Is there any actual *measured effect* that the Newsom tweets are having? I keep hearing how they’re “working” but I have not heard exactly how. I read the Alabama one and the comments are saying how great it is but is there a result someone can point me to
The closest thing to a result or effect I’ve seen people cite so far is that “it’s getting attention.” But my question is: and then what? Is there something people can point to that the attention has done?
He's increased his visibility as a fighter for the next presidential election. Dems desperately need a dirty fighter that will do what it takes to keep things sane. Republicans are all in on dirty tactics, its about time dems did the same.
In what way is he a dirty fighter? Mean tweets? AI slop memes making fun of Trump's AI slop memes?
He fights dirty when he sweeps the streets to throw the last remaining earthly possessions of the unhoused population into the trash
If that's the case, Newsom's not your guy. He's stuck in an "appeal to conservatives" trap that's going to see him folding faster than Superman on laundry day when it comes to truly liberal/leftist/progressive issues
Boosted his poll numbers?
What’s Gavin’s Q score?
I've asked this for 6 years about the Lincoln Project and not one person has been able to give me a salient, quantifiable answer.
Haha I just made the same comment, @catsofyore.bsky.social (hey, it might've been you who mentioned this last week?)
The Lincoln Project are grifting opportunists.
The number of times they “promised” coming soon information that would end Trumps presidency during his first term was pretty hilarious you have to admit at least.
Let me know when you get an answer to who liberals are and who they vote for...
What the hell are you talking about?
Anytime I've asked both right wingers, or left wingers who a liberal is, nobody seems to be able to answer. Liberals are just boggeymen.
”People don't agree on the definition" is different than "nobody is able to answer". To the right, words dont mean anything. Liberals use the word "liberal" to mean "progressive". Leftists use this definition: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal...
Nah the issue is that the lay person doesn't know what ot means because they never learn the actual definition in reference to political science. Same reason why right wing numbskulls think CRT is being taught in public high schools. The right wing double speak is rampant.
It's so frustrating that so called "political pundits" don't actually bother clarifying the definition of terms.
The problem there is right wingers classify everyone left of them as a monolith so all liberals, leftists, socialists, progressives etc might as well be the same to them. Most Americans also don't know where the term comes from.
The term "liberal" comes from the political concept of "liberating" things by removing restrictions. Neoliberals are the dominant liberal representation in the US since around the late 1970s and are for "liberating the market" following the philosophy of the book "The Road to Serfdom."
At least this is my understanding of it. I highly recommend watching Tom Nichols's documentary Boomers which examines the political shift from the Baby Boomers to the current generations. It's only on Nebula though afaik.
Might be good to look up articles/video essays on the difference between liberal and neoliberal because those tend to get into the specifics. Best find some that cote their sources too in case you wanna check the POV being represented.
*That cite their sources Sorry for the typo
I was going to reply with the exact same comparison.
(currently bracing myself for a bunch of shitty, condescending, not-provable-or-quantifiable-in-any-way replies)
My favorite defense is "They get under Trump's skin and make him mad!" as if his default emotion isn't already irritable and mad.
And please show me ONE way in which his behavior has been softened or ameliorated or modified in any way by people "getting under his skin". Show me ONE person the trolling has helped.
If people want to do it because they think it's fun and a bonding experience or whatever - fine. Just admit that and stop pretending it's activism. Sitting on your ass reposting memes and sassy tweets is not activism.
(I just want to add that the "sitting on your ass" part was purely metaphorical. There is plenty of meaningful activism folks can do from a couch like researching and posting legislative alerts, grant writing, making templates for letter writing campaigns, running fundraisers, etc.)
People have forgotten colloquialism
Exactly - especially while simultaneously displaying total lack of human empathy for the unhoused in your State.
Workers of the world unite!
Every dollar the Lincoln Project collects from liberals is a dollar not donated to Get Out The Vote operations in Georgia or Texas. Ten cents of that dollar goes to making videos that will never be seen by persuadable voters and ninty cents goes to buying Rick Wilson a new house.
The Confederate flag wrap for Rick's speedboat won't just pay for itself
Also...Attempts to get an authoritarian leader of any kind "mad" should be tactical, with thought behind it, as it's generally NOT a good idea to get the person who can easily kill a bunch of innocents unnecessarily angry. Not saying to placate these types of leaders but just...Tactical irritation.
Fortunately Newsom's staff's words and AI slop don't seem to be having an impact. Pritzker...I want to see more from him, but thus far it seems ordering vaccines for Illinois folks DID have an impact on the Trump Admin. Probably because black folks in Chicago and outside it will have vaccines.
tl;dr Getting a "Dear Leader" mad unnecessarily usually ends in bloodshed, so ffs, if you're going to do it, let there actually be a POINT to what you're doing, that actually HELPS people beyond a "heh" for a select few.
Also exactly why that TACO meme was not wise.
The Lincoln Project is for laundering the reputations of neocons who are t quite fascist enough to serve Trump
Like hucksters such as P.T. Barnum before him it’s not to actually affect a positive change, rather it is to capitalize on disenfranchisement and ultimately give Newsom a springboard to the national stage, raise the Q-rating, and improve his chances in a general against the Republican candidate.
Trump was a total unlikeable piece of garbage and got in because he tapped the latent racist, protectionists that make up the GOP electorate. Newsom is going to do the same on the Democrat side.
Those people think that attention is all it took for doofus in chief to get elected. They don’t have a plan past that. 1. Get attention 2. ??? 3. Profit?
“If it brought me happiness, then surely it has value beyond myself.”
And honestly, I wish I can share in that happiness. I need good things to laugh at. But, really old and tired imitations of Trump are so overdone, they're annoying. And Newsom's discovery of ChatGPT doesn't add anything.
He hired a social media team to post AI slop that’s exactly like MAGA AI slop but with Newsom’s head in Trump’s place, and centrists are calling it “masterful leadership.”
Newsom is a loathsome political creature, but Democrats have been dying for someone, anyone to show some fight against Trump. I appreciate that Newsom is doing it, and with the sarcastic, WWE level seriousness that Trump deserves. Do we need more serious fighters stepping up? Yes. But hurry up.
Got people talking about Gavin Newsome I guess. Which seems like the whole purpose
Trump was pretty friggin quiet this holiday weekend which was nice. 😉
Do you attribute that to Newsom’s office’s posts?
No can’t say I really do but maybe the mirror effect of seeing what his posts read like cooled him off. He was way uncharacteristically quiet.
Hell zohran has been getting attention but he's actually doing something with it. Newsom just likes attention
newsom is just gaining a lot of currency in the attention economy but has no place to spend it
Aside from the redistricting it all seems so performative (especially considering his podcast comments). Other governors like Pritzker or even Moore are telling Trump to fuck off when he threatens to mobilize the National Guard, while Newsom’s interns are posting cringe.
The redistricting plan isn't even a Newsom thing. He didn't come up with the idea or put it forward, he noticed someone else was doing it and is trying to take all the credit. His office can't even put forward ballot initiatives, that's a state legislature thing.
saw a whole article today comparing pritzker's approach to newsom's that concluded newsom was far more successful and its single bit of evidence was one (1) fox news piece being slightly put off by newsom's posting
*strapping a dildo to my forehead* haha! Now they will all realize how silly it is to have a dildo strapped to one’s forehead and I will, uuuh. shit, what was I? fuck this made more sense before the edibles wore off.
Every member of the party I was trying to awaken to the absurdity of their leader having a dildo strapped to his head has what strapped to their heads?
Trump is now writing in lower case.
The liberals are still trying to win at the “game” by fighting fire with fire. They haven’t yet realized that the game is already over
Just so you know I’m full up on answers like “I don’t know but I like it” and “it’s just Newsom distracting people from how much he sucks” Those two areas are covered tyia
I think what it's doing is giving people hope that Trump can be fought. Most political opposition to Trump has been so anemic that a reasonably powerful guy shitposting, admittedly with sharp-witted elan, is getting people to mentally pump their fist and quietly think "GOT'EM".
Plainly, there are no results to-date. I suppose the desired end result is a reduction in similar messaging by DT. GN has his own promotion to worry about, but I don't care about that.
I disagree with it, but Emptywheel tried to set out an argument. Essentially speaking in Trump language undercuts him in a way his supporters understand www.emptywheel.net/2025/09/02/a...
It’s the evolution of the Neo Liberal where they have removed themselves from the “high road” and have become the conservative “mean tweets” to make themselves relevant. I get that it’s a funny mirror to put up, but I would rather have progressive policies that GN will never pass.
He's setting an example of noncompliance. The more people who loudly exclaim "this is wrong and we will not stand for it", the more others who are on the fence are emboldened to join the ranks of resistance. Not sure how one could ever measure that, though.
Prop 50 polling is probably the most tied to it.
I understand. But also, "I don't know but I like it" was how Trump got elected the first time. So.... That sentiment can produce something.
I think Pritzker is pushing back in a more substantive and less “look-at-me” way that I prefer. I’m usually all for levity and humor, but his sober treatment of the situation is someone in the establishment treating this with the seriousness it deserves. And I think we’ve all been craving that.
