'll go see if anyone has an answer. nt

[orangecrush]

142. WTAF???

[mzmolly]

152. Running for President?

[AkFemDem]

155. Bannon hates Musk....

Right now, Musk is a bigger threat than Bannon. Newsom is there just poke poke poking the fire. It may backfire, or it may help take Musk down in the long run.

[Rainman4u2C]

159. IMHO

what he should be doing is running his state that's billions of dollars in debt and helping the Palisades that is still smoldering.

He is getting way out in front of 2028. He is bringing on the loudest mouthpieces of the right to draw attention to his podcast to get a listener base. He is trying to turn his show into a Rogan type show and I would even look for Rogan himself to go on it or vice versa. After he gets a listener base he will pivot center left and try to change the rights minds. He is NOT going to continue with the tRump is a Nazi, Hitler, rapist, conman, grifter, threat to democracy, hair on fire over every word/issue like we have done for the last 10 years because that really worked out so well, right? Right now we appear to be children throwing a fit for not getting our way and it's working. Why not stop with the name calling? Why not agree that cuts need to be made and offer up a partner to oversee it with musk. 36 trillion in debt is not going away. Cuts ARE going to be made! Clinton did it. You're either going to be part of the solution and ease the pain or sit in the corner throwing a fit and get all you're shit taken away.

There is NO WAY this country elects Mayor Pete (and probably not Newsom either). None! Zero! To think that is delusional. Following the thousands of comments on here after the election a common theme has been Harris lost due to racism and misogyny. If that's true do you really think this country will elect a gay married man with a child?

I can't believe I'm saying this because it's most attributed to raygun but it really is a "time for choosing." We can continue what we have been doing and continue losing or we can change and win.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Albert Einstein

[pinkstarburst]

171. At this point, I think we have lost the plot

I think too much of our energy is spent trying to go after a few "independent" voters in swing states who we all known damn well are republicans who vote republican every single time. Our problem in the democratic party is turnout. Republican voters do a great job of showing up to vote. We do a terrible job of showing up to vote. And if we have a candidate up there who is pandering to right wing personalities I know I am not even going to show up to vote for him. This is totally different from Pete, who goes on Fox (among other places) to take his message to voters where they are, not bring the right wing message to the left.

I'm personally disappointed because I had been somewhat excited to consider Newsom in my top 3, but now he's on my not voting for him list.

[iemanja]

172. Maybe he's trying to reach the right?

Something Harris might well have done during the election. Preaching to the choir accomplishes nothing. The notion that Democrats should only speak to other Democrats is a recipe for continual loss.

[ibegurpard]

175. What exactly is the point of reaching the right

Last edited Wed Mar 12, 2025, 10:49 PM - Edit history (1)

If you're just going to agree with worst extremists?

[iemanja]

187. To win a fucking election.

You do not know that all of Bannon's listeners are racist. There are a lot of Biden to Trump and Obama to Trump voters as well. You seemingly would prefer they keep voting Republican if you are so insistent that Democrats never talk to anyone you don't deem morally perfect. Bannon is waging war on Musk. Stocking those fires helps us.

[ibegurpard]

188. So you can then enact the right wing policy

You just rolled over on for the worst right scumbags out there?
Very strategic...

[iemanja]

194. NO

You have clearly never tried to persuade anyone to vote Democrat in your life. It doesn't involve changing any views. It's about introducing people to who the Democrats really are rather than what the right tells them we are.

[Keepthesoulalive]

184. What group do you want to

Throw under the bus? Kirk is a racist, I don’t want him in my tent. The things he has said should disqualify him from the human race. Bannon is an anarchist who wants to burn it all down. I would rather lose an election than lose the things I believe in and have fought for. I see there are democrats who will sell us down the river for convenience.

[iemanja]

186. Why does he have to throw anyone under the bus?

Bannon's audience is pissed off at Trump. Seizing the opportunity to talk about how Democrats could make their lives better is a good thing.

[Keepthesoulalive]

189. Charlie Kirk is offensive to people of color

To court him and Bannon is the equivalent of saying we are not important. It’s the same as giving Strom Thurmond an opportunity to spew his hatred. Because Bannon is pissed at Musk for the moment does not mean he would not support any authoritarian that would give him power. These people are monsters , don’t allow them in our house.

