The Election is Over
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I think one of the things I'm looking forward to most with this podcast is hearing from listeners, seeing what's on their mind, what they have to say. So we got a new email address. Folks can just

Tune in and check in and also tune us up on subjects and issues, questions that we can get right back to them on. That email is politikin, P-O-L-I-T-I-C-K-I-N, at iheartradio.com. That's politikin at iheartradio.com. Man, what's happening, man? You got Marshawn, Beastmode, Lynch. Doug Hendrickson. And Gavin Newsom, and you're listening to Politikin. You're on the beat. You're on the beat.

And cue the music. Welcome back to the show, Doug. How you doing, brother? Good. We're on 101.3, Gavin, on our morning drive with the weather report coming up. You know what the fuck is? It's corny as fuck. Hey, no, we're in the iHeart Studio in San Francisco. This is where I used to go when I was mayor. This was the same studio. I went in with like, I can't even remember. It was like K-whatever. This was the center of the universe. This was old school studio. I think I did some shows here before, too.

Doug, you ain't do no damn shows. Thank you. What the hell kind of shows were you doing? I had a little morning call-in show with 97.3 back in the day. And I did a weekly- Alice Radio, 97.3. I did a weekly agent segment on there talking about life as an agent, talking about sports and culture and all those different things. You believe that?

I don't know if I believe that, Marshawn. I never heard that, man. You know what? Leave it up to Doug, man. He was the first motherfucker to step foot on the moon. I'm telling you. Yes, I will. By the way, we still- Hey, by the way, seriously, I had my own damn radio show. You don't even remember that when I was mayor. I do remember your own radio show. I'm serious, right? Well, Gavin, just so people can understand- It was the Gavin Newsom Show. We'll be right back.

KGAV. KGAV. But Gavin, just so our listeners can understand, I've known you now probably going on 30 years. So 30 years I've known you, and we've done radio shows. We both fail statistics, and we both like our tequila. And by the way- I thought we established statistics is not about stats.

It ain't about numbers. Where the fuck you be coming up with this shit, French? Well, it's interesting, Marshawn, just to kind of retable the things here. I was on a seven-day road trip. I was in Pennsylvania. I was in D.C., Maryland, Virginia.

And I did my own straw poll back then. And I was talking to Uber drivers, airport clerks, people at the hotels, and I had a bad feeling. And so I go in to see Gavin the night of the election. I get there around 4 p.m.

I think I had two bottles of tequila. I think you had drank a bottle before you got there. Okay, I might have drank a bottle. Anyway, so I come home with my tequila and I said, Batman, we may have a problem. Yeah, you were pretty definitive. I was completely, I was confident.

We were going to win. You said you were talking to airport clerks and Uber drivers. You should have been talking to the Dauphines and the Winos. Well, I did talk to a Wino. No, not talking to yourself, but the real Dauphines and real Winos. They would have told you what's up. They know everything, bro. I'm telling you.

No, but it's interesting, Gavin. So anyway, so I brought, I come in there and tell you that in about an hour into it, you looked at me and you said. Yeah, we're toast. Holy shit. So take me, take me through your mindset as we get into that first hour. Well, and Marsha, I'm going to go back to you. What were the, what were, as you described them, dope fiends, what were they telling you on the ground? Well,

What was, uh, on the ground. Yeah. I mean, I assume that's where you were with these guys, but where, I mean, what, no, honestly, what were you hearing? Yeah. Did you hear the same thing Doug was hearing from the, his Uber driver and you know, this sort of his elite lifestyle as he's on the road? Um, I mean, I did, man. They was telling me, uh,

Y'all fucked up. And I was like, damn, Korea, we fucked up like that? Why you say that? They like, because Gavin was playing nice ball and shit. He should have got out there and started running. And I was like, so, you know, here I like to blame everything on Gavin. So I'm blaming that shit on you too.