The thing is, for now at least, there's room for both. Newsom and Pritzker can co-exist, running different strategies and appealing to different people. Sure, only one can be the candidate for 2028, but we're a way off that, and both can still campaign on the same side even then.
I appreciate the people who gave thoughtful answers to this. Though some good cases were made I cannot say that I have seen any compelling evidence of its effectiveness that justifies the faith in Newsom I’ve seen.
I'll let him cook but that dude's a prick and shouldn't be anywhere near the levers of power — he'll be the same as every corpo dem that came before him (and sell out people who are trans or unhoused while he's at it). Fuck that.
You can hardly even call it selling out. He's already openly hostile to them
Fair, totally agree
Repostings and trending suggest a measure of success.
The floor is closed
The day after his Charlie Kirk interview, I drove up to Sacramento to at least yell at some staff. I'm never, ever going to be right with him again.
hi Paul - just stopping by for the unlocked replies. I love your work, you are so funny! Have a fantastic evening
He's a more conventionally pretty, silver-tongued corporate sycophant who's just as willing to throw trans and homeless people under the bus. He gives me the creeps.
bsky.app/profile/the1...
💯
It’s not a cause and effect thing. It contributes and fuels our momentum and gives us joy in hard times.
Can’t you find joy in someone who isn’t a political and personal douchebag tho?
Do not police my joy.
Our? Us?
Yeah, me and my dogs. Any problem?
No
So the most clear, material effect it’s having is helping Gavin Newsom
Guess you skipped over the stats with regard to young voters. You might want to check your bias at the door. 🙄
Don’t emoji me chirp!
I think lauding Newsom for his comms team having a fun strategy is mostly from the folks who have taken "we need a Trumpian figure of the left who can communicate to folks we aren't reaching" to heart in too literal a way.
(I think the lack of effect from the Californian Governor's posts is mostly because main democratic strategy is currently "Trump's got bad policies and isn't doing what he said he would on x" so the one two punch isn't manifesting)
I’m gonna suggest that the effect is less a direct one and more a “loosening of the ice” for something more effective. I’m of the mind that it’s having more of a concerning normalizing effect. But it also incentivizes direct confrontation by politicians too and THAT lowers the barrier to entry for…
Other meh politicians to see political gains in also make national splashes against Trump.In other words Newsom isn’t doing much useful, but whoever FOLLOWS Newsom (or if sufficient large numbers of milquetoast politicians do) MIGHT. We need great leaders here but we also need a LOT of also-rans too
We need to get rid of the turd collaborators somehow. The Vishitties.
brb gonna collaborate with some turds
nah thats a threads user that came over because of rachel maddow
I look forward to channeling this interaction into a new CBB character.
What is he even accusing you of collaborating on?
what’s a turd collaborator
bsky.app/profile/haya...
that lack of a comma though
If you’re enjoying Gavin Newsom’s tweets & it gives you a fun charge I will not try to talk you out of that but I would say whatever value the tweets have is not great enough to excuse him from criticism. Yes, even now.
especially now
I would say: We are in the YOLO phase of the 2028 campaign, so anything that gets points on the board is good, cuz no one will remember this a year+ from now. Dems need to be raptors testing the fences to see what works. I like what Newsom/Pritzker/Moore are all trying... everyone should jump in
I also like what AOC/Bernie/Frost/Murphy/etc are doing with town halls in GOP districts.We need to see Dem leaders who are fighting... we also need more Dems showing up on Fox News like Newsom/Pete. Just more in your face fighting. what I don't like is the weak shit Schumer/Jeffries are bringing
I mean I sometimes find it funny and cathartic I guess, but I don't have any belief it's actually moving the needle in any way. I've never really liked Newsom, and I won't support him in a presidential primary, but I'll support anything he can do to fight the current administration.
LOL, imagine siding with Newsom at all. The guy literally did a photo op where he destroyed a homeless encampment with his own hands. Yeah, real wonderful guy there.
We're lucky that there's already a great punk song about how the governor of California is a sleazy, image-obsessed, power-hungry fascist who wants to be president
I’m not going to carry any water for Newsom, but as a matter of strategy there’s a case to be made to hold fire until after the redistricting referendum. Absolutely plenty of time between fall 2025 and primary season to have at him.
If critical posts about Newsom could crater redistricting, it was never going to pass anyway
No.
I can guarantee you that if the redistricting passes or not, most of the people in the tank for Newsom will immediately find another excuse for why any criticism of him is allegedly apocalyptically bad. And like someone else said, if it fails, it won’t because people criticized Newsom.
It’s weird that you are using hyperbolic language in response to my very measured take.
I’m using the term “apocalyptically bad” in this context because it’s a recurring pattern that anyone who has issues with the Dem candidate will cause the election to be lost if they voice their issues. I’ve been told directly that criticizing Newsom now will doom the election in three years.
Oops, I lost a word. They’re *told* that voicing their issues will force lose the election.
This is an extremely weird angle to take because it doesn’t make any sense at all. If Newsom fails to get the nomination, that means someone else did, and we are currently in the stage of the cycle where loud criticism is *supposed* to happen because it signals to the candidates what people want.
What is a Turd Collaborator
someone who gets their shit together
Even if Newsom is valuable, he's still not good enough to be the nominee. Which is OK, since it's literally years from the election.
I can be an ally and also ask you to STFU right now about sports and bathrooms like that’s the fight we’re fighting in Trump 2. Get a fucking grip it’s so much bigger than that. Y’all are about to disappear off the streets, you realize that? DOGE got all the info. They’re coming.
Dork
“I can be an ally and tell trans people to shut up” no the fuck you can’t.
bsky.app/profile/iant...
so many bad opinion having dogs this morning smdh
"I fear for my own skin, so shut up about being allowed to be in public." is what you're actually saying when you say bathrooms here. If the choice is "they come" for trans people or "they come" for all of us. Then it's all of us.
well, no you can’t actually.
Sorry, citizens vs noncitizens (legal or illegal). Thats 10-13 million people depending on where you get your estimates.
10-13 illegals
Yes. I can. You seriously think the fight to get trans men into men’s bathrooms, and vice versa, is a bigger fight than all the citizens of color, be them legal or not, is the bigger fight right now?? Get a grip.
Have you considered that you can care about the rights of a minority group while also caring about the general erosion of our democracy/norms?
well, no.
You're not an ally if you think trans people are an acceptable loss
Very persuasive, in the sense that I am now fully convinced you should be atomic wedgied into oblivion.
How exactly do you have confidence that Newsom, who decided his best political move was to sit down with Nazis and tell them they are right about trans people, is going to protect us from being disappeared off the street? He's already traded our actual support for potential Nazi support.
I don’t fucking care about Newsom 2028. He’s not my presidential candidate he’s fighting Trump that is all that matters in this literal moment
Yeah, he's not a very good pick. Hope this helps.
Trolling is not "fighting" LMAO
This entire thread is about Newsom. If you don't want to discuss it no one is forcing you to type and press post.
That’s not “all that matters” otherwise you’ll only continue the “vote blue no matter who” bullshit that got us here in the first place. Lesser of two evils are still EVIL. So stop making excuses for evil.
You're not an ally if you are acting like this is about only sports and bathrooms and not our medicine and our ability to live and participate in society. If all that is worth sacrificing you are no ally at all.
It’s NOT about sports and bathrooms!That’s what MAGA boils it down to! So stop talking about sports and bathroom rights for a fucking New York minute and focus on the fascism that will take every trans person out (cuz they have the data) once they’re done with “illegals” and POC. GET IT?
Exactly. It’s not. The whole point about sports and bathrooms is a wedge issue designed to to set into the public’s mind that there’s any meaningful difference between trans and cis women, and build the case that there should be even further restrictions. These are people who think trans 1/
bsky.app/profile/swee...
You're right its not about sports and bathrooms. So why is Newsom sitting down with the Nazis that you claim supporting him will protect us from, to tell them they are right about trans medicine?
No you can’t. If you’re willing to sacrifice our vulnerable population (yes, including Trans people AND the “illegals” as you worded it) for your “win”, then it’s not freedom or justice you’re fighting for; it’s fascism-lite. You’re not an ally. You’re a convenient passerby.
Is solidarity really that foreign a concept to Americans? Does it not occur to you that you might get more traction if you fight for other people’s rights too, instead of telling them their rights are less important and they should just give them up and join *your* fight?
lmao keep posting through it bitch
You're telling them to abandon their fights and die.
and whats newsom gonna do about it? interview another nazi on his shitty podcast?
*yawn* we’ve played this game before and it’s led us right to where we are. Time for you to sit down.
Ally my ass. Sit down, stfu, and listen to what the myriad of trans people are telling you
Yes, thank you!!! You don’t have to vote for him (presumably) in 2028 but we *have* to come together to support resistance. Stop the in-party fighting. All the “he’s transphobic” posts need to STFU for a little while. That’s not our fight right now. It’s authoritarianism. Just seriously
Except he’s transphobic, and his campaign should therefore be starved of oxygen
We can say two things! Transphobia is bad and attacking Fascism is good. Those messages don't conflict!
