How I'm voting on California's Prop 50, Gavin Newsom's emergency redistricting plan

I am sorry to disappoint my Democrat friends, but I will vote NO on gerrymandering California.

There are 4 reasons:
1) Prop 50 goes against my deepest beliefs about politics, and my most important beliefs about myself

2) It's a political mistake and a waste of valuable time

3) What exactly is Gavin Newsom going to do with the extra votes? Early returns aren't pretty

4) I want a Democratic party that represents the working class. This doesn't do that. 

No. 1 first.

Gerrymandering goes against my strongest political beliefs, and my general belief in fairness. Along with a majority of California voters, I voted in 2010 to create a nonpartisan districting commission because it's the right thing to do. 

Gerrymandering is wrong. If Texas is doing something wrong, the way to address it is not by doing something wrong in California. 

I am a Democrat. I understand the Yankees-Red Sox mentality of today's political scene: most people pick a side and that's the last thinking they do on the topic. But that's not how I approach anything in life. I vote on each item individually. Gavin Newsom is asking me -- and all of us -- to be a lemming; a drone; a sheep. No thank you. 

I intend to vote for Nancy Pelosi next year. But I don't vote for her because she's a Democrat: I vote for her because she's the best choice to represent San Francisco in Congress. All Democrats are not equal, and neither are all Republicans. For you New Yorkers, Cuomo does not equal Mamdani ... and I would vote for Mitt Romney over either of them.

Gavin Newsom is asking, essentially, to disenfranchise voters in Fresno and Bakersfield to give more votes to Los Angeles. That's not fair. That's not how I believe democracy should work.

I'm not handing Gavin Newsom a blank sheet on which the California Democratic Party -- which has been very stubborn about supporting unpopular politicians like Gray Davis -- can write in any name it wants.

No. 2: Redistricting is a mistake

The Democratic Party is losing voters. That's the problem. More Hispanic voters in particular are choosing the GOP. The Democrats lost the popular vote to Donald Trump last year despite everything we know about Donald Trump. 

What the Democrats need is more Democrats. That's what we should be working on. But we're not. Instead, we're spending all of our political energy and money this autumn on trying to spread around the diminishing core of Democrats.

California, with its large multi-ethnic population, is the perfect place to work out a party platform that will expand the base. But we're not even talking about it. 

No. 3: Gavin Newsom has become Trump-lite

Gavin Newsom has decided the right way to communicate with voters is to tweet obnoxious things, sometimes IN ALL CAPS, because Trump does so. (That photo is a real Newsom tweet.)

I guess he's going for the troll vote, which Trump seemed to have sewn up. But it raises a question: why would somebody order a Trump Lite when Original Trump is on the menu? 

It's not just the communication style. Last year California voters, fed up with passive civic responses to crime, passed Prop 36. Newsom has refused to fund it. Newsom is ignoring the will of the voters. This redistricting is the same. We said we want nonpartisan-drawn districts. Newsom said, I don't care what voters want -- this is what I want. Remind you of someone?

Trump is creating an executive branch with unlimited power and no guardrails. I want the next person in the White House to disassemble the structure of fascism, not just take it over and be the New Boss. That's what Newsom's ambition looks like.

No. 4: What do the Democrats stand for?

So far as I can tell from its actions this summer, the Democratic Party stands for:
* Protecting illegal immigrants 
* Complaining about Gaza

What does the Democratic Party have to offer working-class voters? 

Last year it was abortion rights, which are indeed extremely important for working-class women (and young men as well; child support is expensive). But nothing else. I don't want to diminish the importance of abortion rights, but as a platform, it's not enough.

Lately in the government shutdown we finally see Democrats standing for something new: Medicaid and healthcare subsidies. That's a step in the right direction. But it also is typical of our problem with working-class voters, who aren't as excited as you might think about subsidizing people who don't work -- even though an injury on the job might put them on Medicaid themselves. 

In contrast, Trump has promised to change the entire American economy to reignite manufacturing and bring good-paying jobs home. And he is attempting to carry through on his promise. I don't know if it will work. But it's time for the Democrats to stop denying that Trump listens to working-class voters, and start listening themselves.

Instead, Newsom wants to take the vote away from working-class cities like Fresno and Bakersfield and hand it over to Los Angeles. 
 

If the Democratic Party regains power, what will it do with it?

