To put a finer point on it, Pritzker is being presidential in a way Newsom is not. Newsom is doing a decent job trolling Trump for the lulz, but Pritzker is speaking with the gravitas this situation warrants, promising real accountability, with federal, state and local leaders standing behind him.
Both are fighting. I'm not going to compare how.
One of them invited Charlie Kirk to talk about how trans kids shouldn't play sports and one didn't.
If the Dems take the House in 2026, I suspect that helps trans kids a lot more than words on some radio show hurt them.
Is Newsom inviting Charlie Kirk to his little radio show going to help the Dems take the House in 2026? If yes, tell us how.
Newsom doing a counter gerrymander probably will.
Then he should apologize to trans people and to everyone for inviting Kirk and Bannon so we can win more.
Fine, im not against apologies. Just pointing out that "both are fighting" is true. And Newsom's counter gerrymander may be as important as anything Pritzker is doing.
He can stay in the back and help but if he wants to lead he needs to make amends for the way he acted in the first half of 2025
I think passing the counter gerrymander counts as leading. I dont think there's any other "lead" right now. Nothing actionable. A lot of folks spouting about personalities online.
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newsom's fighting hard against homeless encampments, he can't get enough!
To the ramparts again. The enemy is at the gates. The castle ablaze. Now let's argue if our leaders have purity again! 2028? Without action now, we won't make it to 2026 with democracy intact. "There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them." Churchill
yep, jab them from different directions as they do not know which has the most impact.
It's a multi-pronged effort on various fronts to take down Trump. IDGAF who is presidential or not--this is WAR, not the presidential elections. I'm thrilled with the efforts of both, and anyone who takes jabs at Trump and then kicks him when he's down.
The frantic nature of living in a dictatorship makes for short memories. Newsom made a similarly impressive speech a couple months ago in comparable circumstances: bsky.app/profile/jfal...
I like Pritker here, but I'm not writing off anybody yet. No candidate will be perfect. Newsom spearheading the effort to counter Texas' gerrymandering is more than just trolling. It can have a major impact on the entire country by determining who controls the House.
They aren't running against each other and if people don't start fighting as hard as Newsom--there will not be an election.
We're in a new place. What does "presidential" mean now? I wish it still meant dignity and gravitas, but clearly it doesn't mean that for a lot of voters any more. We need all the fighters. There's not just one path back to democracy.
I’m a retribution voter and I suspect there are a lot of us.
Agreed. Though regardless of rhetorical style or tone/tenor, I’d take Pritzker over Gavin any day. Illinoisans seem pretty happy with his leadership. I don’t think too many Californians would say that about Gavin.
Gavin is fine, he does a good job. He has missteps and makes mistakes. But the state runs well. Gavin is a very flawed person in many ways. But his attacks are having an impact and his steps against the right wing gerrymandering are needed.
You must have a pretty good income level if you feel like this state is it all functional. Affordability & wealth inequality are at dystopian levels far beyond any other state. I’m making the most I ever have in my life & still living like a goddamn college student barely covering basic expenses.
To be fair, I’m not blaming it all on just Gavin. It’s the cancerous growth of the tech industry & generalized US wealth inequality, structurally reinforced by the evisceration of organized labor & corporate regulatory capture that got us here. But Gavin is part of the problem, not the solution.
Inequality is a huge problem and this state is insanely expensive, true. I'm in favor of UBI and California needs to do a far better job of affordability and building housing.
All true, but I worry that Pritzker is too scripted. His best moments he's reading prepared statements. I worry that Our Dumb Country will discard him if he can't be off the cuff
Both things are needed
Newsom's presser was solid.
I’m sorry, but did you just call Dick Durbin a leader???
"justice delayed is justice denied" did we not learn this decades ago>? thank you governor pritzker, for fighting for the american citizens & those, whoever they may be, who are residing on american soil. thank you so very much.
Newsom's gerrymandering Republicans out of existence in California looks like hardball politics.
You need both, Brandon.
You absolutely do not need the transphobe/homeless dislocator who plays buddy-buddy with Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his podcast.
Touché but I was more referring to the troll part. I thought that was pretty clear by the original post.
We need both and I am thankful for this. Democrats needs to get off this there is only one path to win and everyone must follow it in lockstep. Attack Trump by trolling, attack Trump by being showing better leadership qualities. As long as you don't say the word "distraction" I am good.
Both are fighting the fascists takeover. Both. We do not need to take sides against ourselves here. We need to unite. Pitting them against each other just helps the dictator wannabe. Stop it.
Both Pritzker, Newsom and other Democrats like Bernie Sanders, Jasmine Crockett and AOC are doing really good in getting under Trump's skin and finally pushing back.
i don’t think you understand the politics of this particular zeitgeist
We can actually have both.
Newsom isn’t just there for the lolz tho - he’s using his power to counteract the nonsense in TX. That is meaningful action, not just gravitas. We need everyone.
We need BOTH!
We need more leaders like this NOW.
We need both styles and more of it from more Democrats. We’re not Ben getting to 2028 at this rate.
Different tools* for different purposes. Let people do what they do best in our hour of need. None of their current actions assures a potus nom; doesn’t matter until we secure a future that includes free voting for potus & other offices. *In the non-insulting, metaphorical meaning of the term
Dems really need to think of our bench right now as a Swiss Army Knife: each person has their own superpower. Put each to task so a wide variety of matters are addressed by the voices which most effectively move the needle *in their audiences.*
There’s no One Weird Trick. What works for Newsom may not work for Pritzker. What works for JB may not work for another Dem. It doesn’t matter. Use your skills where & how they work best to achieve the common goal. This is called (ahem) DIVERSITY.
