Villaraigosa Out? Not so fast…

Compared to the large field of the Attorney General race, the Democratic gubernatorial race is about as lively as a coma patient.  Only one candidate - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom - has entered the ring, with two others seriously considering running…or is it only one?  Will it be just Gavin and Jerry Brown?

No go Antonio: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa isn’t going to run for governor - at least not in 2010.

Our sources in L.A. say Villaraigosa has come to the conclusion that the time is just not right for him to make a state run - given that he hasn’t even been sworn in yet to a second term, and that he’s facing bloody political fights at home.  (Matier & Ross)

Between the cads at Los Angeles Magazine, the Solar 8, and Carmen Trutanich it seems everyone is taking a grinder to my Mayor’s sheen.  That is, if you believe everything you read in the paper - always a dicey proposition.  Now the Chronicle’s Matier & Ross are doing their bit, too.

But as I noted on Twitter from the launch of the Parent Revolution, there are many places where Villaraigosa is welcomed as a hero.  So it seems a little early to be writing him off as a contender.  And his folks are certainly not letting a couple of columnists in an opponenet’s hometown paper run him out of the race:

Is Villaraigosa in or out?

People close to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this morning dismissed a report in the San Francisco Chronicle that he had decided not to run for governor in 2010.

Villaraigosa insiders said the mayor has still not made a decision.  (LA Times)

I’ve talked about this with higher-ups in the camps of Villaraigosa’s potential opponents.  Some anticipate his not entering the race.  Others only allow for it, but are looking at how it reshapes the field.

I for one am dubious about these rumors, as I’ve heard of (and actually witnessed) folks close to the Mayor propositioning operatives key to President Obama’s campaign in California (and nationally).  Maybe a surprising decision is on the way, but if it is someone better tell Antonio’s folks soon - so they’re not left hanging as late-comers, when everyone else has chosen sides!

Zuma Dogg for California Attorney General?

Did the crowded field to replace Jerry Brown as California’s Attorney General just pick up yet another candidate?  Venice Beach’s own Zuma Dogg - who garnered over 9,000 votes against Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - is hinting at a run for the state’s “top cop” position in recent tweets.

The Attorney General race on the Democratic Party side is already ridiculously crowded.  Six candidates from across the state have already announced their intention to run and are amassing cash and endorsements:

• Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo
• San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris
• Assembly Members Ted Lieu, Pedro Nava and Alberto Torrico
• Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly

So, does Zuma Dogg mean it?  Is he really considering a statewide run to follow on his surprisingly successful local campaign?

UPDATE: Apparently this is the shortest campaign ever.  Zuma Dogg is ineligible for an Attorney General run:

How Much Will Newsom ‘Buck the System’ On Twitter?

Sole (announced) Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom is taking his Twitter followers out for a spin.

Much has been written on the success Newsom’s found on the microblogging site; amassing a huge number of followers, announcing his campaign via Tweet and doing much of the thumbwork himself.

In the next week, I’ll have a piece that’ll make you look at follower numbers a little differently (and not just Gavin’s).  But in the meantime, let’s watch as Newsom test drives these folks and sees what he can get out of them.

Because this is where the rubber meets the road.

Newsom is asking for a small contribution from his 425,563 Followers, sending them to a fundraising page with a goal of 500 donors at five bucks a pop.

In the two post-Tweet hours, 84 cointrubtors have given a total of $1,048.