I am willing to vote Democrat just because I dislike the fascist turn of Trump's GOP. That's too esoteric for most voters, but not for me. But Newsom has become Trump-lite, so he's taking away even this rationale.

Is the Democratic Party going to reinstate race-based DEI programs in hiring and college admissions? Is it going to demand that biological men be allowed back into women's sports? I don't agree with Trump's use of the military in US cities, including his takeover of Washington DC's streets. But I don't like urban crime either. Will the Democrats prioritize lenient treatment of criminals, as our local politicians did just five years ago? 

I don't know where the Democratic Party stands on these issues because it hasn't told me. 

But I do get texts from the Democratic Party all the time. Until recently they were all the same: "Give us $10." Now it's "give us $10 and a blank voting sheet with your signature at the bottom."

No. I will not. 

I am a Democrat, but I am not a lemming. Nancy Pelosi will always have my vote. But not Gavin "Trump-lite" Newsom. He hasn't earned it, and he doesn't deserve it. Assuming there is another Presidential election, I really hope we come up with a better Democratic candidate. 

One piece of parting advice for the party. Bill Clinton had it right 33 years ago: "It's the economy, stupid." Clinton overcame multiple bimbo eruptions to beat an incumbent president who had won a ground war, after 12 years of what looked like permanent GOP rule. Illegal immigrants, Gaza and even abortion rights are not the economy. Let's stop being stupid.

Normally I don't allow comments on endorsement posts.
But in the spirit of Charlie Kirk, this time I will. As he would say, Prove Me Wrong. Please be civil.
Follow me on Twitter: @wblakegray and like The Gray Report on Facebook.

Wines to drink with crabcakes

I'm from Baltimore, which gives me strong opinions about crabcakes (aka the world's best food). 

They should be mostly crab, with minimal filler. We use a tiny amount of mayo, along with a small smattering of breadcrumbs to make up about 5% of the total volume. With Old Bay, though, take the amount you think it needs and triple it, at least. My wife, who is from Japan where seafood is spiced more delicately, is astounded by how much Old Bay I can shake onto a crabcake.

But even with a generous amount of spice, a crabcake is still a very delicate food. It's also expensive, and like me, you might have ordered your crabcakes online. So you've got a special dish -- I often order crabcakes for my birthday -- and you want to choose a wine that is worthy of it, while not overpowering it.

First, I'm sorry, but red wines are out. This is not some old wine-rules thing: I sometimes drink red wine with fish, especially salmon. But you won't taste the crab if your mouth is full of red wine. Moreover, Old Bay will make the wine taste more harshly alcoholic. 

Rosé wines are a bit better. I like rosés with some shellfish dishes, notably French-style mussels and fries. But it's still a sub-ideal wine with one of the world's most ideal foods.

When I take the trouble to order crabcakes, I want them to shine. I avoid strong-flavored side dishes; mashed potatoes are my favorite crabcake side. And I choose a wine that's delicious but doesn't overpower the crab. 

The right answer is white or sparkling.

You can never go wrong with Champagne. If a food goes well with any wine, it will usually go reasonably well with Champagne. I also like Prosecco with crab; Proseccos tend to be sweeter than Champagne, and sweetness goes well with spicy dishes, so Prosecco gets more appealing the more Old Bay you use. (Looking for an upscale Prosecco? I got you covered.)

Chardonnay is the main grape of Champagne and Chardonnay is a very good crab pairing. I don't personally like buttery Chardonnays, but there's a reason that wineries make Chardonnays buttery (it's a winemaking choice) and not other wines: Chardonnay goes great with butter. Try it with popcorn sometime. That said, a crisp, unoaked, slightly floral Chardonnay with a crabcake is also delightful.

Most white wines will be pretty good with crabcakes. I like dry Riesling with a crabcake but like most wine experts, I like dry Riesling more than the average person. I don't especially like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with crab because it's too overwhelming; it's better to reach for a Sancerre or another restrained style of Sauvignon Blanc. 

Sometimes I like a very neutral white wine, like Pinot Blanc, with crabcakes. Semillon is terrific with crab; it's a top choice for me (especially if I have one from Hunter Valley), but varietal Semillons in the US are rare.

Just remember, the crab should be the star of the meal. Choose a wine to be the Best Supporting Actor.

Follow me on Twitter: @wblakegray and like The Gray Report on Facebook.