Republican John Cox, reintroducing himself to voters as “The Beast,” kicked off his campaign for governor by appearing alongside a large Kodiak bear.
What better way to burnish your mild-mannered accountant credentials than by calling yourself a “beast” and posting a video of you getting licked by a 1,000-pound (give or take) bear?
Milking the beast/bear metaphor at the photo-op, Cox said, “We’re going to need big, beastly changes to be made in the state.”
Keep in mind that one of the bear’s previous gigs was at a hot dog eating contest.
With the bear’s entry into the campaign mix, the contrast between Cox and Newsom is just too on the nose.
In 2019, Newsom signed SB 313, which would ban using bears, elephants, tigers, monkeys or other wild animals in circus performances.
Trotting out a wild animal to improve your chances of getting elected in a recall election infuriates me, but it wouldn’t be the first time a politician used a trained bear to get votes.