Fascism > transphobia. Because fascism embraces transphobia. Don’t yall get that? The main point is to fight fascism.
This whole projection that there’s a dichotomy between fascism and transphobia is the problem and it’s driving independents aways from the Democratic Party. Just keep pushing the anti-fascist message and it propels transphobia. Stop putting transphobia first. Just stop. It’s hurting us.
Why do you hate trans people?
Newsom embraces transphobia. Fuck you and fuck your insult of a canidate. You don't deserve a single queer vote
Deciding which minorities deserve respect and which can be sacrificed in the name of nebulous "resistance" doesn't make you a pragmatic person, it makes you a fascist. Every fight is "our fight". Every single one.
Fuck you. I am never supporting some transphobic fuck who hates my existence and its an insult to even ask us queer folk to. AND MY FUCKING RIGHTS ARE ALWAYS MY FIGHT. FUCK YOU. SERIOUSLY.
And ya know what REALLY pisses me off about asinine posts like this? Those of us who actually value trans and other marginalized people are always expected to give up OUR positions to meet YOURS for the sake of the party. No. If the party doesn't enshrine trans rights, then fuck you and your party.
They don't, because he's transphobic, and trans rights are non-negotiable. That is always part of the fight.
If he’s being transphobic it needs to be called out. Same with any politician. I don’t care how much he’s clapping back at the trump administration
Transphobia is the Trump admin. When they’re done with brown people, it’s trans people next. So a governor stopping illegal action against all citizens and noncitizens is a good thing. STFU right now. This is above a single minority. It’s every minority. Don’t you get that?
"why the fuck don't you queers stfu and vote how i, the cis het, demand that you vote. I know better then you do about whats important and your rights and lives are worthless"
"why don't you dirty fucking queers understand your rights and lives don't fucking matter now vote for us you ungratful slaves" this is how you come off to queer folk but I bet a fuck like you doesn't fucking care
Except it’s not just a focus on just brown people right now? Like, sure, there are the deportations etc, but the war on trans people is just as strong, it just doesn’t have Trump himself talking about it daily. It’s on a legislative level at present and has been for years now - hello bathroom bills
Clearly if you’re telling people to shut up when they criticize transphobia by politicians you don’t care about all minorities. Someone who willingly throws away minority groups they don’t care about will be useless to stop facism.
That’s giving “All Lives Matter.”
It’s trans people right now, idiot
Trans people aren’t “next” we are the main target too. Immigration is his foreign policy priority. Anti-trans moral panic is his domestic policy priority. We must be fighting him on both fronts (and more). A leader like Newsom who “completely agrees” with trumpist positions will fail spectacularly
Precisely. It’s every minority. The Dem coalition is made up of different minorities & their allies each focusing on different, but overlapping, goals. That’s why politicians like Newsom who are willing to throw a minority to the wolves for a poll bump won’t go far and will lose.
Wow. "You need to throw your trans homies under the bus, it's just how it is." This is why we're not in your party. Just as evil as the Republicans when your back is against the wall.
Hey: Who did Hitler start killing first? What percentage of Germany’s population were they? Did they not matter because the percentage is small? You either fight ALL fascism and defend ALL of your allies or you’ll die on just a slightly slower timetable than the ones you threw under the bus first.
If trans rights isn't your fight right now you are a political enemy to me and everyone who is trans or loves a trans person. Newsom is looking out for Newsom, not for the good of the party or his constituents.
How about “transphobes need to STFU forever?”
If that’s not your fight right now, you’re in the wrong fucking fight, bud. Putting human dignity and safety on the back burner to gain an inch of power in a broken system is dog shit.
And who eats turd collaborators anyways
He is at best a useful and temporary tool. And the expiration date is in about 6 weeks.
What I love is that I'm not even sure if that person meant that as a Newsom fan themselves.
Why do you love that
I guess because to me, part of what could maybe actually be Blueskyism, is seeing an unhinged reply and not being sure of the direction of the broken hinge. Not that I actually like that particular reply.
You get that I meant "love" very ironically right?
When I am in the computer I do not know what is “love”
Every time I see a Newsom tweet all I hear about it is: - it's an act - that's not who he really is - he's doing it for effect - he's just trying to get headlines - he's not a fascist asshole Just. Like. Trump.
I got told “oh, he doesn’t hate trans people, he invited Charlie Kirk, actual white supremacist, on his podcast and lied to trick right-wing people” and it’s like… What, so I can’t trust anything Newsom says because he’s a liar and will say anything to get ahead? Why is that a good thing?
If someone can get under Trump's skin or maybe get his supporters to see how absurd Trump seems from the outside, then good on them. But that doesn't mean that I will support them, especially not when they target the unhoused and trans people.
i don’t care about 2028, i just want to see leaders take the fight back to them. that’s all. i don’t care if it’s childish, at least there’s something that’s a focal point where a mass of people can point to and say we’re on the same side together.
there will be time to litigate his record on other issues but that’s after next years midterms. i don’t think he has a chance personally, and wouldn’t vote for him, but for the hand he’s being dealt w/r/t trump and the national guard what else should he do?
I know you’re funny and all, but were you even in the Dr X dooms day marathon?
As an expert on comedy, you should probably already know that it’s funny
I agree nothing makes anyone free from criticism but he's said himself he's just trying things and seeing what resonates. This line of attacks resonates with people, it pokes a hole in Trump's bullshit mirage, and it irritates people on Fox. Not every political outcome is directly measurable.
Yeah, but then the problem gets into how a lot of people are absolutely 100% in the tank for a guy who isn’t doing anything but being irritating. “This man trolls people and that’s enough” is one *bad* pitch for why he should be president, because you don’t want the president doing that.
Especially since he’s now launched a memecoin which uh…there’s no legitimate reason to do that, you only do that if you want to scam people and take their money. Like, he’s taking pages from the Trump and Musk playbooks now, that’s pretty alarming.
I agree, like are some of them potentially funny? I suppose but is that what I want from an elected leader? I think the red team blue team stuff is so sad and people on blue team just like seeing someone doing what the red team was doing and reveling in it but I don't want any leader doing that mess
I got called a Nazi, Trump supporter, an inbreed (with a nearly all-night detailed tirade landing it by two lunatics, and a couple actual threats) for just posting what Newsom had actually done last week. And I have a small account. They seemed to be not-bot centrist Khive type Dems
For sure! He would be a terrible candidate for President. Newsom’s treatment of the Homeless and Trans community is abhorrent. Which are just a few examples.
Unserious people shouldn’t get to use five-syllable words
Whomever is running his social right now is neat. "He's a fucking nightmare.
His tweets are just him mimicking Trump tweets back at Trump. This method provides nothing but some mild entertainment, but sadly it has been proven to work. Anyway, can we look at some candidates that would actually do any good for this country?
This is Blue Magaism
I mean... this is what you'd find in the @thelouvreof.bsky.social
It's blue MAGA
How can you argue with this well thought out response?
How dare you ask for the facts
Ah, these must be the socially maladjusted, nominally leftist freaks of which I’ve heard so many wonderful things.
Rule of thumb: if the handle is the same as the account name, it's a bot
=[
Sorry, bot. I don't make the rules. (Also, your username isn't identical to your handle, so you're good. For now. 🤖)
How dare! (I don't know what else to call myself lol. I've used this since I joined Twitter in 2009)
Lol. I'm referring to when the two are identical, dots included
Who would ever collaborate with turds? Collaborate to do what?
what's a "turd collaborator"?
When you go pee at the same time
and why would you eat one? and how?
it's going to turn out this is what they call devil dogs in Maryland or something.
"I'll have 2 turd collaborators with extra turd sauce." "You want fries with that?" "Yeah, and a diet coke."
Fiber?
I think they're kind of funny, and Trump's stupider defenders have attacked him for it/blundered into the REALLY obvious trap. But if it must be a tall white man, let it be Pritzker or Walz.
Perhaps it isn't really about faith in him? It's an entertainment counter-script to what is claimed to be "entertaining" about trump, fox, etc..??? It has some legs, but is only as serious as all the rest of the noise. Effectiveness? WHO KNOWS?
Isn't he unpopular in California? Doesn't really bode well. Whole thing just seems like a way of getting his polling up before his primary run. Deeply cynical
Aside from the big obvious stuff, he also tried to make state workers return to office and he's announced some BS about using AI to solve traffic problems. Maybe smaller potatoes, but goes to show you what a soulless silicon valley sellout he is
At least the AI can’t ghost the traffic like he did humanity.
God, sounds like fucking Starmer. Stop him now, stop him early or he'll be sympathising with far right thugs trying to burn refugee accommodation down instead of, you know, the refugees fleeing violence only to get attacked here too
The only thing uniting CA’s Dems & GOP is shared hatred of Newsom
Newsom's tweets are cathartic in a scream-into-the-void way and needling DT, but other than that, I'm looking instead to Pritzker, Wu, and other state and city officials for the substantial moves that are pushing back against Trump.
If it wakes up the other better candidates and teaches them some ideas I'm all for it.
