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April 27, 2021 - 11:15am
Back in 2015, Caitlyn Jenner’s political career was a punchline: a deranged fantasy concocted by the creators of South Park (where Jenner played the role of Vice President to a Trumpian figure whose campaign slogan — and indeed, entire platform — was that he would dispense with America’s enemies by “f***ing them all to death.”)
But now, Jenner has emerged as a real-life contender for office, having announced her intention to run for Governor of California.
Jenner’s candidacy is an interesting wrinkle in what will already be an unusual race. The election itself is predicated on a recall to unseat current Governor Gavin Newsom, whose approval ratings took a nosedive during the coronavirus pandemic. Jenner is among those who criticised Newsom for his response to Covid, which included a mini-scandal in which the governor was caught flouting his own lockdown restrictions at a fancy restaurant while his constituents were trapped at home. But what kind of platform and promises can we expect when she hits the California campaign trail?
First, despite her Republican party affiliation and reality TV roots, Jenner is not the second coming of Donald Trump. (While she supported Trump in 2016, she denounced him midway through his presidency for his administration’s role in pursuing anti-trans policies, including a ban on allowing transgender Americans to serve in the military.) Instead, she describes her personal politics as “economically conservative, socially progressive,” and believes that California has been in thrall too long to corrupt Democratic politicians who control the state via one-party rule.
In practice, this is most likely to translate into a pretty average Republican platform, one that promises to reinvigorate the struggling state with tax cuts and other incentives to keep people living and doing business there, but minus the conservative and anti-LGBT rhetoric that alienates young voters (and particularly the ultra-liberal media and technology classes upon whom California’s economy depends.) Anyone who replaces Newsom will be hoping to reverse the exodus that has occurred within the past few years — which the state’s ultra-strict lockdown measures has only accelerated — as people frustrated by California’s notoriously high taxes and cost of living have fled to places like Nevada and Texas.
And while Jenner hasn’t yet invoked the historic nature of her candidacy (if elected, she’d be the first transgender governor ever to serve in the U.S.), she is leaning into her reputation for “disrupting” the status quo, invoking both her trans activism and her Olympic win as proof of her ability to be an unconventional, independent-minded leader.
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SubscribeA woman that can win gold in the men’s decathlon at the Olympics is obviously a fierce competitor.
Millionaire?, check. Celebrity?, check. An advert for progressive affirmation of a sexual disfunction?, check. Bruce is a shoe in for governor in Americas freakiest state.
Oregon?
as soon as i wrote it I immediately thought of Portland, maybe i rephrase to the freakiest sunniest state? I have family that used to live in California, they’ve since moved to Nevada, hopefully the madness of Cali won’t follow them there. i think California’s surrounding states have a good argument for building a wall around it to contain the infection
Please don’t write about these people.
What is the point of calling her Bruce? And referring to “ these people”? I’d hoped the commenters here were better than that. You can be civil and still deplore the current trans hysteria.
Because he is Bruce. And trans hysteria has killed any sympathy many people may have once had for these people. When they come for kids, it is no longer time for civility.
True civility is warranted, but my attitude to it is that the truth should be told. Maybe a fairer way to refer to individuals like this would be to say. “Catelyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner (male),….” its wordy but its the truth and so far as i can see inoffensive ( other than to people who are offended by the past) to be fair to Catelyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner (male) i don’t think he is one who is hiding his past identity or accomplishments
Don’t indulge them George, come on, we’ve seen where this leads.
Go Jenner – in a place as corrupt as California time, money and media savvy are helpful, but Olympic golds, motor racing success and no small amount of acting skill is probably her strongest suite
Well, Bruce is certainly acting quite well as a lady.
Life imitating art…
South Park is prescient, and at first I thought they were a little unfair on old Bruce’s facial surgeries, but good grief! It really is as terrible as they depicted it.
An ecomomic Republican but woke-ish is exactly the last thing I would want, but I’m not a Californian.
Bruce Jenner was never the brightest bulb; now as Caitlyn she’s even dimmer. But if getting elected governor keeps her from driving and killing someone, perhaps it’s worth it.
Caitlyn is stunning and beautiful Lillian. And the fact is that YOU, as a cis-woman, wouldn’t understand what she has been through in her quest to become a brave role model for people everywhere.
Just kidding, he is really quite insane.
Please. Jenner is not a she. Except in some fantasy world like Wonderland. Oh. I forgot. I live in California. This is Wonderland. The Mad Hatter would be right at home here. The inmates are running the asylum.
When he competed in the Olympics, Bruce, aka “Caitlyn” Jenner’s Achilles heel was his feet. In running events he would wear his signature T-shirt with the caption “Feet, don’t fail me now!”
Fast forward to the present. The Republican Party in Wonderland is toast. Burnt toast. Only a party in utter disarray could contemplate running a candidate who can’t tell what gender he is. What’s next? We might as well nominate a potted plant for Governor. At least it wouldn’t have an identity complex.
Glasshouse, meet stone.
My very own Member of Parliament , Layla Moron, claims to be ‘pan sexual’, although her constituency office does not appear to know what this means, or at least, is unwilling to share this knowledge with me.
Dawn Butler MP, until recently a shadow minister, says she does not believe that children are born with a definite sex, in spite of having given birth to several herself.
Penny Mordaunt has stated in Parliament that ‘ trans women are women’.
I don’t care who they elect as Governor.
Popeye’d do for me, they live in a million miles from us fantasy world out there anyway.
Don’t mistake California for Hollyweird – viva Alta California cabrón
This will be one to watch.
Newsome won’t be governor by November, there’s already over a million signatures demanding his recall. He’s toast.
In the 80s, men very happily wore frilly blouses and makeup, and frosted their hair. They were still men, whether gay or straight. Now I am unsure which pronouns to use for a man in a frilly blouse or for a woman who might be a butch d**e or a trans man.
Just personally, wanting to have a shoe closet and spend hours styling my hair and applying lashes is not a measure of my being female. It is a strange force (to me) that compels someone so strongly to wanting to be a Kardashian-style make-up princess all day. Well, different strokes…
I’d love to see real political change in California but the democrats have such a lock on power there, I’m not sure Jenner or any other republican candidate can win.