One of the defining dynamics of 2008 has been the emerging wave of new, young voters getting involved and storming the gates of the traditional political establishment.
— Gavin Newsom
It's nature-nurture, right? I've been nurtured by Californians.
Make no mistake: conversion therapy is not about 'praying away the gay.' It's an emotional torture against our most innocent citizens: our children.
You need to let go of your fear and anxiety of being judged by others.
I made bad decisions. That being said - the question is, does the public care about that?
I'm really more of an executive.
I have differences of opinion within my own family, an Irish Catholic family. So, I do respect those that disagree.
Even though he's a third-generation San Franciscan, my father's very European in some ways, and he loves wine.
A mistake that a lot of us have made, related to those who advocate for gun safety legislation, is that we try to process it through our legislative bodies, and that's where the NRA's strength lies.
I don't know many better training grounds than being mayor of San Francisco - those were pretty intense years in terms of reporting and scrutiny.
I really feel it's time to dissolve the current relationship of governor and lieutenant governor by running as a ticket.
Separate inherently is not equal. There's a reason why $45 million was spent against marriage equality. It's because people understand the word does have meaning. And equality comes when we accept the same notions and the same institutions for everyone, regardless of race and gender and regardless of sex orientation.
The economy is not immutable; it's not about natural laws. It's about rules, and we make the rules.
Separate is not equal. Civil unions are civil unions. Marriage is marriage. They're different institutions.
You'd be hard pressed to find a bigger champion of high-speed rail than me when the bond went to voters. I believed in it.
People don't care anymore because they don't believe in us; they don't trust us. And that's why we should change politics, not just accept the cynical frame that, 'Well, that's just politics.'
There's a secret sauce in California, and I hope people pay attention to it.
If high-wage, high-cost nations like Germany and Japan can compete on exports, California can.
Sometimes I will make CliffsNotes of my CliffsNotes.
While it was refreshing to finally see an openly gay man speak at a Republican convention, it doesn't remove the stain of selecting Mike Pence, America's most anti-LGBT governor.
Just because you have a learning difficulty or difference doesn't mean you aren't smart.
There is nothing worse than a politician that gets defensive and starts attacking the media - and it always looks bad for the politician, because you sign up for this. You live by the sword, you die by the sword.
I'm not a pundit. I don't want to be a pundit.
The whole idea that the Constitution of the United States would be used to advance a political agenda is absurd.
At the end of the day, there's not a day that goes by without a mass shooting.
If we continue to fight the National Rifle Association on their home court, which is the legislative front, I think we'll continue to be frustrated. But when you have an ability to go directly to the public, that's a completely different field of engagement, and I think the NRA is not adept at that kind of engagement.
When Californians see something we truly believe in, we say so and act accordingly - without evasiveness or equivocation.
There was a lot of hype about social media in President Obama's first campaign. It was important, but it wasn't as important as I think people let on.
Prop 8 did something that no other state in the history of this country has done. It took away the rights of people that already were legally affirmed. Imagine someone putting something on the ballot saying your wedding, your marriage is no longer valid.
The question for politicians here is fundamental: You can read the polls, or you can change the polls. Stand up on the things you believe in.
Good people can disagree.
Californians are blessed with the remarkable leadership of Gov. Jerry Brown, who... has led our state to firm fiscal footing and brought us to the enviable position of dreaming - and achieving - big dreams again.
Do what you think is right, because one damn thing is an absolute, certainly: We come and go. Politicians are a dime a dozen.
The kind of cynical politics of divide and conquer, that's shameful stuff, and I don't know - people live their life like that, but I don't know how they look back and feel good about themselves.
My mother - it's not one of those waxing-poetic kind of things - she literally worked two or three jobs most of her life. So I personally experienced that, even though I had these great friends and associations who had unlimited amounts of money. That juxtaposition was an interesting one.
I just butcher a book. Everything I underline I assume is important to me.
I don't learn in a certain way, but I have other skills.
I did not love reading, spelling, math and science. I struggled. I was a terrible speller.
You only get one chance in this thing called life. I know that is a bit maudlin and obscure, but it's a fact, and you can make a profound difference in people's lives without having a title in front of your name.
The people that are serving you gas, the people that are in your restaurants serving you, the firefighters, and police officers are members of the gay and lesbian community. They're members of our broader community.
I think Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to break open a buttery, oaky Chardonnay from California.
There's been a gap between perception and reality, the perception being that California is on the cutting edge of gun safety legislation when, in fact, there are a number of areas where we have fallen behind.
I will negotiate with my worst enemy.
I've never been a fan of pretense or procrastination. After all, our state is defined by its independent, outspoken spirit.
People don't have to agree with me. They can say, 'My gosh, I can't believe I'm listening to this guy. I can't disagree with him more.' But at least they know that I'm going to fight for things that I believe in. And I don't need to be in formal office to do that.
If, in this country, a simple majority of people can start stripping away the rights of a protected class in the minority, that's a pretty alarming thing.
It was difficult to realize, 'I'm lieutenant governor.' And Brown appropriately reminded me of that.
Since Sandy Hook, I have sat back as a father and been mesmerized by the inability of the federal government to do anything substantively on gun safety.
If you distill the essence of everything, what life is about, every single one of us is given a short moment in time on this planet, and we all have one universal need and desire, and that is to be loved and to love. And to deny that for your own political expediency, I don't want to live in that column. It ain't worth it.
No-Drama Obama? Yeah, that's not me.
