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Many politicians are intelligent. Some politicians — far fewer than they think — are funny. But it’s the rare politician that is truly witty — and especially in a warm, winsome and absurdist way.
Josh Newman is the rare politician who combines all of these traits. He did it with his bear suit; he did it with his logo of the bear embracing the state of California; he did it with his blimp. (Yes, a literal blimp. Not a huge one, though.) And now …
Now he’s doing it with his ice cream truck — handing out ice cream sandwiches to voters (and accompanying minors) through next week’s Election Day — and (very likely) on through November.
I heard that our local Fox News was covering his event, so I decided to go out there to check out some local flavor. Meaning the rally itself, of course.
The other side of the truck gave me an totally different view of Josh Newman. By that I mean a caricature and some more specific takes on his qualities and issues stances.
This included, for the first time I can recall, the nutritional facts on his campaign. (More about the two women in the photo in a moment.)
This is Gloria, one of the two confection conveyance and service engineers (my words, not Josh’s) who drives the truck and serves the delectable comestibles. (Mike is the other one.) Behind her is one of the collector’s edition red Newman signs (although not the “Hello, My Name is” model, which I imagine now goes for a fortune on eBay), rather than one of the new ones in blueprint blue. It evokes nostalgia for better times, when there wasn’t a Trumpian fabricator of personal history and qualifications in office. (Although presumably Ling-Ling must have that Harvard degree by now — right?) With each ice cream came a pamphlet on Josh and his campaign — and a second pamphlet for anyone who asked him about the recall.
And here, on duty, is someone whose name I knew, but had never met in person. The conductor of the Newman Express is Isabella Rubio, whom I had endorsed for DPOC Central Committee from AD-55! Her job responsibilities appear to include looking dapper in a conductor’s costume — and judging from our conversation she is very bright, very nice, and has the sort of good governance values that really makes me hope that she does get elected. She has good taste in candidates, too!
Moving back from the truck before my will power was no longer strong enough to prevent my trying to cadge a second ice cream sandwich, I found Josh interacting with his likely voters. His hands are balled into fists not with rage, but with determination — possibly having to do with not letting me have that extra ice cream, because he knows that I shouldn’t. I couldn’t find the one with DPOC Central Committee candidate Cynthia Aguirre in it, but she was there too.
Because having a freaking ice cream truck is not cute enough as it is, Josh also has a cutout that allows people two show that they are on the bus, or on the truck, or whatever. Whatever, people really seemed to like it — and the new logo of Josh’s California Bear cradling the ice cream bar. (“Bar Bear”?) I’m assured that the cutout does not emit any greenhouse gases while properly used.
Of course, one of the notable things about this event was the presence of Fox 11 (much better than the national brand) to cover it for their news show. That did happen — and Josh took the opportunity to look a bit rugged for the camera.
Then, at long last, we took some group photos. It may have gone on for a while longer after I’d left, but I had already gotten what I’d come for: an ice cream sandwich a look at the new campaign of the once and future State Senator from SD-29, Josh Newman.
That’s a wrap, and that’s this week’s Weekend Open Thread. Talk about that or anything else you like within reasonable bounds of decency, discretion, and decorum.
Today I walked for Thorburn in Orange, in the precinct southwest of Main and Chapman – the same precinct the Dem headquarters and Teamsters Hall are in, so I had to take a little detour to see what was happening there. At headquarters folx were phone-banking for Andy and Ashleigh – all good. At the Teamsters some of our more conservative Dems (I spoke to Nick Anas) were getting all pumped up to walk for Joe Biden (or Yo Biden, as the old Mexicans in the neighborhood call him.)
So… a little later I was walking back from knocking on the door of a back house with five registered Mexican-American voters and past the front house which had six registered Mexican-American voters, when a 40-year old Mexican mother jumped out from behind a bush with her hands up and yelled BOO at me.
She immediately started laughing, “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were my daughter.” We both laughed. This would be less remarkable if it weren’t for the fact that two gentlemen in suits were just walking up at the same moment also laughing. The older one, with a white beard, asked me if I was canvassing, and whom for. I told him Andy Thorburn and he looked pleased.
But I said, “You look familiar, don’t I know you?” It was Senator Tom Umberg, one of our more conservative Democrat politicians, and he was, yes, walking for Yo Biden. I didn’t recognize him because his new white beard makes him look like Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games.
I said, “Oh, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this bill of yours, that diverts mental health money to jails and prisons.” [SB 665] “Oh! You like that bill?” He smiled. “No, I don’t.” He looked disappointed but handed me a card. I said “That’s okay, I have your cell number. That’s one of my secret skills, collecting politicians’ cell numbers. I’ll call you soon.”