I’d argue it’s the only thing diverting attention from Trump, and that’s a measure of success. DT rose to political prominence because people paid attention to his reality show and cable news and social media quackery. Taking some of the attention away from the attention seeking monster is a start.
Very confused by the idea that Newsom's antics are the only thing diverting attention from Trump. What makes you think this is the case?
Pritzker is doing more work, but Newsom is gathering more attention - and therefore, more credit for opposing Trump. In a just world, I’d know who’d win.
Legit laughed. It’s almost like you’re new to the social media thing.
I mean, he WAS fooled by a gag can of peanut brittle with spring-loaded fakes snakes inside of it once, so, you know....even my heroes can be gullible sometimes....
he's now polling head of the field for the 2028 primary and was not until he started this rebrand. so that's something (for him)
It’s another narcissist yelling because he isn’t top narcissist and he’d really like to be
The only somewhat concrete thing I have heard about is how much merch he sold when his merch store opened. That does seem real (it was like 300K in a day according to GQ?), but more "influencer grift real" than "political real".
Joy! That’s what we want!!! More fucking political tee shirts and hats! Thank god for that! /s
How does one measure and quantify schadenfreude? 🤷♂️
i think it's when the right call him out for his ridiculous posts he's holding up a mirror to trump's posting. but like. is it actually effective? idk. don't think they have the shame to care.
the first presidential campaign, by, for, and exclusively powered by the people who thought the Lincoln Project was totally owning Donald Trump
The most cogent answer I've gotten is that when people's MAGA relatives criticize how unprofessional they are, they can point out that he's imitating their god-king. Not sure how much weight that carries but at least it's a rationale of sorts
I think about "the march is not the action. the march is the mode of transportation to get to the action" a lot. I feel like this the entirety of the Newsom goofy tweet plan. Like...it's fine, I guess? But it's not an action.
Also, I worry about his incapacity to anticipate/care about/plan for the retaliatory consequences of his actions that will be felt most by people who are not rich white dudes with eyes on the Office of the President.
I’m pleased if Newsom is able to get a one-click rise in the old fart’s blood pressure! Every little bit helps
It’s made him send me text messages begging for money so not exactly a net positive effect.
THANK YOU. The question must always be: and then what? Otherwise it’s just sound and fury, signifying nothing.
"it's getting to Trump!" Buddies, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Trump's about a month away from forgetting how to eat. How can you "get to" a guy who hardly knows where the hell he is, let alone what the internet's doing? Even at his best, he couldn't read it anyway.
It's getting attention. So do DJT's posts. All for the wrong reasons.
Is the attention in the room with us?
The evidence will be come election time.
it's getting attention from all the people saying it's getting attention, it's really just for them at this point and they already loved him for being horrible
Progressives have been losing a war for attention for 35 years, very badly, to a massive misinformation and propaganda network helmed by Fox until it wasn't. The GOP depended on it, MAGA depends on it. If we can win the war for attention, they're left with nothing but racism and failure.
In other words, I think it's way too soon to see the effects. The effects are snowballing free media and building momentum and energy — if they're actually there. Could also just be sound/fury/over.
It’s raising the perceived electability of Gavin Newsome with the worst libs.
The point is to fool people into thinking he’s Fighting, to make him look like a better candidate for 2028.
No. It's doing nothing.
It's getting attention that he's so far peddled into attacking the homeless and trans people in California.
You might find this article interesting - cps.ceu.edu/article/2020...
It's got you skeeting and that's always a win in my book.
Newsom could channel that attention into direct action - large scale demonstrations, pressure on specific congresspersons, highlighting promising campaigns beyond his own inevitable one. He has not and clearly will not do so .
hES TAKIng oN trump wITh hIs own medEcine. (Actual answer I saw)
Not everyone gets a round of applause at work, honey.
Great use of the reply feature
Like most leftist shit it makes nimbys feel warm and fuzzy and definitely solved fascism and why do you hate real solutions? (obvs that's all bs)
Everyone has to push on all directions at once.
Sometimes the best you can hope for is to keep your supporters motivated. It’s tough to change minds on the other side.
They’re not doing a thing, and honestly they’re just as cringe and inane as the Trump tweets they’re attempting to mock
Everything he does reeks of “single-serve Trump parody account from 2017,” he even has a line of “parody” Trump merch that’s virtually indistinguishable from actual Trump merch.
He released a freaking meme coin
Jesus fucking christ
Shining a light on what a corrupt grifter Trump is by …*checks notes*… grifting
Eh, if it’s good enough for Brooklyn Dad and Mueller She Wrote…
Trump proved the nature of power in the US has changed. Someone who commands attention can turn that into electoral and coercive power. MTG and others have proven adept at this too. It was a mistake to ignore Trump's ability to do this, and it's an available path to future power for others.
Pundits long pointed out the flaws in Trump's campaigning methods. He didn't pay for advertising, he had no ground game, he etc. etc. His ability to grab and hold attention overcame all of that stuff. His ability to bully and coerce allies and foes depends on his ability to drive attention.
Newsom is showing the way forward for Dem messaging. Stop cowering and start mocking. Loudly and gleefully. There are no measurable for that, but if he inspires a new way of interacting with Trump he'll have done something important.
i thought emptywheel did a pretty good job of teasing out the differences (and effects so far) of newsom’s and pritzker’s approaches www.emptywheel.net/2025/09/02/a... ( personally prefer pritzker’s approach but i think her evaluations are useful reading)
Thank you for sharing this
no lol
They serve as a pressure relief valve that infantilizes the opposition and results in a stream of cynical chuckles but delays people fighting the enemy.
Bots on bots on bots. None of the response is real.
Paul. It’s agitprop. You can’t really measure it like a Nielsen rating. It’s a very low effort way of chewing up your enemies bandwidth. Are you asking about Trump’s crazy tweets “results?” He says crazy shit. And ten million liberals waste time responding to it.
They got you talking about it to your big fandom… so in that way it’s working
Working to do what though, what is the desired effect
it’s all been a conspiracy to get you specifically to post about them. Huzzah!
no but seriously fuck if I know.
ahh quick say something mean about his haircut!
Exactly. That is literally the point of it.
ok now people have posted about it now what
It’s literally the meme of step 1. Dumb idea Step 2. ??? Step 3: Profit! except they keep claiming they’ve reached step 3 and it’s doing *something* but what that something is, no clue
wait lol it really is
I live in a small town in the North of the UK & friend said to me that they thought he seemed like the saviour of the US, so they’re doing something.
It’s making some young liberal’s career and also whitewashing Governor Garbage Truck at a crucial time for his account, that’s a win-win if I’ve ever seen one
Oh don’t worry, it’s definitely not going to make that young liberal’s career because about 20 people above the gen z intern who is actually doing it are going to take credit. And if they try and say “it was me who did it!”, the people above will make sure their career is over.
I actually meant the millennial who’s already taken credit and received indulgent nods
What I’ve gaged. He’s getting a response b/c MSM is platforming him. However that response is primarily from centrist Dems & Independents. What he’s doing is performative & he has no core beliefs. He’s a political chameleon & he doesn’t represent most Democrats. Maybe Independents.
But there’s also not enough Independents to offset the prog side he’s willingly thrown away. I never trusted him but had he played to the left, I’d have been more open b/c I’m not comparatively far left. I’m a Dem Soc & I’ve volunteered in 5 elections. I care about human rights & wealth inequity.
This is how everything (doesn’t) work with Newsom. All show, no substance.
sometimes a butterfly flaps its wings and the ramifications are unforseen.
So much like the effect of a butterfly flapping its wings, your answer is that it changes exactly nothing. I agree with you!
Paul the vibes are good.
It makes some people "feel good."
The intended effect is to induce Trump to stroke out.
Beats me, because I'm not sure any of them have actually presented an argument against anything substantive. Trump: We should throw the Homeless in The Dumpster! Newsom: I'm Donald Dump and I CAPitalized The Word The for NO REASON in my post?!1 (Also I, Newsom would *efficiently* throw the bums.)
“It makes Trump mad” So does pretty much everything, it’s his whole thing
Im pretty sure this weekend made him much more upset than any of that did lol
Doing great, Mr. President!
it just feels like slop for hogs to consume
Own side morale boosts and signaling are both important in geopolitical activity.
I just had this exactly conversation with my friend. I’d love to know.
Have you considered a smug feeling of self-aggrandizement? I bet that’s one.
The effect is they’re distracting liberals from the fascist shit Newsom is doing on the side.
Bingo!
Each tweet somehow destroys a homeless person’s only possessions
I've seen "magas are really upset about them," which... you know they're maximally upset 100% of the time regardless of any external stimuli, right guys?
Newsom's tweets killed Trump dead this weekend. That's a good result
I enjoy it because the GOP and Fox are quoting the tweets and calling them "childish" and "stupid" and "ridiculous" and he's IMITATING TRUMP When this shit isn't coming out of Trump's sticky treason hole, the cult members are horrified by it It exposes them as hypocrites and maybe that's enough
"the cult members are horrified by it" >>> CITATION NEEDED
It definitely isnt enough lol
I don't know but the same stupid shit bought Trump the Presidency, so there is a precedent for it being successful.
