Vanity Fair that is. The glossy, lefty magazine, did a puff piece on ‘Slick’ (what he thinks people say about him) Newsom, great photos and no pushback on how badly he’s run California. The piece is written by Joe Hagan who’s a Vanity Fair special correspondent. His previous profiles include Beto O’Rourke, Stephen Colbert, Liz Cheney and Henry Kissinger. Beto, of course was a cover story that gained national attention that significantly raises his profile and showcased his, uh, personal style.
But you may be surprised to know Gavin is NOT on the cover–an actress named Florence Pugh will be featured on the cover when VF hits the newsstands on October 13. The cover image helps sell magazines–and maybe they just don’t think Gavin is popular enough to move product. Maybe they learned their lesson with their infamous Beto O’Rourke cover during his 15 minute of fame.
We read the article (so you don’t have-to) so here are some takeaways:
–Newsom is definitely positioning himself for a possible 2028 presidential run.
–The profile highlights poverty, inequality, homelessness and debt.
–Some actual honesty from the writer, the article questions his housing construction and homelessness figures.
–Softly criticizes Democratic socialist ‘slogans’ and defends business while supporting higher billionaire taxes.
–Claims he is getting advice from Bill Clinton
–If you’re coming to visit California, he advises, “Bring security.” Then: “And bring extra money,” he said apparently jokingly. Ha ha.
Some quotes from the Vanity Fair article:
What we already know–Gavin will say anything:
“It’s a Newsomian reflex: Refuse the label, keep both audiences half satisfied, and let the ambiguity do the political work a position never will. “Nuance,” he says. “Nuance.”
So much for being raised a poor child:
“In the early 1990s, Gordon Getty seeded Newsom’s Napa Valley wine start-up, PlumpJack, which Newsom launched with Gordon’s son Billy and named after an opera Gordon had composed”
Was he really Major League Baseball prospect?
“He received a partial baseball scholarship but never played in a game. A former teammate described it as “kind of the standing joke that Newsom played on the team.”
His political prospects:
“He will undoubtedly draw punches from both ends of the political divide, both saying essentially the same thing: slick, shallow, failed, corrupt, cynical, visionless. And, of course, Californian. Can Newsom survive the debate this country wants to have?”
Newsom is no Beto. The 2028 campaign for President begins for real when the final votes in the 2026 midterms are counted–whenever California gets around to it.