I'll take it. Trust me. It's not my first time being blamed for a presidential outcome. Just go back to 2004. But let me, but it's interesting. Doug, we'll step back. Because Doug's not kidding. He was, you've been pretty pessimistic for a few months, but you've been traveling all over the country. And you've been primarily in these swing states doing your day job. Yeah.

And I had been- Because by the way, remember, I'm the public state school kid, common sense kid. And common sense, I came into this whole thing saying, we got a fucking problem. The difference is, and this is the difference, Marshawn, is Doug's experience, your experience is very different than mine. I'm out there on the swing states. I'm out there in Bucks County in Pennsylvania. I'm out there in Michigan. I'm on a blue bus, meaning a blue bus tour. I'm with other Democrats. Everything's a bubble.

And so you don't really have a sense of what's real and what's not. The crowds are organized. The crowds are enthusiastic, but it's a bunch of Democrats. You're not randomly walking in to a coffee store that hasn't been pre-selected as the coffee store you will randomly walk in. You're going to the VIP lounge, the concert instead of the general admission. Yeah. You're, you know, you're going to coffee store where, you know, the owner is a Democrat and has supported Democrats in the past. So there's this, there's this false sense of,

when you're out there as a surrogate on half a campaign. So you don't pick that up. What I did pick up was a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of interaction. But I did tell you, what did I tell you? I said, it was interesting. I coined it as like five eyes. I kept hearing obviously inflation, inflation scars, people are pissed. Interest rates, that was about credit card and car loans. That was about rent and mortgages.

I heard a lot about immigration, undoubtedly the third eye. Fourth, which was interesting, was sort of this incumbency that we kind of own this. And there was sort of like, if people are angry, there's going to be a little bit of payback. And of course you heard the other, particularly in Michigan and other places, the issues around Israel.

which were not insignificant. I'd say the sixth, seventh eye, which would be the invasion in Ukraine as well. So there was just that anxiety. And that was a consistent theme of conversation we would have, even with other Democrats. But look, we got shellacked. That was terrible. It was an ass kicking. And I mean, we lost all seven swing states.

We lost the popular vote first time in 20 years, second time in 36 years, which shows what an anomaly that is. Why is that? Well, I think you got a better pulse in that respect. I mean, what you just said in terms of your interaction, you've been saying this, Marshawn, you've been saying this for a while. You've been feeling something just ain't right. We talk about Oakland. The mayor of Oakland was recalled. The DA in Alameda County was recalled.

I mean, this is unprecedented to lose a DA and a mayor. And, but you felt that you knew that you saw that coming. You felt that you, you expressed anxiety. You were pretty candid about Harris and what your friends were saying about Kamala. There was, what was your sense? I mean, Trump took advantage of,

And I don't want to, we don't have to get deep into Trump versus Kamala. I mean, it's more just, you know, how everyone's feeling post the election. But Trump obviously made a big play for black male votes in particular and made real progress. I mean, he just started talking to the people. He started talking to them in a way in which, you know what I mean, they can understand. I mean, he leveled with them. And it was one of the biggest things, like I was telling you when I have conversations with you,

Like, why is, you know what I mean, how are we even in this position to be doing this show? Is, I mean, you never talk at me. You never talk down to me. We talk on a level where, you know what I mean, it's understood. And then for things that I don't understand, it's not a sense of where I feel like I'm just a, I'm just an idiot to where I can ask you questions and, you know, you'll let me know what's up. But you have somebody who,

basically was reasoning with the people. And I mean, you know, regardless to if he gonna do what he say he gonna do or, I mean, whatever the case may be, but just the fact that when he get up there and he's speaking and you can understand him, you can kind of feel where he coming from. - There's so much punditry and I'm trying to, you know, Jon Stewart, I thought nailed it in the night of the election. He put out a little clip, he said,

whatever is said tonight in the next couple of days is going to be proven wrong. And then he rolled the clips of the last few elections that Democrats had lost. And everybody was kind of, it said the exact opposite of what ultimately revealed itself over time. And that's why I think it's important, especially guys like me, just absorb it,