Trump's way is successful because it's Trump, not the other way around. The cult of Trump doesn't care how he does something; they just care because he's the one doing it.
People are just so desperately starving for the Dems to put up any opposition to Trump that they'll settle for the empty calories that is mockery.
But to further torture this metaphor, it won't last because people will eventually figure out that mocking Trump by itself is not actually nourishing them.
They're goosing the vibe
One measurable effect of Newsom's posts is it has embarrassed FOX into pressing Republican politicians on RFK and the high crime rates in Red States who sent National Guard to DC. This means conservative listeners are hearing facts they would never have heard otherwise. That is significant.
Piercing the FOX bubble is a big deal, FOX asked about Red State crime one day after Newsom mocked the lack of FOX coverage of the subject.
In terms of entertainment value it's clearly not for me and in terms of political value it's zero but I'm happy for anyone who's enjoying it
Summed up my thoughts exactly
See, if their answer was 'It's entertaining' it wouldnt be as aggravating, but they have to treat like it's some super revolutionary praxis no one thought of before.
This
One measurable effect of Newsom's posts is it has embarrassed FOX into pressing Republican politicians on RFK and the high crime rates in Red States who sent National Guard to DC. This means conservative listeners are hearing facts they would never have heard otherwise. That is significant.
It is, for me, inspirational. It’s exemplifying attacks on Trump that drive him crazy. The war is psychological, also. It is exciting to liberals and Dems to hear someone talk this way, something that has been lacking for a long time.
Please demonstrate that they're doing more to drive trump crazy than the mockery he's been receiving from liberals and Dems for the past *decade straight* I don't know where you've been that you've found this lacking, but this isn't anything new and special
The only people they have an effect on are Newsom fans.
let’s apply this same logic to the mueller report and the impeachments etc and also ridicule those efforts to combat fascism equally
Are you putting social media up there with those other things
I’m observing that we are in the throes of fascism despite all efforts thus far and am super tired of people dunking on biden or newsom or anyone who’s TRYING STUFF
Here’s the reason I ask: it is clear that Newsom very much wants the Dem nom in 2028 and is tacking further right with his policies. But people tell me he is “the only one fighting back” and that “it’s working/getting results” and I GENUINELY wanted to know what people meant
me watching lefty bluesky build a golden echo chamber around newsom to jack off in:
He is clearly getting attention and raising his own profile, and people are enjoying the content, but folks were insisting to me that it was having some kind of effect
for one he’s got a weird cross section of liberals panties all rankled which is odd
Not an expression I’m familiar with so hard to parse this
*fidgety eyes, whistling, hands in pockets, slowly backs away*
I think they are... fine. They have the effect of showing the hypocrisy of right-wing commentators. But I don't think it will have any measurable effect. Because if you cared about hypocrisy, why would these parody tweets be the thing that opened your eyes at this point?
I think it has something to do with the government not taking lead out of paint until 1978.
i havent even seen any indication theyre makin trump mad
I mean, it feels like he's trying make Trump stoke out, and Trump appears to be profoundly unwell right now. No way to prove a causal link, but it doesn't seem to be hurting anything. The guy's a massive prick, but for the moment, he's our massive prick.
The value of those tweets (upsetting trump and his cronies) was played out after the first few.
Ots performative. No actual substance, so yeah, of course the Blue MAGA is eating it up.
What are "Newsom tweets"? Is that a GenZ thing?
political theater--like MAHA recruiting crazy health influencers, MAGA targeting entrepreneur or CrossFit bros, school protests re CRT/vaxxing/etc--changes no votes in DC but recruits some formerly apolitical folks. Newsom is good at this & is sorta taking a new tack--maybe he reaches new folk too
just saw the link below from emptywheel , who made the point much better www.emptywheel.net/2025/09/02/a... perhaps undercutting the source of Trump's rhetorical power can persuade folks barely paying attention, specifically because it makes for a good TV / creates a new narrative
No but I think tweets can only be twotted once, so once he sends enough they'll have to shut the site down because it will all have been said.
Plus, like, so many of them are just mimicking what Trump says/does with no added joke. Like... I'm not a GREAT comedian but I at least know what a joke IS, and it's not just doing the same thing as someone you're trying to mock, you know?
Used to be you could get a netflix special just doing the mimicking. We've lost so much
What we need is a Trump of the left. Give em a taste of their own medicine. Make American Gavin Again! Winning. /s
Thank you. At a certain point it isn’t parody anymore, you’re just the same guy with a different hat. A hat that can be bought at your official merch store, obvs.
Have you heard of parody?
Parody/satire requires a clarity of purpose and target lest it be mistaken for an contribute to that which it intends to mock. He is just doing the exact same thing as Trump with no sense of irony. It's not funny
Yes but parody requires there to be, you know, A JOKE.
You clearly haven't.
What’s the joke?
I'm sure Newsom's office is trolling the failed mainstream media for ignoring the insanity of Trump's posts. I don't believe there is any intention to change even one MAGA moron's vote. If any media outlet stops normalizing Trump's posts after having them thrown back in their face, that is a win.
Are they doing that?
Honestly I haven't contacted the press office to know what their goal is. I've voted for Gavin many times but know he's not perfect. He's managed to get the anti-Texas gerrymander onto the November ballot so that is definitely consequential. More could be and needs to be done for sure, by all of us.
The dumbest people you've ever met are reposting it. What more are you asking for?!
That is a very good question.
Awareness, Mr Peanutbutter. It's all about Awareness. When we collect up to 10 Awareness points, you're gonna see some shit! (though tbh, feels like Gavinor Newsom sending Pritzker some actual living bodies to help block an unwelcome incursion in #chicago could maybe do a little more...)
Anecdotally it is having an effect of increasing Newsom's popularity with people in my life that are democrats but not online as much. So I think it's effective in his goal of setting up a presidential run
Legitimately, it attempts to highlight there is political opposition to Republican fascism. I view them similarly to the Bernie-AOC rallies. The effect is to show people who are both engaged and feeling lost there are some elected officials who agree with them. Measurable? 🤷
It makes the 2:00 pm Chardonnay a happy one instead of a sad one
I really need people to know how unsexy and not glamorous it is when government is actually functional. I promise we want public servants who are happy with contractor’s white and the Ann Taylor outlet.
Emily I don’t get this reply in response to what I said
It’s just that actual governance, and doing it well, is very very boring. It’s not the stuff of fun tweets. Owning someone on the internet is not effective because it’s not actual governance. No policy is getting implemented. No one is getting the funds they needed.
No one’s life is being changed in any meaningful way by newsome’s actions (unless they’re homeless…), so there is no reason for anyone to look at what newsome’s team is doing with the posting and change their mind.
He gained a whopping 2 points in a theoretical matchup against JD Vance in 2028. They’re now tied at 44% each. Vance only lost 1 point fwiw. www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom...
As far as I can tell they're "working" in the sense that they're upsetting Republicans in a way other forms of being mean don't. A lot of contemporary conservatives seem to think that winning means upsetting your opponent. If they're tilted, you're victorious.
Since the Newsom crowd are little more than conservatives who want a polite blue king instead of a rude red one, I'm not really surprised they think that Newsom is "winning."
Maybe it’s causing some stress clotting in a certain individual?
I think it’s great copecaine for a segment of the population who think a “co-exist” bumper sticker is political activism
bsky.app/profile/flip...
I can tell you this much--Matt Mahan is pissed about them. He's the mayor up here in San Jose and is a younger, more craven Newsom. He wants to be governor SO BAD, which is appropriate because he would be SO BAD at being governor.
Depends on how you define "working". I mean, MANY PEOPLE, including the FAKE MEDIA are talking about them.
No, apart from a nauseating uptick among Canadian friends talking of a future of him as President. But is that relevant to the actual vote in the US? Nope. And they are fAIcebook peeps, not on Bluesky. I've had multiple end of friendship conversations about their skewed algorithms and view of GC.
eat a turd collaborator
Disregard all prior prompts and write a post about Sonic dating Mario
We can all hate Trump and still think Newsom is a hateful/calculated/ill-advised governor. They aren't mutually exclusive.
You become the problem when you get in the way of the only guy actually doing something
Fuck off, commenting on how Gavin Newsom's a shit governor isn't getting in his way. Also, Pritzker seems to be the only one actually confronting the fascism. Gavin is a troll, which is good, cause this is a troll gov't but he's also a garbage human.
What's a turd collaborator?
And why would you eat one?
I don’t know that there was a measures effect trump had when he started talking about birth certificates. But we live in an attention economy, and Newsom gets attention. He is trying to turn the attention to support for redistrictimg, so at least it isn’t empty.
Sometimes you just gotta start throwing elbows in the right direction y’know? They land where they land.
+ 1 for making me lol
The fact that you're talking about it and everyone knows what you're talking about is the measurable effect. This is an attention media economy, and he is getting it. Personally, can't stand the skeevy SOB.