And who gets the attention from MAGA? 🧐 It’s a big party and a big country. Sometimes we mock. Sometimes we refute. Always we should fight.
Both ways are fine. What’s important is that people speak out. Competitive anti Trumpism.
Newsom is giving us life....he isn't running for president right now.
Brandon you flaming nerd! What Newsom is doing is fine and effective. You want libs to walk around with a stick up their ass. Knock it off.
And he hasn’t abandoned any groups of people or invited the worst of the worst on his podcast to chat.
We haven’t had much luck getting a rise out of him being presidential. Newsom is definitely getting a rise. We should be fighting back with everything we can. Rakkasan…187th?
⛩️
I wonder if Newsom being Newsom is supporting Pritzker being Pritzker and vice versa in a way?
That would be wise, they have 3 1/2 years before the next election.
Death from above. Where do I find your tea?
Let me know if you have any questions
What a small world. I will be reading several of your choices, especially Earl Grey. I see a gift for my Daughter as well. Yesterday I made another friend in Texas.
Finer point- Newsom is doing serious work and talk between the trolling. His team may be cooking up the finer trolling points. Go figure.
I sure hope everyone yelling “We need both!” in these replies just hasn’t yet heard about Newsom agreeing with Nazis about trans people and abusing homeless people. It would be really embarrassing if they already knew those things and still supported him
We need both
Why play them against each other. They are both playing a role in fighting trump. Kudo's to both. Don't do the GOP's work for them.
The last 10 years tell me that Newsom's strategy will be more successful in every way.
Exactly this.
Gavin made people pay attention hopefully. Problem is Americans want a clown to entertain them. They’re so dumbed down the just want to have fun
I want those 2 as our 2028 ticket. Pritzker for Prez. We need to win and they are our best shot.
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Newsom is a rodeo clown, drawing aggression and getting lulz. Pritzker is a cowboy.
bsky.app/profile/dant...
Hope he runs in 2028.
We need EVERY weapon in the battle, and EVERY soldier on the field, or the 2028 “election” will be a rubber stamp farce at best!! Whether they wield gravitas, charisma, eloquence, street fighter smarts, wit & snark, authenticity, or big beautiful balls, or institutional acumen, or inspiration.
They are both excellent. It is time for all Dem politicians to speak out in their own best way. Forget Schumer and Jeffries though.
To be fair, we have both, we need both. But we don't need Newsom to be president.
f*ck me the Democrats are pathetic. so useless that they’ve let a serial rapist walk all over them twice - and now two guys are finally fighting back in different ways, the supporters are whining about which way they prefer
💯💯💯 Accountability matters. Pritzker gets it. Obama and Biden didn’t, which is why we’re here.
we need both
Newsom is an excellent troll, and comic relief is important in these times....But it is a distraction from the important stuff happening. Newsom talks a good game, but Pritzker walks the walk, too. One wields power, one uses strength, big difference.
Imagine, for a moment, that *all* elected dems at the state and federal levels were talking like this. Trump would never have been able to shove his spear so deep into democracy's belly if our leaders had just stood up and said "no" from day one.
I agree that Pritzker is sounding strong. I really like his speach today in particular. I like what he said, it’s vital governors step up like that and I like his hard push back. What I like about Newsom’s approach is that he is holding up a mirror to MAGA and it’s more than just humor.
I appreciate them both.
I think they are both attacking the issues at hand in positive, aggressive ways from different angles, and we need to coalesce around them both in unity now, not split hairs and keep dividing the majority
I haven't seen anyone point this out but it means something that he delivers this speech with Wyden, Duckworth, and Johnson next to him (and probably more I didn't recognize). He's speaking from a place of authority and power.
Not Wyden. Darn. My brain mixed up Wyden with the guy from Illinois. Bad brain.
(Durbin🙂)
Thank you. I wrote and sent "Wyden" because I saw Durbin and recognized "older white senator man from Illinois" and that was the name my brain supplied, but I realized it was wrong while not being sure who's *right*.
I think Newsom’s trolling is giving other politicians courage to speak out frankly. Pritzker was already, but we need more vocal opponents and if Newsom can encourage that, great.
Agreed 🎯, but Newsom is doing god's work with the trolling, it's having an impact.
Also, IMO, NEWSOM has taken aim of one part of trump. Aiming to unnerve his NPD. PRITZKER is responding to trump & educating the electorate. Cheers to both governors.
We need both. And more.
Both Pritzker and Newsom are doing useful things. Yes, Pritzker is being presidential and that is badly needed and inspiring. But Newsom as troller-in-chief is also helpful right now. They are complements. Let's please not think about 2028 - let's just think about our current moment.
Let them both make the orange baby cry in their own unique ways
Thank you. Im getting very frustrated with the idea that because Newsom seems to have had some turn around that we *must* award him the nomination. We should be trying anything and everything right now to see what works and maybe he'll gain trust back or not but its all too soon regardless
Newsome just doubled down on transphobia yesterday so he’s not gaining shit
Yeah. As I've said, I am enjoying watching him give That Fucking Guy a taste of his own medicine, but I won't be trusting him any time soon.
💯 Getting entangled in 2028 with today's issues to wrangle and 2026 near-term is a waste of precious energy.
Exactly.
Im ok with both of them doing their thing! Especially if Gavin doesn’t do anymore far-right platforming.
Agree 💯
It's not either Newsome or Priztker. It's fight or cave. We need all the fighters.
I think we need both personalities- Pritzker would definitely not be enough on his own.
Both are attacking different avenues.
All fighters are welcome: Pritzker, Newsom, AOC, Crockett, Murphy, Garcia, and others.
Wes Moore too!
Walz too
Yes. But we need both.