[iemanja]

192. No, it isn't

Last edited Thu Mar 13, 2025, 08:25 AM - Edit history (1)

The goal is to speak to listeners and convince them to vote for Democrats. Some of those voters include Biden to Trump and Trump to Obama voters, people you are adamant should continue to remain in the Republican's house. I for one want them to vote for Democrats in the future. You're content being in the permanent minority and thereby letting the country fall to authoritarianism and a permanent system of brutal racism, all because you think Democrats should not lower themselves to talk to anyone who doesn't already agree with them. How does the Democratic party's permanent position of irrelevancy help people of color? It doesn't.

This conversation is pointless. I am not going to agree with you.

[Keepthesoulalive]

198. I didn't have a problem with Liz Cheney

I would like a coalition with people who are not batshit insane. I’ve forgiven Denver Riggleman , so please don’t tell me I do not support reaching across the political divide but I will not support anyone who tries to destroy this country. I am not trying to change your mind I am stating my opinion.

[ibegurpard]

191. Except he's not doing that

He could use the opportunity to get his own beliefs through to an audience that wouldn't hear him otherwise. Instead he's ceding ground to them on his own show.
Which calls into question his own beliefs.

[iemanja]

193. That depends on what he says.

His mere appearance on the podcast cedes nothing.

[ibegurpard]

195. I guess you're just arguing for argument's sake

And haven't actually paid attention to what he's said.
Bye.

[SunImp]

183. When will he invite a Liberal or a leftist on?

So far Gavin has only invited the worst of the worst openly Nazi scumbags in politics. I'm not going to be surprised if Nick Fuentes is up next. I'm fine with him interviewing Republicans, but not with these repulsive people who have factually said worse things about Democrats than any other group. He also barely pushes back against their claims & actually seems to give in a few times.
You just know some of the few fine with these Nazis would be histerical if Brianna Grey Joy or others like her were the ones being interviewed lol.

[tulipsandroses]

196. Good question. Is he going to invite Nina Turner? Or is it just about reaching out to RW bigots?

I'm sure Fuentes is on the list and Musk too and all the Fox News bottom feeders.
I have yet to hear an explanation from Newsom as to why his 13 year old son has such admiration for a bigot. That alone concerns me. Someone who potentially wants to be the next president gushes that their kid admires a bigot and I'm not supposed to give them the side eye?

[SunImp]

197. I'm not a fan of Brianna or Nina, but they at least don't want people dead or are anti trans bigots

[Xolodno]

200. He beat the crap out DeSatan when they debated.

He even asked Bannon why is Musk afraid of you. And he tried to stray away from the subject.

These guys are going to get national media attention no matter how unfair anyone thinks of it. Bannon will be on every major news channel, including MSNBC, like it or not. It's not legitimizing them, he's hitting them now while he has the chance to delegitimize them. Because once the campaign begins, he's not going to have that opportunity. And these right wing assholes think they know it all and think they can take it to him, only for him to rip thier ass off stomp on it and then hand it back to them. He want's them to be afraid of him and I think its working.

And yes, he will say things that will dissappoint you, he has to. You can't win on "D" votes alone. Most don't care about culture wars, they care about paying the bills, end of story. Once you have that nipped in the bud, then you can work on everything else. Remember, it was Clinton who implemented "Don't ask, Don't tell". Some may have been ready for the cultural shift, but as a society, people weren't. Don't forget, it was California who implemented the 3 strikes law and proposition defining what marriage was. It's all done away with now, but, sometimes society has to learn the hard way.

Plus its a great way to see what they will throw at him. You don't know your enemy until you learn thier ways. Staying in the safe zone is what got us into this mess. I remember Bernie Sanders bid for the nomination, THERE IS appetite for heavily progressive legislation, but we don't embrace it and just run away to play it safe.

I think its either going to be Vance or Rubio in the next election. And niether has that much charisma, it would be a 3 or 4 if you were playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Reagan didn't play it safe...at all. I don't know about you, but I would like to see another former California Governor with a 49 state sweep.

[Mike Nelson]

203. I've seen him with...

... in interviews and appearances with the dark side. I recall a "debate" staged by Hannity and was questioning the decision to participate. Hannity arranged and edited the whole thing... still, Newsom broke through. I thought he elevated himself and maybe won over a few Republican voters. I did not see this appearance, but I think that might be the goal.

[Voltaire2]

205. Speaking plainly about this is discouraged.

[Meowmee]

206. I don't know but he is a definite no for me now for President!

[JHB]

213. He's singing the jaunty tune "Hip Hooray for Neville Chamberlain"

He, one of many, does not understand the enemy, nor do they understand that having a conversation with someone out to grab all the marbles will not "bring about an understanding," it will just bring about a Munich.

We all know how long "peace in our time" lasted.