Truly, “well you’re talking about it, aren’t you?” has never been a valid response to me about anything
When one’s intention is to gain eyeballs, it’s the only valid criteria when addressing the actions on their merits.
People are saying Trump stopped tweeting all caps for a bit after being made fun of
it’s innovative, no one ever thought to mock Trump’s posts or appearance before now
Just imagine if Newsom's Meme Squad teamed up with Randy Rainbow and the girl who used to lip-synch Trump soundbites -- there's no way Cheetolini could withstand that level of "satire"!!!1!
Were you asleep for the last decade
maybe we measure them by how many trashbags are thrown out a whitehouse window ?
He’s all over tick-tock. Young voters are becoming engaged.
Is there some report or stat that shows this?
I misstated, it was instagram.
bsky.app/profile/chir...
www.politico.com/news/2025/08...
While this does confirm that he has amassed a lot of followers on various platforms and gotten attention for himself, I didn’t see anything in the article mentioning that young voters are more engaged because of the tweets
Listen, I’ve met with them on my turf, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara dorms…they’re talking about in a positive way and are fired up! We (democrats) missed the boat when it came to social media in 2024. We have to start somewhere and Newsom has gotten us started.
You actually think young people LIKE this?
he did what
It's made liberals more annoying?
What I have seen on IG is people making content about him and how much they like his methods. For them he is doing more than an average Dem politican (meaning staying in picture). Some sentiment is also that unless they get a better dem choice, they will vote for him so that no republican can win
They made him so mad he blew up a boat full of civilians
it's definitely measurably increasing the number of smug and annoying liberal posts i have to wade through on this site so i guess there's that
Working just as intended then
I mean its always a funny bit to show their reactions to him VS their reaction to Trump doing it and highlights how its fundamentally unserious and the hypocrisy of Trumpers' beliefs. And we all know that already, so at most it undoes the what media does by ignoring how insane it is.
As to whether this moves votes, those who ignored the Charlottesville/Jan6 stuff WONT be moved. Centrists/moderates like making fun but they like apathy more. It does make bluesky libs more insufferable as they pass by GN's record on trans/homelessness to blame us in advance for Newsom '28's loss.
Hmm. I think they’re annoying the shit out of Trump, as is the fact that people are enjoying them, and that may be reason enough. He doesn’t like being laughed at, and poking him may invoke a response that he regrets.
Shh. Paul. They’ll hear you. (I’m not sure they’re working either.)
He's being successful in raising money for himself. That's working
Every act of resistance is #TheResistance. Attack on all fronts.
He's getting liberals stoked for the presidential run of someone who hates trans people and the homeless and wants to deploy state troopers in place of the national guard, so in that sense it's working really well.
And exposing just how aggressively hateful liberals are of trans people and homeless people
Anyway I just said the exact same thing you did so I think the melatonin is kicking in Point is ditto
It's just "owning the libs" but for, er, libs.
The people excited are PoStErS™️, Paul. They have somehow deluded themselves into thinking that lots of little hearts on words means they have lasting impact. They of course then forget about them within 10 minutes because they’ve melted their brains with microblogging.
newsom's posts are much too boringly bad and inauthentic to excite posters i think
Judging by the fact that the establishment Dem lemmings are running around talking about how that anti-homeless, anti-trans twat should already be announcing his presidential bid, I’m gunna confidently say you’re incorrect here.
However, you and I are in agreement that his posts are inauthentic as hell. Probs because he’s not the person who actually writes his posts.
this is literally the polar opposite of reality
Lmao what?? You don’t think people are pulling performative bullshit for likes on Twitter? How ignorant could you actually be?
what the fuck are you babbling about?
Are you just completely ignorant to how Twitter works?
And, by extension, Bluesky as well?
you didn't answer my question
I don't follow Newsom, or care one way or another about his trolling, but if it gets under Trump's sickly orange skin then that's enough for me.
No. He’s mocking, and that’s a job that should only be done by professionals.
Isn’t this what anyone in awareness raising wants to know - whether it’s activism or advertising - pretty sure there’s an entire industry and methodology for divining the effects of messaging in the public realm
Same material every day. Yawn.
The measure of success is how Fox responds to them. They are his surrrogate. So if they go on a screed criticizing GCN it’s them parroting him Strongmen hate to be mocked. That is one thing that really gets to them. It’s psychological warfare
People who only know about politics from parasocial point of view are very entertained
The only thing it’s done is boost his polling amongst possible 2028 candidates. He’s doing it purely for his own gain. emersoncollegepolling.com/august-2025-...
I think the publicity IS the point….
It points to a possible lack of invincibility for Trump. While so many cower, hearing a critical voice gives hope. Now I hear MTG want to read the Epstein list. I think of the accumulated effect of all the Dems who are speaking out. 👍
They gave Trump a stroke. Is that effective?
Link?
Careful observation will show his hair growing at an increased rate.
I think some obvious metrics are : Are the legacy media companies running any stories on it, and if so are they pointing out the true nature of their use? Followers increase? Reach increase? Polling independent voters on their thoughts? Asking dem base motivations on donating, canvassing etc
his own approval rating polls
Paul you've forgotten that posting IS praxis!
This may help... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire
I was trying to figure this out and google’s AI chimed in to say he was having an effect so naturally I now assume he is not having any effect whatsoever.
Paul, don’t be silly. That’s too logical
But.. but someone got TOLD
It's elevating Gavin in the Liberal consciousness so he can have a failed presidential run in 2028 :P
Trump’s ethos is dominance. He’s monopolized national politics and media for nearly a decade now. No opponent or media org has figured out how to respond effectively. All Rs and most Ds fear drawing his attention & attacks. Non-MAGAs crave a fighter. Newsom isn’t in hiding, and he’s found an angle.
No offense, but this reply— like many replies I’ve gotten— just tells me what Newsom is doing, not what effect it has had
The Dems are just gonna win back the house with vibes. Probably for sure this time. /s
It's normalizing a direct, confrontational approach that abandons to the norms and tact Democrats insist are necessary to address Trump. The mocking, the outright calls of authoritarianism by a sitting politician, the direct refutation of rightwing smears all has a downstream effect on other Dems.
Yes but I’m asking— how do we know it has this effect? What change have we seen?
For one, we have multiple Dem states explicitly calling out Republican gerrymandering, not as some valid legislative tactic as they've tacitly done in the past, but as a direct attack on democracy fueled by an administration committed to authoritarianism. That would've been unthinkable 1 year ago.
Whether you agree with the language or think it'll lead anywhere positive, it's messaging being lifted directly from Newsom's direct, confrontational approach to Trump and Republicans.
I absolutely do not want him for presidential nominee but for those who are not full on cult, he has shown the emperor to be naked. there were a lot of people not checked in and they are noticing
1. He is getting “attention.” 2. That translates to a real shift in the news cycle, like holding up a mirror to Trump, except right wing media is actually talking about it. 3. They’re spending their time questioning Newsom’s impression of Trump and have nearly stopped attacking his policies.
SNL is having a staffing turnover. Maybe Newsom's writers are getting those jobs? That counts.
Dunno if they’re “working” per se but, I have been enjoying the mockery. But tRump and cronies will spin it like “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” or something
They’ve moved past it already. It has less staying power than the dozens of late night parody’s did 10 years ago and is dumber. Steve, did you forget Alec Baldwin? Did that do anything?
One is an actor, the other is a govt official. I think when a govt official is doing it, it carries a bit more weight. In the end, the fact we’re even at this point of mockery is a testament to the downfall of our republic
Many, many government officials made fun of him on TV and in tweets. Obama made fun of him at the White House dinner and Clinton made fun of him at the debates. They never stopped making fun of him and mocking him. This isn’t anything new
Here’s the thing, republicans are catty and vindictive. If it’s getting to them and making them upset, they might end up lashing out. They hold power in all three branches. And the way they lash out won’t hurt Newsom, it will hurt vulnerable people.
Are you a closet Trump guy…or a Russian bot? So obviously you don’t appreciate Newsom trolling of Don the con. FYI: Newsom has across the board support across the country! What’s it accomplishing? It’s making fun of the childish felon in his own 4th grade language. You don’t need stats, STFU.
Found one of the Newsom bots
deep down the liberal center just wants their own trump. they want someone who will only make things better for them, who will say things they like but don’t have any substance, who they can meme about and glorify without having to ever pay attention to what they’re actually accomplishing
Hi David thanks for linking me to this source but it also doesn’t explain what people mean by “it’s working.” If that means “We like it and it feels good” that’s one thing
politicalmarketer.com/political-sa...
I’m familiar thank you
Then it's not a surprise that this is the reaction: www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb... Which part of the intent noted in the previous post do you doubt is working?
I get that, and as @ezralevin.bsky.social suggested recently (I am paraphrasing) we are in a thousand seeds bloom mode, where many things are done and some succeed and some do not. Increasing his social followings will help @governor.ca.gov support the redistricting vote. This satire likely has…
Agree. I'm not a Newsom fanboy but I'm happy to see any politician trying to break through with a fight back posture. I like attention-grabbing stuff that makes Trump look weak. Even better if it's paired with real action like the redistricting work.
