Politickin' with Gavin Newsom, Marshawn Lynch, and Doug HendricksonThe guys take more listener questions and consider becoming a dating advice podcast.
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Man, what's hand him? Man? You got more? Shawn Beisma Lynch.
Doug Hendrickson and Gavin Knewsome.
And you're listening to politics, you're knowing to be you known to be right before Thanksgiving. Every Thanksgiving, the week of Thanksgiving, we do a series of pardons and commutations and one of the great gifts no bs like. It's an amazing, amazing, amazing experience picking up the phone and making the calls to dozens of people that for years and years and years have wanted to clean their record and turn the page in their life and to let them know that they officially have been pardoned. And so I was on the phone coincidental to this, this hunter pardon with I think it was eighteen or so. I can't remember that number, but it's roughly about eighteen people and give them a call. I got hung up on a number of times. One person said, fuck you stood. I was like, Jesus, I was calling to tell you I parted you. Another person goes, yeah, send me the paperwork. I'm like, wow, okay, I have no gratitude.
They don't believe it.
They don't believe it. Other people like, literally, I'll get a call back because I don't have a block thing said, is this really you? I thought it was my buddy Bob. He was pulling my leg. I'm totally embarrassed.
Man, that's amazing.
Other people literally it's other people literally say there's like silence. I'm like, I'm sorry, are you there? It's Kevin. He goes, if this is really you? And if you're not pulling my leg? And then there start crying. He's like, and it's like a maze. And then I'm starting to cry. I can't even talk because it's so intense. You don't know what this means to my kids. I can look at my kids in the eye. For thirty years, I've made a mistake thirty years ago. I've done everything right, but I've never felt right. This is the first time I felt, you know, and like you're like Jesus and you hang up and you sit there. I said, I swear I got truth. I'm sitting in my office by myself, and most folks had left the office. I'm just looking outside, going I'm the luckiest goddamn son of a bitch in the world to be able to make these calls and to have the gift of just a simple decision. Uh and and and to give people that that that that second chance in their life. So, man, Marshaun, to your point, those things matter and you take them very seriously. There's something reverential about that process. Commutations, about community of sentence, about a pardon, about cleaning a record. So they just you got to be careful about politicizing. And I guess that goes to my concern more broadly, is because I'm a practitioner in this space. It's not intellectual uh and it's it's real power uh and it should be used, you know, sparingly, but it's very powerful. It's just as a human expression. It's it's one of the no bullshit, it's I swear I sat there saying, for all the crap you take in this job, you have moments like this where where you're talking to human beans and you feel like you've changed their lives. And to have that ability to do that so easily, Man, what a gift.
This rewarding huh, next level brother, some pretty good perks to the job being huh yeah.
And that's like that's that's you know, any getting reservations or using Doug to get a free you know, you know, get to the bar or something. It ain't about that brother that.
He's going for show. There's one dude you don't want to see with power, oh ship. I could only imagine I would.
I wouldn't last very long. More sean it would. It would last maybe two weeks in the job.
But hey, by the way, I don't want to believe for everybody, shots for you.
We're keeping this place and open on that long. We're getting the planes. I don't care if I can't take your private plane.
I'm taking it. Let's go. We're going on vacation.
Okay, you guys are talking private planes. I'm Jesus Christ kind of lives you to live. I'm sitting there, you know, grinding, doing pardons and pearls every week. By the way, I got some good paroles this week. About sixty paroles this week. I mean people like you, this Doug. I've shared some of those with you in confidence broad strokes because we don't we don't break. I don't, I don't use names. You ain't seen nothing like this group, you know, like bodies dismembered, the whole thing. He's tough, world marshawn, no bullsh.
I will tell you that right now we don't let that person out.
We keep that one in.
Back to the Menendez brothers too, because no bullshit. It's like it's those are the high profile things and then the low profile stuff, but the things that people don't even realize that happened every single goddamn day. Man, human condition, Doug Man. So we got a bunch of questions this week, and I know for Marshawn, got a bunch of questions. I think, Doug, there are a few coming my way. But I didn't understand one of these damn questions about Black Monday. I was like, is this some shopping network thing? And then I realized it has had nothing to do with shopping unless you're shopping for a new head coach or something. What the hell is this Black Monday thing?
