| Achieving this most important goal is going to be difficult enough for Democrats, considering the challenging history of California gubernatorial elections and the hard reality that the Republicans are likely to nominate either Meg Whitman or Steve Poizner, either of whom can pour tens of millions of personal dollars into their own campaigns. Newsom's own strategist acknowledges just how difficult it is for Democrats to win California Gubernatorial elections.
But if Newsom continues his negative campaign, we will almost certainly emerge in June with a divided party and a weakened nominee. The only beneficiary of such a strategy will be the Republicans.
After pledging to run a netroots-driven campaign that could "change California," Newsom is now resorting the most traditional form of electioneering - raising money from special interests and using those funds to attack his opponent.
Democrats need to be concerned about this change of strategy because of the logical consequences of such a campaign. If Newsom continues to attack Brown, particularly in such a personal and juvenile fashion, he will both depress grassroots enthusiasm and ultimately draw a response.
Having served with Newsom on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and having worked both with him and against him depending on the policy when I served as President of the Board during his mayoral administration, I know just how vulnerable Newsom is to the counter-attacks his negative strategy will draw.
Newsom's personal and political vulnerabilities are legion, and well known to San Franciscans who have followed his career. Why he is throwing stones, considering the brittle consistency of his own political house, is mysterious.
But his constant attacks, and the counter-attacks that could shatter his own candidacy, will leave our party weak and dispirited going into one of the most important gubernatorial elections in recent history.
As Democrats, we need to make sure this does not happen. That's why both the Democratic parties of San Francisco and Los Angeles Counties have passed Clean Campaign resolutions, urging Newsom, and any other candidate who enters the race, to agree to a positive campaign.
Newsom has so far refused to sign this pledge. But we hope that the netroots will hold him accountable and help us encourage him to stop the attacks and return to a clean campaign. |