but it will present itself over time what this election was really about, this moment was about. There are trend lines, obviously, as it relates to working class folks. Now it's multiracial and we've seen that slip away. But Marshawn, you said something that is just, it's not even, it's so simple and deserves more, I think, attention. He spoke in a way that you can understand versus my 10-point plan on, you know, a CEQA reform or something, right? Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, you know, that's that that shit is important, especially with, you know, I mean, Cat Williams say like year 2024 is the year of the truth. And I mean, you know,

with a lot of individuals being woke and with how, you know, individuals are interacting with social media and the way that they get their news. And, you know, I mean, you got to remember, like, everybody is hyper focused on, you know what I mean, getting to the bottom of things. And, you know, when you got somebody who, you know, talking in circles or, you know what I mean, just saying shit to be saying shit, but then when you get an individual who,

just come out blatantly and say what it is like, I mean, motherfuckers say, you feel me? I'd rather be slapped with the truth than kissed with a, you know what I mean? With a lie and falsify information. You know what I mean? Like just give it to me straight. You know what I mean? I'll be able to deal with it, but it goes to go to your, you know, your conversation when you're just talking about how individuals are dealing with, uh, uh, the coaching shit. Like, you know what I mean?

As a player, like, I would rather the coach come and tell me straight up what it is rather than sugarcoat that shit. And then, I mean, you know what? Because you can pick up the phone and you can get whatever, however. And then with all of the clips that have been put out, like, it resonates with the people.

And you can get behind that. And then at least when you know, if it don't go the way I mean that it was supposed to, it's like, well, shit, you know, I was able to make my my decision with a with a with a clear understanding. Now, if that information that they gave you was some bullshit, but at least you could say, you know what? I knew what I was getting myself into when I made that decision.

And I mean, that's what people want is like a chance. But that begs the question, and Doug, I want to go back to you because it's interesting. I mean, because when we talk about what Trump was trying to sell, I think it was a lot of bullshit. And factually, it was, I mean, literally this guy's sort of rewriting history and his own history and history of this country as well. And he did spew a lot of BS. But what Marshawn's saying through the lens of,

of the world we're living in, in terms of how we consume media, et cetera, at least appear to be telling the truth, or at least appear to be sort of crisp and clear in terms of diagnosing the problem. What did you hear about with,

With those Uber drivers, what were you hearing at the airport? What were you hearing as you're checking in these motels and hotels? No, same thing. They wanted more common sense. They wanted more simplicity. Nobody thought what she was selling was a plan. What Trump was selling was effectively the American dream.

So she's putting out a plan to saying, you know, $25,000 for this, $50,000 going to write off for small business. I mean, she puts out $6,000 tax credit for newborns. That's not a plan. No one understood it. Trump talked to the people about this is what we're going to do, how we're going to do it. It's very simple. He had master class in terms of

getting a lot of these people on board with him. You following me? Yeah, well, I mean, the crowds. And the people didn't believe the plan that she had, and they believed his plan. Right, wrong, and different, whether the plan works or doesn't work, he got the message through. Yeah. Take me through your week now since-

She lost. And how many people have emailed you? How many calls have you gotten? What's going on in your life? The, the, the, the avalanche of emails came about at hour one where you and I were hanging out looking at the results. And of course I'm looking not just through the prism of, of the presidential. We're looking at these mayor's races. We're looking at ballot initiatives. We're looking at congressional, notably congressional races all across, not just California, but across the country as it relates to control of the house. Uh, and then obviously what happened in the Senate, which separate above, but, uh,

avalanche of what the hell's going on why were the polls so wrong I mean not just the public polls the private polls right we were privy to some of a lot of the internal polling and and it was just way off so was they putting out falsified information or was they just fucking screwing numbers to give motherfuckers the illusion that