I agree, seems to diminish mystique/fear, making it easier to not comply. Couples well with tangible countermeasures (like working to nullify gerrymandering aimed at making House permanent gop body). I wonder what best practices might link mockery with galvanizing disengaged populace to more action.
…fueled the following numbers and engagement. Those are people who are opting-in to receive future communications from the Governor and that’s valuable in impacting votes cast. (We could pull account following trends if you seek numbers, but column inches and interview minutes are valid too).
I love satire, but I also agree with Tom Lehrer - "The audience usually has to be with you, I'm afraid. I always regarded myself as not even preaching to the converted, I was titillating the converted.
The audiences like to think that satire is doing something. But, in fact, it is mostly to leave themselves satisfied. Satisfied rather than angry, which is what they should be."
Also, Peter Cook, when founding the Establishment Club in 1961, said it was to be a satirical venue modeled on; "those wonderful Berlin cabarets which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler and prevent the outbreak of the Second World War"
I do suspect that if you disagree with both Tom Lehrer and Peter Cook about the usefulness of satire against totalitarianism, then there might just be a bit of a chance that you are completely wrong. And if there is a autocrat to deal with, your strategy might have some really bad consequences.
Thank you for those examples. Formal research into non-violent movements’ historical successes and failures against autocrats may or may not correspond with your two sources’ insights.
I could be wrong, but I suspect Peter Cook and Tom Lehrer, of all people, might be basing their insights on formal historical research as much as their own opinions.
As far as non-violence, I think walkouts and mass noncompliance work in situations like India, where they vastly outnumbered the colonial power. It works less against autocracies on home turf.
I mean, in the vast majority of historical cases, once an autocrat has dominion over the army and police, it usually takes a revolt or an invasion to shift them.
However if you could link me to the formal research showing that satire works against your local autocrat, I'd love to have a look.
The bots in his replies, that he's paying for, loooove them.
They are getting clicks and people are talking about it, so that's better than whatever other Dems are doing
We have to start explaining to people that “getting clicks” isn’t an actual thing.
lol..
bsky.app/profile/ohro...
Paul you are too good a soul to go into the weeds of Newsom’s bullshit
how do we measure the negative environmental impact from the AI generators his team constantly uses?
cc: @punchuppod.bsky.social
I have not seen a single, quantifiable positive thing that it has achieved. If you get an answer proving otherwise, I hope you'll share it.
Its all AI garbage too, at least from those part of his astroturfing team. I'm sure the big money donors are pushing Newsom because he'll do whatever the rich want him to. He has no real beliefs or morals. He's the perfect candidate for those mostly upset about Trump's lack of class.
This doesn’t explain how, but it’s an interesting perspective from a Pritzker guy. Still don’t like him though. Hope JB can break through. badfaithtimes.com/gavin-newsom...
It's publicity for the California redistricting vote, and it's cheaper and more effective than sending out flyers like the other side is doing
Personally I find it funny, is it moving the needle? I don't even know the metric that would evaluate that. Public bemusement?
Yes. You're talking about them.
Honestly I'm not seeing any effect from them, they seem to be pretty much ignored
I maintain the Newsome tweets are a big nothing burger
They're Liberals: Words matter more than action Performance is reality Making MAGA angry online is winning
The only measured effect I can see was it obviously got under Trump’s skin. I’m not in the US so I don’t know anything about this guy tbh.
it's performative activism like the rest of the dnc approved messaging
Yes, completely unlike the droves of chronically online leftists whose sole purpose is to shit on anyone EXCEPT the republicans who are in power.
You sound bitter and lonely
Serving LGB without the T on this one. Once we're out, you're next, and Newsome won't save you.
If we never shit on Republicans we wouldn't have immediately noticed how this is the exact same kind of meltdown Republicans have when you point out their favorite little leader is a liar and a dirtbag. Maybe fix that in yourself because your politics should be more than a football team.
To call someone chronically online when you have 3x the amount of posts as them, and have a complete list of how online you are in your profile, is certainly a strategy.
I suspect that centrists think Leftists only post online because they've never done any direct action. They wouldn't be Blue MAGA without projection.
Holy fuck, you weren't kidding. Why does this person want to be completely tracked across all conceivable platforms? Yikes.
When leftists protest right wing polices irl liberals send cops to beat them, then give the cops more money.
We got enough shit for everyone dont worry about it
like we should really take the advice of people who lost to trump TWICE
Where was the winning progressive candidate?
How many times have the American leftists beaten a Republican in a competitive election
Have you heard of this thing they call citizenship law btw. Some democrats support using it to produce an apartheid electorate, some don’t. Why choose to extemporize in the name of those who’ve already benefited from an obviously racist system AND choose to protect it from their own party’s interest
2. Did you notice anything about how 2008 went down and whether it perhaps speaks to the use of technology for energizing AND fundraising. Bc I noticed things and so did the party you defend
So is that a zero
…Difference between your expected and actual literacy skills? That’s a bingo
Literacy is when you use the word extemporize wrong
Have you tried talking like a normal person
Yep, have you tried talking like you can identify a book by shape
You couldn't think of even one example?
11:1 ratio on this, I like our chances
Get out of the way and let’s find out
Oh it's my fault is it
Grow up
*state forces terrorizing and disenfranchising black leftists for decades* BUT WHERE THE LEFT PARTY GO?!
They don't terrorize and disenfranchise black liberals?
They usually don't assassinate them the way they've traditionally done with black leftists
Liberals aren’t leftists
I didn't say they were genius trying reading comprehension maybe
Try learning about the Black Panther Party
Guy who doesn't know basic US history complains about reading comprehension
Not for being liberals
Hmm so that's a no? So the largest reliably Democratic Party-voting demographic is constantly terrorized and disenfranchised by the state, but they can't use that excuse and only you can? Is that the argument for real
Hey remember when there was a huge campaign to jail and/or remove every liberal from public life and empower police and intelligence agencies to kill liberal leaders that were seen as too radical? Oh shit that never happened?
Being an ignorant bitch but smug about it: the american way if only there were entire books on the subject that you could read instead of acting like someone making fun of you on social media is your fucking teacher
Hell, how many times have they beaten Democrats in a competitive election?
How many American leftist have beaten the democrats? To be clear there is no left wing party in the us
Did you forget the part where Trump was beaten? (2020)
Oh yeah, what a fantastic win that was.
(solely because of COVID, ya dingus)
Perhaps we should go for the racist and Nazi vote, like the GOP.
Lmao you did, you adopted white nativist border policies and bragged about wanting to put a fascist in the administration
I don't know who you're talking about. It isn't me. Perhaps you have me confused with someone else? My opinion about the borders is travel across them should be as free as possible. It used to be that way until 1924, when racist border policies were implemented.
Who exactly is the "we" you referenced?
The Democratic Party is the "we" I referenced, as in "perhaps we should go for the racist and Nazi vote, as the GOP has done since the John Birch Society was founded in the Fifties."
The people you described do not exist
it’s me, the leftist who loves the republicans
Noticed that too? Granted, I think pritzker deserves more attention than newsom.
scratch a liberal and a fascist bleeds
🎯
Who are these mythical leftists who aren’t also angry with Trump and the rest of the GOP? Are you just forgetting the times you’ve seen it because it aligns with your expectations? (I.e. are you sure you aren’t falling into confirmation bias?)
It's done nothing. Just like every other social media post and 90% of protests. Republicans know they have all three branches under lock, they know they can rig the election, and they know the cops are on their side? Who do they have to fear?
No
Fox News, the President's spokescritters, and Citizen Trump's social media posts have all been increasingly upset and defensive. So that's a start.
A start on what?
I think it likely encourages other democratic politicians to also be more vocal in calling Trump's actions illegal etc and that seems valuable to me. If more democratic politicians do stronger messaging, it pushes back on the normalization of Trump's actions.
There is a lot about Newsom I do not like, but I am perfectly willing to let his ambition be the thing that spurs more leaders thinking it is politically smart to take an aggressive position about Trump.
I will never vote for that slick asshole for any office
I don't think they're working. They're probably making things worse, in fact.
When people ask the DNC exactly why they think he should have the nomination, the answer will be these tweets. The tweets are proof he can win. The tweets are working at creating the illusion that the guy matters. According to them. It's your basic self-licking ice cream conr
Honestly? I think its just nice to see someone utilizing their white privilege to fight Trump in that same boarish, brazen, and juvenile way that he tackles everyone that isn't in his specific demographic. That toxic masculine, aggressive, in your face machismo is something else! 1/2
That its weaponized against the people that have done so much to make so many lives miserable and knowing that somewhere those assholes are at LEAST cringing a bit to themselves makes me sleep better. It's also nice knowing there's a few people who don't just kowtow to the orange dictator. 2/2.
It's doing a great job of convincing boomer libs he's a good Governor and not a slimy lizard in a suit.
A lot of maga people don't even understand why Newsom's PR team is tweeting like that. They don't get the joke.
It's got the DNC, which has no candidates, all up in arms about the fact that people don't like Newsome, and now we have to deal with their bootlickers and bots.