I’ll update periodically with new totals, and welcome speculation in the comments about how much this ask turns into…

Twitter Updates for 2009-05-18

• Anyone else feel that? #
• RT @bdoten: Cedillo campaign shaking it up - working through the ‘quake. #
• IRISCard just crashed while importing OCR’d cards into Address Book, and took entire address book with it. TOTAL GARBAGE. #
• is wondering… Will anyone smack me if I use the phrase “twempest in a tweapot?” Weigh in… without violence, please. #

Twitter Updates for 2009-05-16

• Who needs Rosetta Stone? I’m learning Spanish. Thank you Ned! RT @SarahKSilverman: http://bit.ly/9pdQe NED REYERSON!! #
• RT @jmartpolitico: the bacon-wrapped scallop never ceases to please #
• Music Cue: “A Whole New World” District treating you well? RT @a35mmlife: I just saw my first evr firefly. They light up! Like, for real! #

Twitter Updates for 2009-05-15

• Two words: Go Blackhawks. I have no particular loyalty to the team, but any team up against the Red Wings is my favorite. #
• Knock ‘em dead, Rog! RT @RogerSalazar: I’ll be on Good Day Sacramento (KOVR 13) at 6:30 am tomorrow discussing the Doomsday budget. #
• If the first clip is an indicator, Interview Project from @DavidLynch will be superb X 121: http://tinyurl.com/ozbc2d #

Twitter Updates for 2009-05-13

• To whom it may concern: Please leave enough room in your Tweets to allow re-Tweeting without having to edit. (Userrname + 4) #
• RT @JoeTrippi: RT @jdickerson Kanye West blows lid on fake Twitter accounts. Raises what MSM isn’t and in clear language http://bit.ly/wUtEP #
• For example, @JoeTrippi had to edit @JDickerson on that Kanye Re-Tweet. Leave room for RTs with ease. #
• Voter rejection expert speaks! RT @KQED_CapNotes: Angelides: voters will reject props, msg will be “fix this, and fix this in a real way.” #
• Idiot! Didn’t leave space for RTing my rant about how to RT! Then again, if you leave room to RT an RT, where does it end? #

Twitter Updates for 2009-05-12

• I am going to KILL my IRISCard 4 Pro. For the life of me I can’t fix this installation problem and tech support was far less than helpful. #
• Congrats to pals Garry South & Michael Bustamante on joining California Strategies: http://tinyurl.com/p44zl8 Keep Kinney in line! #

Twitter Updates for 2009-05-11

• Oh, Jerry! RT @rubles01: Couldn’t even get off the pullup machine before Jerry Brown changed the weights on me. Impatient much Mr. AG? #
• Teaser for Modern Warfare 2: http://modernwarfare2.infinityward.com/ #
• Only logical that POTUS wants Trek screening at the White House http://tinyurl.com/pw47q2 #
• Back in The OC to rap with McLevin about clean tech conference. It’s hard to pass Disneyland without pulling off. #

Twitter Updates for 2009-05-09

• @lauriepercival Did I see you mention Coin Op yesterday? I actually went to Art Center with @pennyman. It’s a small Twitterverse. in reply to lauriepercival #
• RT @Krom4Congress: Share Mother’s Day with me & my family at: http://www.actblue.com/page/krommothersday #
• @pennyman I’ll come post-March 19 Special Election. Very busy right now. Now if someone can just watch the kids, Jennifer can come too! in reply to pennyman #
• Arrived at FAME for setup of Budget Reform townhall with Speaker Bass and coalition partners. Underestimated driving time w/o traffic. #
• CDP Regional Director Terrence Montgomery kicks things off. #
• Speaker Karen Bass adressing a packed house at 10:00 AM Saturday. People have a lot of questions and concerns about California’s future. #
• Mary Rose Ortega - a teacher for 26 years - talks about importance of passing Props 1A and 1B to save critical school funding. #
• Rochelle from the California PTA stands up to speak on Propositions 1A & 1B. On education: “need an investment to match our expectations.” #
• Kathy Icenhower of Shields for Families makes a compelling case for Props 1D & 1E from a caregiver’s point of view. #
• AARP representative: “We’re at a Church…remember Noah and work two by two. Call two friends or family. Have them call two others.” #
• @thereisnoplan Agree with you (for the most part) and would love a Constitutional Convention to sort out the mess. How does that help today? in reply to thereisnoplan #

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