It was a chance. Well, there's so much analysis on polling now because, I mean, the old days, the biggest thing was, well, everybody's moved to their cell phone. They don't answer the phone. Who answers their phone? And since they're listening to a pollster answer, ask questions over 20 minutes. So then they started to skew, all right, we got to meet people where they are on their devices, et cetera. We'll do more mobile. There's been this evolution. But I think, Marshawn, what you framed a moment ago may be the next iteration of that evolution. And that is that sort of hyper-

world hyper sort of connected world we are with algorithms and how we're shapeshifted as it relates to what's on TikTok and Instagram and what's coming in to our feed. And that's going to require even a deeper level of analysis as it relates to how you reach people that are actually, that are not being reached currently by, by traditional polling. So it was hella shit going on with like my phone, right? Like I was getting hella unknown phone calls from, from a hella different numbers. There's,

I'm talking about like maybe at least like 25 calls a day. So I decided to answer. I decided to answer one day and I was having a conversation with the lady. And I mean, oh, are you voting? I mean, actually, I'm like, oh, yeah, for sure. I'm going to vote. And now I'm thinking like, what? What the fuck? How do these people get my number? What's going on? And so I decided to, you know, play a game.

And I'm like, oh, yeah, well, I'm voting for, I forgot what name. I told her John Madden or something. I'm like, oh, yeah, because he's the best football coach to ever do it. They made a football game after him and all this. He's like, oh, yeah, well, you need to vote for, who she told me I need to vote for? I need to vote for Carmela. And, you know, this is her plan. And then, you know, I just was like talking hella shit to her. But at the end of the day, I'm just like, this is the lengths that they taking me.

to get into it. And then these are just what normal people who just volunteered. Yeah. I mean, this is, and what you've just expressed is the frustration. I think the count of the Kamala campaign. Certainly my frustration was all the door knocking, the text messaging doing exactly what, uh,

what you just described and it was second to none. I mean, we had an amazing ground game, but it suggests that that's an old construct that is not just about that anymore. I mean, you had Elon Musk out there doing these million dollar day raffles. He was doing $46 for everybody, whatever it was to sign a petition supporting quote unquote the constitution, AKA Trump in this context or his context. - But it's a good reset for not only you, but the whole party to figure out how do we go from here?

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Yeah, well, it's not just move forward with the party. It's also how to move forward with the fifth largest economy in the world, the size of 21 state populations combined, California. I mean, the fact is he's coming at us. He did a true social thing that was just a list of golden oldies. I mean, it was dull by Trump's standards about all his grievances in California, where he's great at identifying damn problem, no solutions attached to it, certainly no partnership.

But we were involved in 122 lawsuits with the Trump administration. So we have real experience here. I dealt with them for two years and had conversations with them on a consistent basis. We had a shockingly good relationship, particularly as far as a Democratic governor goes. But this time just feels different. I tried to reach out to him, couldn't get through. And then we went back and forth. I called the special session, which is just a way of- I think he actually really likes you, Guy. I think half of this is an act. You say you reached out to Trump?

- Yeah, I didn't connect with him. Normally we get right through, but it's a different time, man. That was never the case in the past. We didn't have that problem in the past, but look, I don't have the, we don't have the White House is not set up. He's in the middle of a transition. I'm not looking, I'm not, there's no, I'm not complaining about anything. The last person I thought he'd pick up the phone was me, but I did reach out.

So you're getting the egg, the governor getting the egg by the president. Oh, he's not ignoring me, brother. He's not ignoring me. He made sure loudly. I'm the new scum. I'm in all his stump speeches. New scum. That was literally seventh grade. I told you that was, that's a golden oldie for me.

