Mayor tastes own medicine in Prop. 8 ad
By Brent Begin
Examiner Staff Writer 9/30/08
Touche: The Yes on 8 campaign plucked several lines from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s speech at City Hall on May 15. AP file photo A 30-second commercial that premieres this week uses Mayor Gavin Newsom’s own words to campaign against same-sex marriage, though he shrugged it off Monday.
In 2004, Newsom tried to legalize same-sex marriage when he ordered licenses to be issued to couples at City Hall. On May 15, the California Supreme Court struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Opponents immediately moved to put Proposition 8 on the November ballot in hopes of banning such unions.
The commercial, which aired for the first time Monday, begins with a clip from Newsom’s triumphant speech following the state Supreme Court decision.
“This door’s wide open now,” Newsom says of same-sex marriage in the opening clip of the ad. “It’s going to happen, whether you like it or not.”
When asked whether he had watched the ad, Newsom said he was too busy to see it.
Newsom has been campaigning across the state and nation in opposition to Prop. 8. He was in New York on Friday raising money against the ban and is currently on a university tour that will take him to UC Berkeley on Friday.
In between campaigning against Prop. 8 and raising money for an expected run at governor in 2010, the mayor is also in charge of The City and that gives him little time to pay attention to negative campaigning.
“Should I go watch it first?” he asked reporters before responding.
He said his comments were taken out of context, but didn’t tarry on his part in the campaign before going back on message.
“People should remind themselves what’s at stake,” Newsom said. “We’re all equal and we should be treated that way.”
If money is any indicator of what’s at stake, the entire country is in on the act with contributions for and against the proposition coming from all 50 states and totaling about $30 million.
Frank Schubert, manager of Yes on 8, said from the campaign’s Sacramento headquarters that it has reserved $10 million in TV ad time during the final five weeks before Election Day.
“The California Supreme Court put same-sex marriage in the same realm as racial discrimination, and we think that was a profound error,” Schubert said.
The ad levels numerous charges, including that “churches could lose their tax exemption” and suggests that same-sex marriage will become part of the state’s curriculum. He cited court cases in New Jersey and Massachusetts as evidence.
“It’s a lie, an outrageous attack on common sense,” Newsom said of the charges.
While the Newsom ad was sure to run for weeks, the campaign is already working on different spots to air, Schubert said.
“We hope Gavin enjoyed it as much as we did,” Schubert added.
By the numbers
21: Committees formed for and against Proposition 8
9,500: Individuals contributing across country
50 plus District of Columbia: States in which contributions originated
$22 million: Money contributed by individuals
$7.8 million: Money contributed by institutions
Notable contributors
Steven Spielberg (L.A.): $50,000 against
Robert Haas (S.F.): $100,000 against
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (San Francisco): $250,000 against
Joseph Moran (Los Altos): $100,000 in support
Concerned Women for America (Washington, D.C.): $409,000 in support
Fieldstead & Co. (Irvine): $300,000 in support
Source: The Associated Press; California secretary of state
4 Comments
Reader Comments:
POSTED Sep 30, 2008
Cody L.: "Gavin Newsom defined himself better than anyone else could when be bellowed "It's going to happen weather you like it or not." Does it matter that a large majority of Californians voted against gay marriage? No. Progressives go to the courts to routinely up-end the will of the people. Newsom did the same when he declared San Francisco to be a sanctuary city, violating federal law. As a result, a family lost their father and two brothers - gunned down by an illegal felon protected by Gavin Newsom. This "progressive democratic" mayor has contempt for citizens who don't agree with him - and arrogantly overrules their will. He's all for "fairness" as long as he alone chooses the definition. Some would accurately call him a tyrant."POSTED Sep 30, 2008
Ian: "Cody: Mayor Newsom might not do everything right, but he does believe, as did our founding fathers, that the rights of the minority need to be protected against the tyranny of the majority. Such is the case with gay marriage. Our Republican Governor supported the decision, and so did our conservative majority state supreme court. This ballot fight is a humongous waste of money and resources in a mean-spirited effort to curtail Californians' rights based on the irrational fears of a few."POSTED Sep 30, 2008
Christian: "Yes, Newsom comes off as rather bombastic in the commercial. Still, the anti-gay marriage folks are nothing but rabid homophobes trying to push their hateful, discriminatory measure upon the rest of us. Why do they think they've got the right to determine who can and cannot marry? Because their imaginary god told them so? Throughout history, religion has been the source of genocide, hatred and war; its sole contribution to humanity has been bloodshed and death. The Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi party avidly support Prop 8. Don't let a small claque of right-wing fanatics dictate moralism to us, especially when heterosexual marriages overwhelmingly fail; those that continue are plauged by patriarchal privelege, domestic violence and child abuse. Get thy own home in order!"POSTED Oct 1, 2008
SurferStylin: "Great ad! Anything that pokes fun of windbag Newsom gets my seal of approval. What a loud-mouthed phony!"