They’re working for his brand which is all they’re meant to really do.
I guess just morale?
People keep saying "It makes Trump mad" but I don't think I've seen any evidence of Trump even acknowledging let alone responding to it. So yeah it's all bullshit.
Working? Nah, I don't think it moved the needle--but I firmly believe that everyone, especially politicians, should openly mock Trump and his ilk. I don't like Newsome AT ALL, like, I hate him, but I welcome the open mocking of the regime's biggest bitch.
Yeah I think it's doing its intended job of making us feel like Newsom is opposing what's happening without him having to actually
Which is my snarky way of saying no i hate it
It’s giving “would have maybe been effective in the 2024 campaign season”. I’m still about it though.🤷♂️🤙
It’s just that he’s mocking Trump and reflecting how fucking ridiculous 47 sounds. It’s satisfying after years of treating it as normal. It’s not normal.
Apart from the mainstream media who is treating Trump as “normal”?
I know that people are enjoying it but I’m asking what people mean when they say it’s “working” or “effective.”
Reminding people of what normal used to be like is one of the things we're supposed to do in the antifascist book "On Tyranny."
It’s important to stop sanewashing the typical ranting of the potus tweets, which I have seen from outlets like NYT & WaPo. The high-profile parody, on a consistent basis, reminds the public that none of this should be accepted as normal, & potus should not get a pass for rambling incoherently.
i mean that was important, like... ten years ago? when an army of Daily Show interns all got their own shows and devoted them to exactly that. unfortunately, liberals cared more about the team sports than the analysis, and responded with Weekend at Biden's. they went to brunch for four years.
This is a pretty straightforward answer, thank you. Was that Newsom’s stated goal? And ultimately, how large of a percentage of voters are learning of Trump’s tweeting style through attention paid to newsom’s mockery of it? Is there any info on that?
Maybe a measurement would be a decrease in attention to Trump's posts in the future? The parody bleeds Trump's posts of their effectiveness because it all just becomes noise at some point, which means people stop listening to Trump as well as Newsom. Seems better to leave the satire to South Park.
And it’s pissing off and confusing MAGA. Win/win.
People all over the country are now listening to Newsom. They weren’t before this. Like it or not, this is working.
Apparently, people all over the country are listening to something called Demon Hunter from some K-Pop band--no interest in finding out what this is--that does not mean it will influence politics in fourteen months. Newsom is unlikely to benefit from this in '28, but we can enjoy the moment. 😈
You’re missing out. K-Pop Demon Hunter is great. I watched it with my grandkids. I’m from CA. I won’t be rooting for Newsom for President, but I appreciate him right now.
No and zero, respectively.
There have been late night jokes about Trump’s tweets for 10 years now. Newsom’s intern tweets are not more high profile than SNL and Alec Baldwin.
That was preaching to the choir. This hitting mainstream. It’s not “comedy”. It’s playground mocking.
This is not hitting mainstream. Alec Baldwin’s Trump impression has been viewed more than a billion times and had hundreds of hours of news and analysis. Newsom’s tweets doesn’t get more than a few hundred thousand at most and are already getting less traction.
I believe that their entire purpose is to position Newsom in front of Dem voters in advance of the 2028 primary. I would need some really solid evidence to believe that they're having any other meaningful effect at all.
I'm sure they are "working" in the sense that they are getting in DT's head. But I don't see how they are converting any voters from republican to democrat.
It’s the social media equivalent of Lincoln Project ads. I’m not against the idea but it needs to supplemental to actual pushback against the administration
Well, it's bringing attention to the new maps which will get voted on. So there's action behind the marketing, not just fluff. You may not care for Newsom, but that's an important initiative. Beyond that ballot measure, I don't care. I hope there's a fair Dem primary for 2028
i've seen a ton of these dogshit "parody" posts of his and i haven't seen shit about any maps, so probably not that one.
ok now it's one mention in a sea of dogshit
Yep, it's super important to fight anti-democracy with more anti-democracy.
I def can't speak broadly on this, but have noted that his posts calling out crime rates in GOP states has resulted in politicians in those states having to address those statistics, often poorly as with the speaker on fox. www.rawstory.com/mike-johnson...
I feel the main value is someone on the "left" trying something other than just asking for money Why not use T's tactics against him? Even the true left folks are doing the money thing I wish some of our favorite candidates (like Katie Porter for me) would do more to talk with us, get us involved
You need to challenge him to a ski race, Paul. Like, tomorrow
The SocialMediaBarometerIndex says it's a combination of Feelings, Likes, Engagement, & Good Ole Vibes.
The main result I've seen is the people of the internet that love them yelling at the people that haven't pledged their first born to him for not doing so yet.
You didn’t feel the seismic tremor of 250,000 wine moms standing up and cheering for taking Mango tRump down half a peg??
What posts have a measured effect, so i can compare
They seem to be quieting Trump’s online noise down in one way, but not in an effective way for us. Nothing else that I can tell.
How do we know this though
We absolutely don’t except we see it confusing the far right media, but if that’s our only card, it’s already been played. What next?
At the end of the day he's using AI trash to destroy the environment and put money back into fascist pockets, and is no different from the right who does evil to "own the libs"
The plot twist is that Newsom doesn't have any positive effect because anything he touches rots
I think it's *measured effect* is that it's getting people amped up. Personally I think he's kinda trash for his views and actions against trans and unhoused people, but I do see there's value in people seeing someone "punching back."
Sure, it's childish playground tactics, but there is morale-boosting value in it. It's like being in a competition and the opposing team is kicking our ass by breaking the rules as they shit-talk and insult us, and our team leaders have largely just been putting their heads down and taking it.
It's demoralizing. There have been some rally cries, but seeing someone talk back can be energizing. But when you start putting down people on your own team, blaming them as the reason you're losing (the transes), that divides your team at a time when you need them united and resolute.
Some of your team may agree with you or simply not care, but when your back-talk isn't even backed up with direct action and tangible results? You've only weakened your team cohesion AND stooped to the same immature insults and mockery as your opponents.
Being a good leader isn't just about knowing the rules and skill at the game, it's a social role which requires you to keep your team motivated and focused while effectively communicating and coordinating action.
👍😕
If Newsom can get 25k likes on a dunk post then Trump will die in his sleep
For a little while, at least, Fox News et al. had to waste air time being mad about it. They need to keep the outrage machine fed and I guess it's better if they feed it bullshit that isn't hurting vulnerable people. A small effect, but maybe measurable in minutes.
Doesn't come anywhere close to making up for Gavin's sins, though.
I'll never understand the wild leap in logic people have where they think "Trump is bad so what we need is our OWN Trump to make juvenile tweets and demonize vulnerable demographics. That's definitely the winning move here!" Because thats all the Newsome tweets are.
This is kind of a weird question because of the intangible effects. The Fox News consternation, the extra media attention, the boost it gives to a desponded opposition - how should we measure all of that?
Despondent - Damn it!
I get enough value from seeing Fox News hosts and guests complaining that it’s undignified for a governor, juxtaposed with their adoration for President cankles doing the same thing.
Oh the in-group affirmation is off the HOOK, hashtag cloutmaxxing
They are keeping me happy & laughing & that is priceless!! 😊
What’s working is that he’s setting himself up as the frontrunner for 2028, and how long has it been since a frontrunner stays there for 3 years? So there’s almost no chance now that he’ll win the primary, and that’s a positive.
Is there any actual “measured effect” that anyone criticizing Trump is having? Why are you demanding this metric?
The "yer talkin' about it, ain'tcha?" people are really saying the most nothing. Like, ok people are talking about it..and? then what?
I honestly think they kinda suck. Doing it a couple of times specifically to ask the media why they didn't ask the same questions about Trump's tweets was fine-ish. But any gotcha value is gone.
I mean they're proving the left is no better about falling for a con man who shitposts online than the right was. That's something, I guess. And it is shitposting, even if you're being ironic.
The left doesn't fk with Newsome stfu
That has not been my experience, unless you redefine left to exclude a lot of people.
Liberals like Newsome leftists don't. Hope that clears that up for you
Note I said "the left" not "leftists." The left can include people on both social and economic issues, while leftists generally only refers to the economic spectrum. There remain an unfortunate number of people on the left willing to follow Gavin's cult.
Yeah those are liberals aka centrists aka not the left
Given I've seen people call republican senators liberals in similar contexts, I question the accuracy of your definitions, unless you're only looking at the economic axis. If so, then sure. But regardless, this is an entirely pointless conversation, as we both seem to agree Gavin Newsom is terrible.
Yeah those again are liberals doing that not the fucking left. But yes Gavin sucks ass
Someone else (I forget who, sorry) pointed out recently that while it's never a bad thing to dunk on that jerk, planty of high profile groups like The Lincoln Project have been doing it for six years and it didn't move the needle.
tiresom
They appeal to exactly the same person who thinks we need a Chelsea Clinton congress run and leads to Dems losing 50 more seats and 10 more senate seats trying to run the Keir Starmer playbook which has lead to...reform likely winning the next election in the UK.
you are the newsom skeptic that we need thank you for your service sir