But no, we're hardly being ignored. And you can't look, here's the bottom line. You can't ignore California. - You can't ignore California. - You can't ignore, it's a tent pole. And that's just a fancy way of saying it's, I mean, the economy in the United States, so much of it emanates out of the state of California, not just in terms of innovation, entrepreneurialism, but economic growth and development. The fact that we are the fifth largest economy in the world,

a nurse to the benefit of the rest of the nation by definition. So he going to be tapping in with you pretty soon, Dan, is what it sounds like. Yeah. But look, my thing is, you know, you guys know me. I don't care that you disagree with me. I don't care that I disagree with you. I want to work with people. I care about people. I'm not going to talk down to people, talk past people, but I don't like bullies. I don't like people that attack vulnerable communities. I don't like someone demeaning other people to get ahead.

Professionally or politically? So with Infinite Takeover and Office, what can we expect from your point of view with this guy and with the office? Because, I mean, you know, the thing that I do and what I, you know what I mean, you were just saying, I mean, that motherfucker really care about people. You know, I stand at the forefront for, you know, for my kind and shit. So,

when i when i go out and i i mean for instance like you know we got a thanksgiving coming up and for the last damn near 20 years you know we do a turkey drive like you know people is my is my like i like to connect with people i like to you know be able to you know put people in position who who uh

who are, you know, are less fortunate and try to bring, you know, a little bit of, a little bit of cheer or, you know what I mean, joy, you know what I mean, to their life. But with this dude going in and off, what does that look like for, you know what I mean?

for the country. - Here's the thing for me, Marshawn, I take this guy at his word. I take him literal about what he wants to do. Just today, he appointed this former ICE director to be part of his, he's his border czar, and he picked this guy, Stephen Miller, a Californian, to be his deputy chief of staff who designed all of the immigration policy under Trump, including that family separation stuff, which people sort of seemingly forgotten. So we're just preparing the state

And I hope none of this stuff happens. And if it doesn't happen, great. And we can work together with them on areas that, you know, that mutually benefit this country and the world we're trying to build. But if not, we're going to stand firm.

and have the backs of 40 million Americans here in the state of California. And I'm not going to, you know, he's got all the power in the world, but, you know, we're not some small isolated state and we're not going to be navel gazing either. So we're going to be firm and we're going to be aggressive and pushing back. If you're going to attack vulnerable communities, you're going to talk down to people. If you're going to try to hurt folks and scapegoat folks, we're going to call that out.

And we're going to do it from a position of strength, not weakness in a state that matters. So that's my state of mind. But again, it's about an open hand, not a closed fist. So you saying you want to slap the shit out of it? I was about to give you the velvet component of this glove, which is the people you're, but the end of the day,

If you care about folks and you demonstrate that, that's what it's about. I don't care if they voted for you or not. Just don't threaten to take away emergency aid because people didn't vote for you or they're not doing your bidding like Trump has. And my point is it is about people. And I think you asked the question. I haven't even answered your damn question.

What's the next few years look like? It's not just a resistance frame. It is about getting back to basics. And it's about reconciling that disconnect between performance and perception as it relates to the economy. And it's about helping real folks. And so my job is to do my job, policy, focus on people, and keep it simple, stupid. Because what I'm hearing from you guys is these 10-point plans, man, the stuff that I often talk about, these 30, 40-minute speeches, right?

They're not breaking through anymore. Not breaking through. And people don't believe it.

And they got to see it. And by the way, both sides got to get together and be nice. I mean, at the end of the day, the whole thing about this country being divided was. And like I said, you know what? Republicans can get along with Dems. Dems, Republicans, we're all equal. We're all the same. 100%. So it's like everyone's got to get together, get along, and grow. But all this bullshit and fucking hostility, stuff's got to go. People are scared to talk politics. Hopefully this now at least resets things.

And at the end of the day, once it resets, Gavin, then you govern the shit out of California. And then where it goes from here for you, we'll figure it out. And what the hell are you doing, Marshawn? There is an open seat for mayor of Oakland, California. Your hometown, brother. What are you thinking? Do we got the squad ready? By the way, you better get your cleats on, man, because it's 120 days after this election is called or when she resigns or whatever.

