The fall of Gavin Newsom

Newsom’s ex-wife didn’t take long to remarry and the mayor has been linked with many women since the splitup, including a Scientoligist actress and a barely-legal bar maid.

Newsom’s love life seemed to be more important to the press, at times, than say his administration’s public policy.

Other than advocating for equal marriage rights for homosexuals and his interest in tackling global warming, I’m not too sure what Newsom has actually accomplished as mayor.

I do know he was seen schmoozing at the Sundance Film Festival recently and took his alleged current girlfriend on a trip to Switzerland last week to attend the World Economic Forum. Oh, and don’t forget when Paris Hilton’s cell phone went missing with Newsom’s number in it.

For lack of a better term, Newsom is simply a "player.”

We celebrate "players” in our society but not usually in the political arena.

We expect our politicians to be "as clean as a whistle; sharp as a tack” as presidential candidate Joseph Biden describes fellow candidate Barack Obama.

Newsom comes off as sharp, right down to his Pat Riley hairdo, but he isn’t looking too clean right now.

Newsom seems less like the mayor of one of the most touristed cities in the world and more like the leader of a college frat house.

He exhibits behavior of a young man who hasn’t quite realized you can’t sleep with all the girls.

On Wednesday, Newsom’s campaign manager Alex Tourk confronted the mayor at City Hall and then resigned. The wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, worked in the mayor’s office as an appointments secretary until last year.

What a strange story. Here’s a man, Tourk, you hire and trust to win you re-election at the same time you’re keeping a dirty little secret from him about his wife.

Keeping a secret of this magnitude for 18 months and then trying to pacify the situation by giving the man you deceived the most important role in your re-election campaign comes off as just plane stupid.

Infidelity and deceit don’t seem to be the best campaign slogans.

Newsom’s approval rating is through the roof and there hasn’t been any clear signs another candidate is willing to oppose the mayor with the boyish good looks and sparkling smile.

Wonder boy or not you can look at the San Francisco 49ers’ decision to relocate the team to Santa Clara County as being purely the fault of Newsom. It would be an unforgivable act if the team does move.

Up until recently I saw Newsom as an ideal person to seek higher office because of his winning personality. But he seems to be disinterested now. He seems to be in over his head or like he doesn’t want to be the boss anymore.

Just the fact his current girlfriend, Brittanie Mountz, was only 19 when he romanced her is enough to tell me there is something going on with this guy. Newsom is 39. The two have been seen at social gatherings whooping it up with alcohol. But she’s not allowed to drink. Newsom even let the young woman speak for him at the opening night of the San Francisco Symphony late last year when Newsom couldn’t seem to take a reporter’s questions seriously.

A picture even surfaced with Newsom and Mountz standing alongside Ruby Rippey-Tourk at a social event. The guy is definitely a "player” and I’ll say it now just to be clear — he is also definitely "stupid.”

As Forrest Gump once said, "stupid is as stupid does.”

It’s yet to be seen whether Newsom will resign as mayor of San Francisco. But I’d be surprised if he runs for re-election. Sex scandals don’t die easy.

I’m also guessing the Tourks will end up in divorce. Imagine being Alex Tourk right now and all the questions he faces. "Hey, aren’t you the guy whose wife slept with the mayor.” I couldn’t handle it.

There’s got to be a book or two in this scandal somewhere and I bet Oprah Winfrey is salivating right now to get one of the principles in this story on her afternoon talk show. The ratings would go through the roof.

We are witnessing the fall of Gavin Newsom. It’s a bit of a shame because some of his actions and ideas were truly inspiring. Many of his supporters have probably already forgiven him but I’m guessing many have not.

Bill Silverfarb’s column runs every Friday. He can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.