Yeah?
Black Monday, Cavin is notoriously the Monday after the last NFL game in a few weeks, and that is when the coaches in the gms have not been fired get fired. It's a brutal day for you know, everybody in the organization. But these owners now, as you know, these guys want to win, and so it used to be the head coaches gyms get a couple of years, two, three, four years to build a team.
Now sometimes they're hired one year and done.
So you got black Monday probably as media's maybe six seven eight coaches getting fired.
Four or five gyms get fired, and.
A lot of coaches try to come in and revamp things. But the interesting part is is you know these owners looking for a quick fix. You're looking for leaders, you're looking for CEOs, looking for coaches.
More than a they don't, they don't work out. They fail.
There's a lot of number twos out there and not a lot of number ones who they fail A lot. A lot of these coaches fail, a lot of the gms fail.
With a year to get an understanding it is, and you come into a fucked up position. How is that a fail?
Thank you? I'm with you.
You don't have it. You don't have it. You don't even had a time to fail.
Because you have You have owners that don't really know the sport and they want to win right away and they don't they don't need patience.
Who haven't won a Super Bowl? Which team well.
Other than lately case and uh, I don't know who else is wanted to be says Casey Leady.
I said who hasn't. I mean, it's teams that ain't even you fear me.
No, it's a it's a it's a brutal thing.
They've been going through this for forever.
Jets are a prime example. This man, you get rid of the coach in the middle of the year, and then they keep losing, losing, losing. The pressure on that how about the pressure on him on Johnson as the owner of the Jets after what more losing seasons than any other franchise the last decade or so.
Well, it's interesting, it's interesting question, Gavin, whoever asked that? And I do want to parallel back to you quickly, because if you look about a lot of these guys that get these jobs, new coaches and new gms, they fail for a couple of reasons. One is, yes, as more Shawn's point, the team's not very good, it's tough to build it back quickly. But they also fail because they're afraid to make decisions and they're afraid to really be that person. And so do you find the same thing in politics? Do you see mayors or governors that come in that kind of afraid to lead. I've always admired what you've done, You're right, wrong and different. You're going to do something and stand by it. But do you see a lot of people in your industry that get that number one job and then they don't deliver? Oh?
Yeah, but I think it has I can't help but thinking about and forgive me sort of fixated on the Jets and the context that some of their struggles over the last many years, predating even Rogers. But it's interesting in the context your question because I think about the times you don't make decisions or when those decisions have consequences as it relates to people that are on your team that have outsized influence on that decision making. So even the owner of a team, even the head coach of a team, sometimes doesn't have that ability to make those decision And I think about, honestly, the impact of some of the decisions that you wonder are being made by the GM or the owner of the Jets, or by their quarterback, and how you balance that and the consequences of indecision or decision that you outsource to a superstar. Think about Lebron. You think about some of the most high profile and prolific leaders on teams and a lot of owners you think they have the real control, but a lot of that's outsourced to the folks that are out there on the field. And honestly, I think about that in the context of politics as well, and how you sort of balance all of those things. And you know, our fields not just a board of directors of one hundred and twenty people that I don't pick even if I did, how do you get consensus with one hundred and twenty people on the legislature and then you forty million people that you quote unquote serve that pay your salary. So it's a different construct, but it's the same I think fundamental A challenge is balancing that decision making in the context of how that decision making ultimately will be implemented and absorbed.
We'll also look at Marshawn. I know, we talked about it.
You know, when John Schneider traded for Marshawn, it revamped the entire organization. They get to they win a Super Bowl, get back to another one. There's only one other team at that time that was interested to trading from Marshawn. That was Green Bay and a lot had to do with Aaron Rodgers. Okay, because the Packers never traded for people. Back then, they still didn't trade for it. But the point I'm trying to make is that you had one team, Gavin, that was willing to jump out and say, you know what I'm going not there's no chance on his talent, but there's a chance on making it all work together.
