Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
COVID Theater: Gubernatorial Edition
California Governor Gavin Newsom was spotted dining with a large group at a high-end gourmet restaurant several days ago. Among the guests at this party were members of the California Medical Association (CMA). Since Newsom and the CMA have pushed for COVID-19 restrictions that have hurt many California restaurants, many have called out the governor for his hypocritical behavior.
Newsom issued an apology in which he stated his actions went against the spirit of what he has been preaching and that he needs to practice what he preaches.
Gov. Gavin Newsom apologizes for attending party at French Laundry: "We're all human. We all fall short sometimes." pic.twitter.com/GPegzxt0dl
— The Hill (@thehill) November 17, 2020
So, there is concern over hypocrisy. There is concern over appearances. What is no one concerned about? Is anyone concerned about Newsom’s health? If we are to believe that all of these restrictions are in place to keep people healthy, then when people do not follow those rules, doesn’t that mean they are taking a serious health risk?
Yet, no one cares about the health of anyone at this party. Why not? Are the COVID restrictions in place to save lives or are they there as a way to pretend to care? Governors can’t fix this virus. How many times have we heard politicians say, “Well, we have to do something,” when they don’t have any useful solutions at hand? Are the lockdowns and restrictions about safety or just an elaborate COVID theater set up to pretend that we care? The virus is real but shouldn’t businesses and individuals decide what is and is not worth the risk? Governor Newsom, you enjoyed a nice night out. Give others the chance to do the same.
Published in General
Why? People ain’t gonna run politicians out of office because of hypocrisy. Hell, We don’t run ’em out of office if They’re criminal.
Not really.
Is there? I presume this birthday party was a bunch of lobbyists choosing Kamala’s replacement.
His ridiculous defense, like how long he knew his friend, that it was a birthday
All the people in Nursing homes prohibited from seeing the children they’ve “known” for decades.
All the people who did not get to say goodbye to dying relatives.
Stop this insanity.
#FUNEWSOME
#FUCUOMO
#FUWOLFE
#FUWHITMER
you get the picture.
So, . . . does he think the apology is enough?
I mean, by his actions businesses are being destroyed. Meanwhile, he parties on. “Oops, I’m sorry” just isn’t enough.
Seppuku wouldn’t be enough.
It’s meaningless theater of the absurd.
Sure he caused people to lose everything, but this guy was his friend so . . . And he also mentioned a couple times that it was an early dinner. I know some governors issued curfews but do they really believe THE COVID is nocturnal?
Hypocrisy, thy name is politician.
You COVID-deniers better not be having Thanksgiving or Christmas this year! Only the chosen elite are allowed to have that!
The main problem with the apology culture that’s developed over the last several years is that an apology–sincere or not–is a get out of jail free card. There will be no repercussions, and I’d guess that this factored into Newsom’s conduct. “I want to do this, and if I get called out, I’ll just, you know, apologize. End of story.”
I suppose there is one interesting development here. Democrats generally do not apologize. Rather they blame others when caught. (See Nancy Pelosi’s actions when caught going to the salon. She blamed the salon owner.)
Also, conservatives might apologize, but they’ll get destroyed/lose their jobs/get cancelled anyway. Democrats don’t have to fear that.
That apology business started with Clinton. He apologized, nothing happened to Him, people began to make excuses for Him and love Him more. He thought that was pretty cool. So, He went on a world tour “apologizing” on “behalf of America” so He could be adored the world over.
That is the thing. No one actually believes that Newsom’s actions put anyone at risk. He did not do anything wrong by going out to a dinner party. What is wrong is that he won’t let others do the same.
This clip by Dave Portnoy is basically how I feel about the lockdowns. (It is Dave Portnoy so be warned,if you click the video you will hear the F-word)
Newsom just about has the preacher patter down. Unfortunately, it’s the Joel Osteen preacher patter.
Stop preaching, Gavin. You stink at it.
With 102 weeks before he has to face the voters again, Newsom’s pretty much in the clear on this. This far out from the midterms, he’d really have to do something outrageous, like sending state police into the deepest Blue areas of the state to issue Thanksgiving overcrowding fines to even get close to Gray Davis recall territory (there wouldn’t be a peep if he sicced law enforcement on the Red areas in the Central Valley, selected parts of Orange County, or the far north L.A. suburbs).
It’d be close.
Perhaps he could show that seriousness of the health risk by isolating himself for 2 weeks (real isolation, not the Chris Cuomo pretend isolation), and insist that all other attendees also isolate themselves for 2 weeks.
Yeah, that would be more convincing but no one is even trying to pretend
Honestly, cherry-picked enforcement (or riots) based on election results is not such an outlandish idea. Someone start taking notes.
In terms of ‘There may still be some hope for California‘ I did see a story today at a lower level of the political food chain, where the mayor of Stockton, Michael Tubbs, who received glowing praise nationally for his program to provide everyone in the city with a guaranteed income, went from winning with 70 percent of the vote last time to losing by 10 points on Nov. 3. But he didn’t concede until today, when he was 12,000 votes behind with 12,000 votes left to count (based on some of the sudden Biden vote surges in swing states, he might have been hoping for something similar with the final 12,010 or so ballots).
You have to get down to the final paragraphs of this story to find out who he actually lost to:
Seeking forgiveness includes acknowledging one did wrong – and why it’s wrong.
It doesn’t mean 90 seconds of justification and 30 seconds of mea culpa.
Seppuku is only used in a society where honor has any weight….
The CMA officials who attended the dinner are just more politicians. I was involved in CMA for years and saw how the sausage was made. Ditto for the AMA which is even more corrupt.
I used to think that Chris got the looks in the Cuomo family and Andrew the brains- but based on recent history that means in the society of The Brave New World that Chris would be, at most, an epsilon unit semi-moron.
I’ll never understand how anyone could vote for filth like this (or Biden, for that matter). I don’t live on the same planet as these people.
I was going to say “I’ll bet Bill Kristol has a whole bunch of friends over for Thanksgiving.”
But then I remembered that he has no friends.
I was thinking more along the line that he’s the turkey.
Well, if bill Kristol says it, i must ignore it. No, defy it.