And I took off so they could make their case to the startling Mexican mom that she should vote for Yo Biden. I didn’t go far though, there were lots of doors nearby, and I watched them talk to her for like five minutes. When they were done I went back to the startling mom and said “You don’t need to listen to those gringos aburridos [boring gringos] – you can vote for BERNIE if you want.” The startling mom laughed and said, “I already voted for Bernie, I was just wasting those guys’ time.”
Earlier and later, I met two different 70-year old Mexican men who told me they would vote for both Andy Thorburn and Donald Trump. The first one wasn’t joking. I think he talks good about Trump just to piss off his friends and family (the rest of them are Democrats.) He said “I don’t know, the economy is going good, and I just look at Trump and see something good.” I said “You must have to squint REALLY hard” and he laughed. The other guy was just joking about Trump – a 71-year old who looked like an athletic 50-year old and was working on his car. “Are you kidding? That guy needs to be tried for TREASON. He’s a bigger liar than anyone I’ve ever met and I’ve met some fucking LIARS.” And on and on, cussing up a storm.
We were on the same page. Especially after Trump’s Triumphant Coronavirus Presser (which I had been hearing on my phone) which consisted almost solely of Trump bragging about what an UNPRECEDENTLY GREAT JOB he’s been doing protecting us from the virus, and then all Trump’s underlings starting with Pence complimenting the emperor over what an UNPRECEDENTEDLY GREAT JOB he’s been doing protecting us from the virus. But me and Stephen Aviles (I think was his name) agreed that this emperor had no clothes.
Just another typical Leap Year canvassing day in Orange.
Another thing that happened on Leap Year Day, same place, apparently not long after: a white-supremacist group vandalized the DPOC office with their posters and literature.
DPOC held a press conference at 8 last night, but I guess there wasn’t enough advance notice for any press to be there besides me. Ada, Melissa Fox, Andy Thorburn, Ashleigh Aitken, a guy from OC Human Relations, and a minister or priest, all spoke against hate and white supremacy.
I went to report on the whole thing but it’s pretty difficult – they had it all cleaned up; they sent me photographs but asked me not to publish them without “blurring” them. They don’t want to give the haters “any more publicity.” But how do you write about it otherwise?
They don’t even want me to mention the name of the hate group. But I’ve got to report SOMETHING besides the fact that Democrats are against white supremacy. So it’s “THE PATRIOT FRONT.” Which SPLC describes as:
“Patriot Front is an image-obsessed organization that rehabilitated the explicitly fascist agenda of Vanguard America with garish patriotism. Patriot Front focuses on theatrical rhetoric and activism that can be easily distributed as propaganda for its chapters across the country.”
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/patriot-front
I promised I wouldn’t share any of the photos on my blog or Facebook, but basically the troglodytes attached stickers or glued up posters of: a map of America captioned “Not stolen but conquered,” a tough armed eagle saying “Reclaim America,” “America is Not For Sale” with dollar handcuffs, and a pamphlet entitled “Two Parties One Tyranny.”
Pretty lame. These are aggrieved self-pitying white folks who think minorities get too much sympathy and attention. “Two Parties One Tyranny?” Then are they gonna do this to Republican headquarters next? I doubt it. Their shit could pass for Trump literature.
PUSSIES!
If that doesn’t work, perhaps they could up the ante to banana splits, but according to this, they better hurry.
*Anna and Ron celebrated their 32nd Anniversary in Julian this past week-end. We were able to leave early Sunday and missed the Hail and Snowplows….. Pasture Cindy renewed our vows at the Community United Methodist Church in Julian…..and renewed our Covenant….to keep upsetting folks for another four years. Our Anniversary is the 29th of February, every National Election year. We told you Biden/Harriss…..and sure enough, the most under-reported story in the nation is that Joe and Jill smashed South Carolina….with 48.5% of the vote. Thanks to Chairman Vern and Doctor D. for their excellent analysis of current goings on.
*Congratulations and howdy to the Pasture.
Continuing on the pastoral theme: I’m interested in what those of us here who consider themselves to be devout practicing Christians think of this piece.
I’ve heard of this citation to Matthew 25 (specifically Matthew 25:31-46) as containing the parable of the sheep and the goats, and a fearsome version of the eternal fires hell but never with quite the gloss that the author puts on it. Do Christians often talk about this with the author’s interpretation in mind? How do they reconcile it with, well, “goatish” (no personal offense intended from me to goats) political behavior?
The section in question :
And here’s the commentary in the article:
It’s ALL Bulls**t, and here’s proof. We are drowning in IDIOTS – keep swimming.