Title: San Francisco’s Woes: A Battleground for Presidential Hopefuls
Introduction:
San Francisco, once known for its vibrant and progressive atmosphere, has now become a battleground for presidential candidates vying for the 2024 election. Against a backdrop of graffiti and overflowing garbage, Republican candidate Ron DeSantis, Florida governor, criticizes the city’s liberal government for policies he claims have led to an exodus of residents. San Francisco’s economic and social woes, including a tech-sector downturn and a rise in homelessness and crime, have become hot topics for politicians on both sides of the aisle.
San Francisco: A Symbol of Liberal Policies’ Failures:
Ron DeSantis, during his visit to the troubled city, expressed his shock at the grim realities of San Francisco’s streets. He highlighted instances of public defecation, drug use, and overall urban decay, blaming the city’s liberal policies for its collapse. DeSantis finds himself in good company as other presidential hopefuls, like President Joe Biden and Robert F Kennedy Jr., also tour the Bay Area in search of political donations while addressing the pressing economic and social concerns.
Tech Donations and Unlikely Alliances:
Donations from the tech community have traditionally favored Democratic candidates, with about 90% of contributions from internet companies going to Democrats in 2020. The tech industry’s discontent with the Democratic establishment has led to unlikely alliances, with influential investors and executives like Elon Musk expressing support for candidates like Ron DeSantis and Robert F Kennedy Jr. This shift in support reflects a growing dissatisfaction with the current political landscape, particularly in California, where liberal policies on crime, drug use, and homelessness are being challenged.
San Francisco’s Woes and the Republican Playbook:
The surge in homelessness and petty crime in San Francisco has made the city a prime target for Republican candidates. The GOP has taken a “hard against crime” stance, leveraging the public’s concerns about excessive policing and progressive politicians in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The city’s ongoing struggles with homelessness and crime make it a perennial punching bag for Republicans, who castigate California’s leftist government.
Tech Downturn and Political Fundraising:
The downturn in the tech sector has led to plummeting valuations and severe cost-cutting measures among tech companies. Despite this, presidential candidates are still actively pursuing campaign donations from Silicon Valley tech bosses and venture capitalists. By courting these individuals with their big ideas and deep pockets, candidates hope to build the necessary cash reserves to compete in the race for their party’s nomination.
Summary:
San Francisco’s economic and social woes have turned it into a battleground for presidential hopefuls, with both Democrats and Republicans seizing on the city’s problems to court donations and make their case for the presidency. The city’s issues, including a tech-sector downturn, homelessness, and crime, have made it a symbol for liberal policies’ failures. Tech industry donations, traditionally favoring Democrats, are now experiencing growing support for Republican candidates. California’s liberal government and its policies on crime, drug use, and homelessness have become key talking points for Republicans, reflecting a wider shift in political dynamics. Despite the challenges facing San Francisco, candidates remain determined to secure support from Silicon Valley’s influential tech executives and investors.
Additional Piece: Exploring the Impact of Tech Industry Support on Presidential Elections
The tech industry’s support and donations have long played a significant role in shaping the outcome of presidential elections. With their vast wealth and influence, tech executives and investors have the power to sway politicians and dictate policy agendas. However, recent shifts in the industry’s allegiances have introduced a new dynamic into the political landscape.
Traditionally, the tech industry has been a strong financial supporter of Democratic candidates. The industry’s progressive values and emphasis on innovation and social change align closely with the Democratic Party’s platform. Furthermore, the tech community’s concerns about issues such as climate change, immigration reform, and social justice have found strong resonance within the Democratic Party.
In contrast, Republican candidates have faced more challenges in garnering support from the tech community. The GOP’s conservative stance on issues such as taxes, regulation, and social policies has often clashed with the industry’s priorities. Additionally, the Republican Party’s skepticism towards climate change and its immigration policies have created further divisions between the party and the tech sector.
However, recent disillusionment within the tech community regarding the Democratic establishment has led to a reevaluation of political allegiances. Tech executives and investors, including prominent figures like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, have expressed dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party’s approach to issues such as regulation and economic policies. This disillusionment, coupled with a growing affinity for Republican candidates like Ron DeSantis and Robert F Kennedy Jr., has created unlikely alliances that challenge the traditional divide between the parties.
The impact of these shifting allegiances on future elections remains to be seen. While the tech industry’s support and donations can provide a significant financial boost to candidates, it is ultimately the general public’s votes that decide the outcome of elections. Nevertheless, the industry’s influence cannot be understated, as it shapes policy debates and influences the political agenda.
In conclusion, San Francisco’s economic and social woes have made it a focal point for presidential candidates seeking to address the city’s problems and court campaign donations. The tech industry’s traditionally strong support for Democratic candidates is experiencing some shifts, with influential figures expressing support for Republican candidates. This evolving dynamic highlights the complexity of the relationship between the tech industry and politics, and the potential impact it may have on future elections.