I don't know. There's some nuance with recall. 120 days after. Doug's been keeping me updated. He told me that he got a strong team that he put together for me. You feel me? Calling in the big guns to get everything situated so shit. When that time come, I'm going to be ready, my boy.

The beauty of this is this. What? Trump won on his simple message, okay? When Marshawn comes in there- Make Oakland great again? Well, no, he's going to come in there- Really? Make Oakland great? Is that the best he can do? No, I got a better one than that. What's that? What he's going to do- By the way- He's going to put on the 60 Minutes interview, and they're going to talk about the metaphor, and Marshawn's going to say, what do you have to do to win the city of Oakland? He's going to say, I'm going to run through a motherfucker's face over and over and over.

And over and over and over and over again. Elmer run through mother fucking face.

And Doug, and now you speak in my language, my boy. Yeah. Hey, by the way, let's simplify this thing. We got jobs in Oakland. We got crime to fix. It's quality of life. We got youth sports. Got it. We got keeping the streets safe. Let's simplify this more, Sean, with the direct message to people. Clean the streets. Let's get a tougher DA in there. Focus on encampments. 100%. And we'll knock this thing out. Car thefts.

Burglaries, quality of life. I want to see it green and clean. I want parks, playgrounds, kids. Outside, riding their nets on the hoops. Just the simple things, you know what I mean, that go a long way. So is that the platform? What do you got? What have you worked out? This is real now, Marshawn. This is real. Destiny is calling. Man, I told you I'm for my people, man. Like, when I go home and I see all of this shit, like,

between the violence, the homelessness. I mean, like you said, I remember it was a time I used to see kids, you feel me, they'll flood in the parks.

Yeah, I mean, waiting for on the side. I got next. I got next. Waiting, waiting to get on the hoop court. Yeah, I mean, kickball games, the whole nine. Like that sense of community, like that we most definitely are missing. Like I would love to see that back in my, you feel me, in my city, like.

That shit goes a long way. But the thing is, that's, you know what I mean? That's what, that's what made me, that's what raised me. Like, you feel me though? Real OGs who really looked out for the youth though. You know what I mean? Instead of going and, you know what I mean? Putting some work in their hands, like tell them like, nah, fuck that. That shit ain't right. You feel me though? Take your ass to school. You know what I mean?

Go get this education. I mean, go make something of yourself. I don't really see OGs pushing that type of shit no more because the OGs that was, they either, you know what I mean, dead or in jail. So, I mean, you know, that real sense of community, like. Love that.

No, and also too, Gavin, if Marshawn decides even not to run, he can make a massive impact on the city right now where it's going. 100%. No, but especially, I mean, but what he just said is so important. I mean, it goes back to the what, you know, how do we turn the page? What's the future look like? Back to this sense of community. I say it all the time, and you were saying, you know, what we have in common is much stronger than our differences. What you were saying earlier about Democrats, Republicans, Republicans,

I mean, we all want to be protected, which goes back to public safety. We all want to be respected. No one wants to be talked down to or passed to. And we all want to be connected to something bigger than ourselves. And I think that is a sense of community. And I think that was a big part of what happened. Team Trump and the MAGA movement is about community.

And I think there's something powerful in that frame, but there's something powerful, I think, in terms of communicating that to your point, wherever, meaning it doesn't have to be through the lens of being in a position of formal authority as mayor. You can communicate that as community leaders or leaders that express their moral authority like Marshawn is right now.

I think one of the things I'm looking forward to most with this podcast is hearing from listeners, seeing what's on their mind, what they have to say. So we got a new email address. Folks can just

tune in and check in and also tune us up on subjects and issues, questions that we can get right back to them on. No doubt. And we want all that feedback, good, bad, indifferent questions, whatever it may be. And Gavin, by the way, that email is politikin, P-O-L-I-T-I-C-K-I-N at iheartradio.com. That's politikin at iheartradio.com. Send us your questions, send us your feedback. We will get back to you every week on our shows.

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