But they did it. Look what happened to that team.
But a lot of these gms come in and are afraid to trade up in the draft. They're afraid to get a fragian, they're afraid to take a gamble on a player. And you can't win if you don't do that. You can't sit back and say I'm gonna take my eight picks and not go into free agency and not gamble and do something.
You have to be able to will and to roll the dice a little.
Bit pretty you think about it with the Niners, that with Trey, with Lance and the first round draft choice, and you know, and and so far their GM is living to fight another day. And some you're to your point, you know, you know, you get you know, miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take. But the flip side of that, as well as some sort of legendary screw ups as it relates to some of those picks or draft moving up in a draft, uh, and then falling flat on your face and you destroy your franchise for a decade because you skipped someone of you know, epic talent to get someone no talent. So look, decisions are tough, leadership's tough, but the buck stops. And it's I think the buck in this case is next level to your point about these owners, now, I mean they're you know this is I mean, these guys always get what they want in their private lives and they expect when they own a franchise that they should be able to get that on the field. Uh. And uh, it's it's that's this short termism is not good for the sport uh and obviously not good for these franchises.
Well, I got a question a few Marshawn.
This has comes from Stacy and she wants some relationship advice for Marshawn.
Oh, the only one who lives does not Mary.
So here's the question.
I am currently in a long distant relationship with a guy in Oakland, I live in New Hampshire. Whenever I text him first, which is rare, he takes sometimes hours to respond and tells me is busy with his work on the flip side. When he texts me first, he expects me to drop everything I'm doing and immediately talk to him or else he becomes our rate.
What do I do about the double standard? Give me some counsel.
That's to you, Marshawn, Oh gosh, this.
Relationship advice?
You fear me.
I'm not even I think it's just because they're in front of town. And I mean if he said he was busy, I mean, if he ain't gave you no other reason to not believe that, then yeah, I mean you got to take it for face value. But you know, women got something called up women's intuition that they be learning with. And if that's what you feel, maybe you gotta make your decision. And we were just talking about decision. Gotta make it and you gotta stick with it.
And by the way, maybe she can move out of New Hampshire. I've been there a couple of times. It's not a lot of New Hampshire's unbelievable.
Do you by the way, Hey, no, no, you don't go hate on New Hampshire. Man, what a beautiful damn state.
I mean long distant relationships. I mean, you know, I mean they can be hard. They can be hard, for sure. You gotta have a lot of trust, a lot of trust, you know what I mean, And a lot of faith. A lot of trust and a lot of faith.
So Stacey, we're gonna send you some Southwest vouchers to get you out to oklahmore often.
And then you see your boyfriend and I do it good.
I mean, this guy, this is a marshaun. I appreciate your relationship advice, brother, that's all sound.
I got one here for you, Gavin, from a concerned teacher. And we know about teachers.
We got kids, Yes, sir.
Mister Newsom, I am a teacher.
I've read that the Department of Education is possibly going to be demolished. Thinking of the effects this will have. As a CTA union member, should we be proactive and learn more about what this will mean for teachers. I've also heard about detention centers and knowing the students, my students' families, I worry. I know it's a lot on the teacher's minds, how funds and SPED will be affected.
What can we do now? Any advice?
Well, I mean, I think the questions pretty grounded in legit concern. You got Vince McMahon's ex wife who's going to be running federally the Department of Education.
Wait, the wrestlers, the wrestlers at the Vince McMahon dooc. I just saw the WW guy. His wife's running the Department of educator.
By the way, she's no dummy, So I just want to want to say this, she's not and I don't say that as a pejorative. She ran the small business aministration. She's extraordinarily bright, but I don't know of any real history she has on public education. And the guy that is appointing her the future president wants to eliminate the Department of Education. He ran on it. So the question is he's going to follow through on his campaign promise. My concern is less about her and more about his intention to do exactly what our listener is concerned about. But that said, it's such a small margin in Congress. You got to get congressional approval. We just want a big race out here in California. It's it's literally a two vote margin now in the House of Representatives in Congress, and so I don't know that they're ever going to pass something that completely vanalyzes the Department of Education. But we've gamed it out California. It's I think, and don't quote me, but I think it's seven point nine billion dollars that's at risk if they eliminated all the federal funds come into the states, so it's not inconsequential. But you know, I can't imagine they'll be able to pull it off. But we're preparing for the worst case scenario, and we'll have the backs of our damn teachers. Uh, don't don't you worry.
