California Gubernatorial Politics By the Numbers
Because California is the bellwether for the nation, and because I relish any opportunity to drive out (up? over?) to the Valley, here's the statistical breakdown of gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom's town hall in Woodland Hills tonight (or, for those of you on the east coast, last night):
1 CBS News 2 van
1 unidentified TV news van
2 Los Angeles Police Department squad cars
2 Los Angeles School Police Department squad cars
3 professional video cameras on tripods
1 roving professional video camera
2 personal video cameras on tripods
4 professional still photographers
5 amateur still photographers
4 piece band: Roman Alexander and the Robbery
437 heads I actually counted, not counting media and people clearly affiliated with the Newsom For Governor campaign
450-500 people in my good-faith estimate of total attendance
1 reference to composting
1 reference to "biodiesel grease from Google and Stanford"
1 reference to a wave-energy power generator at Ocean Beach
1 reference to a tidal energy project
1 plug for Twitter and its assistance to the people of Iran
1 reference to "my business experience"
1 "Obviously yes," given in response to question of whether Gov. Newsom would fight for a public option in health care reform
3 suggestions for stopping the "flight of human capital" from California: 1) public education; 2) public health care; 3) workforce training
At least 8 uses of the term "sanctuary city" in response to a question about immigration reform
1 applause-line mention of a high-speed rail line
1 mention of Notre Dame des Victoires parish in San Francisco
1 mention of an inmate Newsom met during his visit to San Quentin who, it turned out, was a former classmate of the future mayor at the Notre Dame des Victoires grammar school
0 questions I was able to ask the candidate
1 question I wanted to ask: "How committed are you to maintaining Prop 13 property tax protections, and more broadly to honoring the apparent will of the voters that state government live within its means without raising taxes?"
(If I get a response to that question, I'll update this post.)
