I'm a native Californian and my first memory of Newsom is instructive [View all]

It's from 2004. He was the mayor of San Francisco. I saw him on the local ABC7 news coming out of the courthouse in SF swarmed by the media and supporters. He had just directed the city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of state law. When reporters asked why he had done that, he said matter of factly that it was a civil rights issue.

I remember being very impressed at the time. He didn't waste time going into tons of detail, but stated his position simply. And it was 2004, people. Most Dems were still against marriage equality then, including Obama. What followed was a protracted court fight, with the California Supreme Court legalizing same sex marriage in 2008.

He was ahead of his time and courageous. I give him credit for that. But I am in no hurry to promote him for 2028. I want a fighter, and he has my attention. But so do some others.