Good appreciate that, Gavin. I'll let her know.
Uh.
Question, Marshawn, this is for you, Uh coming out Black Friday, Cyber Monday's coming up. We've loved the Besmo products back in the day. What are you looking forward for Christmas? Any Bestmo stuff we can buy? And what do you recommend that's on your Haliday list?
Man? Damn, I'm I'm pretty simple when it comes to that kind of shit.
Eh, don't buy the Oro Ran I can tell you that. Don't don't do that.
She just lost a sponsor, Dan, you loss of sponsors. When I'm living some simple I'm gonna have to think about that.
All right, Well we'll bring that back in the next episode. What do you want, Gavin? Tell me what do you want?
Avin?
You know what I was humbled yesterday. There's a guy, unbelievable guy that's that's worked in three administrations, who had his birthday yesterday, John, and we in our office and John's a rock star in every way, shape or form. He's he's a young man with special needs. And I said, what are you hoping to get for your birthday? And he literally lit up and got emotional because he said, I think I'm going to get what I want. I was like, what is it, John, This is amazing. He says, black socks and white socks, and I was like, damn. And it was like it was like he was touched just by the question. He was so excited. I asked, and he said, that's what he really wants and he thinks he's going to get that, And it made me just adjust all my I literally was thinking, like I'm going through, you know, the list of what all the kids want and everything else. I got to meet John.
Man, get his info. We'll get him some beast smote socks right now out to him. The care package I'm that serious.
Yeah no, But you know what, that's just a different level of you know, I mean in terms of just setting your own expectations of life and having a framework of gratitude. Uh. And this is a guy just filled with joy all time and fills our damn office with joy. He worked for the Schwarzenegger administration. He's still with us. And I joked, I said, in a couple of years, man, you're gonna work for another governor. He's like yeah, I'm like Jesus, we come and go. And John's still with us. He does the mailroom at the office, and he's a rock star. And it's a good life lesson. So my Christmas list just got pared down, though I do want some shoes. Man, you guys are good giving me shoes side size twelve, twelve and a half, that's all. So I love every time you guys get me with Snoop gets those shoes. Those you know we love you.
Only guys know that like you grew between the twelve and twelve and a half. They think either you're twelve or twelve and a half.
I know I'm both. It depends on the damn make of the shoe. Just saying though I do like those Snoop sketchers no bs, thank you Snoop.
They are nice.
So Govin got another list your question here from Grace, and her question is thank you for all that you're doing on this podcast and engaging with listeners.
Gavin.
In twenty three, you are someone claiming to be you made your first and last public post on Blue Sky. Oh lash forward to now there are a number of people in your comments section begging you to come back.
Will you please appease them?
You can't even make this up. We literally now are doing simultaneous posts on X and Blue Sky, which is interesting. And I love the question timely question because there I mean, you know, by any objective measure, the toxicity on X is next level and there's not a lot of confidence is going to get any better, as the editorial side of it is completely just gone, and a lot of vile and terrible things have said on that platform, and Blue Sky has provided an alternative that everybody's been hoping for for some time. This even pre dates you know, I must taking over Twitter and and moving it to X. This notion that you just don't want one platform to dominate and Blue Skuy's literally getting all this renewed attention and traction, and as a consequence, we're now posting consistently. So we're back on it, and we're really excited about the traction. And I don't know, I don't want to overstate or over promote, because there's other platforms, threads and other things, but Blue Sky seems to be taking off in a way that some of us had hoped it would or another platform would, and so I think it's incredibly important that we get out there. By the way, Doug, you know this, man, I'm not shy. It's not a political statement.
