John Burke
Opinion Editor
Over the last several years, California has been no stranger to radical politics.
With the controversial Proposition 8 last November and the unsettlingly vicious and partisan gubernatorial races of 2006 and 2003, Californian politics have been among the most brutal in the nation.
With the hard-left front-runners of the Democratic Party in the upcoming 2010 election, this trend shows no sign of halting.
The California Democratic candidates for governor include Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown as well as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, both of whom epitomize the radical nature of the left.
The records of Newsom and Brown both show a common pattern of disregard for pragmatic and effective measures that would serve the public.
Since taking office in 2004, Newsom has earned the distinction of being the most radical man to serve in a public office anywhere in the nation.
On his 36th day in office, Newsom violated California law and ordered the San Francisco city-county clerk to begin handing out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It took action from the California Supreme Court to halt Newsom’s orders, and the state was forced to invalidate the licenses of 4,000 same-sex couples.
While some may admire Newsom’s defense of his convictions, his refusal to follow the laws of the state he wishes to govern show the depths to which he will go to in order to realize his left-wing political agenda.
Newsom’s disregard for public opinion was further shown with his opposition to Prop 8. Newsom said, “This door’s wide open now. It’s going to happen, whether you like it or not,” in reference to gay marriage, according to the San Francisco Chronicle in a November 2008 article.
Though California voters have now voted twice to preserve traditional marriage, Newsom continues to ignore the voice of the Californian people for his misguided crusade against the family. However, Newsom’s insults to the family do not end with his opposition to Prop 8.
In 2007, Newsom dedicated a citywide holiday to honor San Francisco’s COLT Studios, a distributor of pornography. This unprecedented endorsement of an industry that indulges society’s carnal impulses by a segment of the government shows that Newsom is not merely a leftist democrat who enjoys breaking the law, but also an enemy to the American family and any sense of civic morality.
Newsom’s more moderate counterpart, Jerry Brown, is still politically radical. Governor from 1975 to 1983, Brown earned the nickname “Governor Moonbeam” from the public for his costly and eccentric proposals which included a State Space Academy for California and the creation of a satellite.
None of these outlandish proposals were taken seriously and did not come to fruition, but Brown’s lack of serious consideration for public needs was painfully obvious.
Brown’s true radicalism was shown after his election to California attorney general in 2007. An opponent of Proposition 8, Brown refused to support the law after its passage and the subsequent challenges to it even though it was his duty as attorney general to support the Californian constitution. If Brown would not support California law when it was his job to do so, what other duties might Brown fail to complete as governor?
Both Newsom and Brown seek the highest office in California even though they represent a radical fringe of their own party. With pragmatic democrats such as Antonio Villaraigosa pushed aside, the Party is left with the choice of two radical enemies of common sanity.
California’s only hope remains with the republicans, who have presented centrist, effective candidates like Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman. If California embraces Brown or Newsom as governor, the only result will be radicalism.
Leave a Reply