Newsom, 41, youthful and dynamic, helped trigger the debate over same-sex marriage in 2004 when he authorized marriage licenses for homosexual couples. He presided over gay and lesbian weddings and gave the speech that became notorious when backers of Proposition 8 ran a TV ad with a video of a wild-eyed Newsom crowing that there would be gay marriages "whether you like it or not."
Speaking to reporters on the day after the election, Newsom said he was not concerned about the issue's potential effect on his career.
"It's trivial and irrelevant," the mayor said. "It was never about me. It's not about politicians. This is about people. It's about real human beings."
Larry Gerston, a professor of political science at San Jose State University, agreed that video of Newsom's "Howard Dean moment" could hurt him in a general election, but he said the mayor's same-sex marriage stand might boost him in a Democratic primary.
"It could even be a badge of honor," Gerston said.
It doesn't do any good to win a primary if one can't win the general election. Newsom's "Dean scream" moment sealed it for him.
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