You know.
I went on true Social. I think it was the first Democrat or one of the first, certainly, I think it was the first governor democratic governor to go on true Social. I thought it was important to meet people where they are. So it's not a partisan lens which I see the world. It's just opportunity to engage people and to not be frankly held hostage by the whims of one individual who's could change the algorithms or could continue to pollute a platform by allowing a lot of hate uh and anti Semitism and other things that are pretty ubiquitous on X Today.
Well and for and for this listener also in a parallel this question.
Uh, and I appreciate Gavin you going on that and going on the shows you've gone on.
Uh, it was interesting.
Charlemagne the God went on the view and reference the fact of what you're doing, and you're not afraid to go on the shows. And and I think our listener is going to see a lot more of that from you as well as we go continue. Correct, whether it be podcasts, whether it be TV shows, You're going to go on the lines Den per se.
But it's no more lines Den.
Because these are all people that have real issues and you're there to meet the people. And that's what Charlemagne said, that you're going to go meet the people and hear are the issues.
Well, I appreciate that he that you reference that, and you know, and I'm grateful to him. And obviously he's got you know, next level platform and his podcast is blown up and it's you know, it's a must, you know for if you're running for tional office. You know from the from Vice President herself that was on there just a few weeks before the election. Uh, it's important. But you can't just you know, run in the blue lane. You can't run just in the independent lane. You got to run in all lanes. As I said, you've got to meet people where they where they are, and you can't talk down to people, you can't talk past people. And you got to respect people I've ever disagree with them, and and so that's been my approach for some time. And that's why again we went on True Social and that's why we did that debate with Ron DeSantis. That's why we we you know, we've we've reached out to Hannity and I go on Newsmax periodically and uh, and I want to do a lot more of that because you continue to do what you've done, you'll get what you got. And we just can't afford to be talking past each other. There's so much at stake, and so again it's it's trying to, you know, just to break out of those traditional safe places and and and look, Blue Sky's a big part of that, just breaking out of the sort of the dominance that that is X in terms of platforming. So many of us that are concerned that, you know, their voices may not be heard if on the whims of one individual, they as a private owner, can make a determination on one of the biggest platforms for civic engagement on the globe. So it's really really important that more of us do more things than it rate. And so grateful for Charlotte Mane saying that.
Today and Gavin in twenty five, I do see, are you going to be even more active than you already have, which has been next level active, but going to you know, back in the Central Valley and going up to the northern region of Californian and Humboldt County in those areas and all over throughout California and do sort of the I don't want to say knocking the doors, but town halls and just meeting the people.
Well, I'm pretty proud of the last three weeks I've been with three Republican mayors and three parts of the state, two of the most conservative and rural parts of California and Kerrent County that overwhelmingly went for Donald Trump in Fresno, which was a little more mixed, but with the former Republican mayor, Ashley Schweringen, and I just think it's incredibly important that we meet people again where they are, not just from a platform perspective, but get back into communities, frankly where where people don't think we care and they think we sort of fly over or drive through. And you know, I've been out there a lot, but I need to keep coming back and remind people over and over and over again that they matter and we care. And I can't turn my back on someone just because they disagree with me. Doesn't mean I'll stand back. And you know, watch you know progress or you know the twenty first century unraveled either. I mean, we'll push back when we need to, but with respect and open hand, not a closed fist. So no, you'll be seeing a lot more of that, and also trying to get on some of these podcasts, not just trying to get on this on this podcast, saying yes to a lot of the requests and some of the even more and more conservative podcast hosts out there that you know, are these longer form, one two hour podcasts. So definitely, definitely Doug gonna be doing a lot more of that.
Good Hey, Doug.
We love hearing from our listeners, and if you have any questions or comments, you can email us. Doug. Where do you email us?
It's Politicken at iHeartRadio dot com. That's Politicken at iHeartRadio dot com. But Gavin, here's the deal. We want all the questions, good, bad, indifferent, ugly to Doug.
To beast mode. Send your questions to politicking at iHeartRadio dot com
