California pols: Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood, and now... Mel Gibson?

Think about American politics in the Age of Woke (now ending, we hope), and the California politicians who have risen to great heights... or sunk to great depths, take your pick. 

Walt tried, but can't help but remember Kamala Harris, who rose from her knees to prominence as the landslide loser in the recent unpleasantness. Hock Ptui is now leading the pack of would-be successors to Gavin Newsom, who rose from being a leader of the Johnny Carson band to the governorship of the Golden State. 

Mr Newsom isn't the first Hollywood showbiz type to go into politics to parlay his popularity into a nice job in a mayoral mansion or statehouse or even the Oval Office. Clint Eastwood became mayor of Carmel. In the same decade, a great American named Ronald Reagan went from being "best friend" in B-movies to the greatest Republican President until... well, you know the story.

Given that the Golden State has, under successive Democratic administrations, been turned into the Shithole State, many voters are thinking that maybe it's time to elect a Republican governor. Someone in the mold of Ronald Reagan, say. A new poll, reported last week in the California Globe, reveals that the most popular Republican candidate for California's highest office is... wait for it... none other than Mel Gibson!

A new Lost Coast Outpost poll places Mr Gibson, well known for his conservative (and traditional Catholic!) views, in third place in as responders' pick for the governorship, with 12% of the vote, and the top Republican candidate.

The leading candidate, according to the poll (a straight straw poll with no demographic data) is former Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA), swept aside in the Trump tsunami, chosen by 25% of responders.

The nation's pre-eminent Indo-Jamaican politician, who has led the last several polls with significant margins, fell to 20% in the new poll. She says now that she will decide in the summer whether or not to set herself up for another failure.

Mr Gibson has become a speculative candidate in recent weeks thanks to his opposition to both Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over their mismanagement of the Los Angeles fires in January. TMZ News reported on Tuseday that he is "flattered" to be considered and to have done so well in the poll, but (the outlet continued), "We're told Mel has never had any political ambitions -- and that isn’t changing now even if voters are digging his criticisms of current Democratic leadership on the state and local level."

So it's probably nothing, then? Walt thinks otherwise. Mr Gibson is known to have a large ego -- very large indeed -- which may be coupled with a Messianic complex. He has not been heard to say, "My kingdom is not of this world." Stay tuned.

Spy Wednesday

We are now in the middle of Holy Week, the commemoration by Holy Mother Church of the betrayal, Passion and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today is Great and Holy Wednesday, also known as "Spy Wednesday", in remembrance of Judas Iscariot's acceptance of thirty pieces of silver to act as a spy for the Sanhedrin -- the religious court of the Jews.

And Satan entered into Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve:
and he went and discoursed with the chief priests and the magistrates,
how he might betray Him to them.
And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money: and he promised.
And he sought opportunity to betray Him, in the absence of the multitude.

St. Luke 22:3-6

In return for the tainted money, Judas gave the Jews information that enabled them to arrest Jesus, after He had been identified by Judas' kiss of death. Later, Judas committed suicide.

You will find a good depiction of these events in The Passion of the Christ, the historically and Biblically accurate account of Jesus' betrayal, suffering and Crucifixion, directed by Mel Gibson. Recommended as a penance on Good Friday.