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Against a backdrop of graffiti and overflowing garbage in downtown San Francisco, with police sirens blaring, Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and Republican candidate for US president, has criticized the city’s liberal government for policies he says , had led to an exodus of residents.
“We came here and we saw people defecating on the street, we saw people using heroin, we saw people smoking crack cocaine,” he said in a one minute video posted on Twitter Tuesday. “The city is no longer vibrant. It really collapsed because of leftist policies.”
DeSantis is one of several presidential candidates to visit San Francisco in recent days, with some seizing the city’s economic and social woes as campaign fodder for the 2024 election, even as they court top tech billionaires in nearby Silicon Valley for political donations.
President Joe Biden and his rival for the Democratic nomination, Robert F Kennedy Jr, along with Republican former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have also toured the Bay Area over the past two weeks in hopes that the tech-sector downturn that it has led to plummeting valuations and severe cost cutting will not hinder the generosity of major donors.
The night before DeSantis’ video, he attended a fundraiser in the wealthy town of Woodside — a Democratic stronghold 40 miles south of San Francisco with fewer than 5,000 residents — to meet Bay Area tech executives and investors and build a cash of war to compete with Donald Trump, the former presidential candidate with a commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination.
San Francisco is battling concerns over a “destiny cyclefueled by its slow recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the downsizing of tech companies that could spark a real estate crisis and strip the city of tax revenue. However, his ties to Silicon Valley give him enormous influence in national politics.
“San Francisco has always been a piggy bank for both sides,” said Bob Shrum, a former Democratic campaign strategist who is now a professor at the University of Southern California.
Attacking California and its leftist government over liberal policies on crime, drug use and homelessness is a standard part of the Republican playbook, especially as the GOP has pushed a “hard against crime” stance in opposition to progressive politicians who criticized excessive policing after the murder of George Floyd.
The city has long been a “bête noir for Republican candidates,” Shrum said. A surge in homelessness and petty crime has only made him a more attractive target, he added: “He’s the perennial punching bag.”
US President Joe Biden visited San Francisco earlier this week © AFP via Getty Images
Donations from the US tech community in past political cycles have overwhelmingly favored Democrats. A decade-long bull market in tech created a cash-filled donor base in 2020, and industry executives — many who wanted Trump out of office — were among the top donors. In 2020, about 90 percent of political contributions from internet companies went to Democrats, according to Spending Tracker OpenSecrets. The CEOs of Asana, Twilio and Netflix were among the biggest contributors.
But influential investors and tech executives like Elon Musk are increasingly voicing their discontent with the Democratic establishment, leading to some unlikely alliances.
DeSantis announced his bid for the White House in May in a Twitter Spaces broadcast with site owner Musk. Musk, who has publicly stated that he has previously voted for Democrats like Barack Obama and Biden, has repeatedly praised DeSantis. Last year, he tweeted that he was leaning towards him for president.
Kennedy, a member of America’s famed political dynasty who also leads a broad anti-vaccine movement, counts fans that include Musk, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, and venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, who jointly staged a fundraiser for the candidate in San Francisco on June 15th.
While still voting behind Biden, Kennedy is performing better than many expected, making him a potentially disruptive force in the race. In a video Published on Monday, Kennedy criticized San Francisco’s homelessness — where 1 percent of the city’s population is homeless compared to less than 0.2 percent nationwide — in front of tents in the city’s downtown district south of the market. He has proposed a federal solution to the problem, such as providing “homeless vouchers” to people living on the streets.
A downturn in technology over the past year has caused the valuation of public and private groups to plummet, and bosses have remained far less liquid. But that hasn’t stopped candidates from flocking to court venture capitalists and Silicon Valley tech bosses, with their big ideas and deep pockets.
Venture capitalist Tim Draper, co-founder of famed Draper Fisher Jurvetson who made early bets on Tesla and SpaceX, hosted a fundraising dinner for Haley in Silicon Valley on June 14.
Biden spent three days in the Bay Area this week, attending a fundraiser on Monday hosted by venture capitalist Steve Westly, a major Tesla investor, at his home in Atherton, near Menlo Park. Tickets reportedly cost between $6,600 and $100,000.
Tim Scott, a Republican and Senator from South Carolina, has also received support from leading tech figures. Oracle’s billionaire founder Larry Ellison has expressed support for him, having already donated $30 million to a pro-Scott political action super committee. Scott also received supportive tweets from Musk for an “anti-victimization” ad in May.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had long been rumored to be considering a White House bid, issued a scathing rebuke to DeSantis this week, calling him “weak” and “unruly.” The leaders of two of the largest and most influential US states have had a fierce rivalry, with DeSantis attacking Newsom for a “leftist government” which he claims is “destroying California”.
“There have always been technicians who have supported the Republicans,” Shrum said. One of them is Peter Thielthe billionaire co-founder of PayPal, who has shelled out millions on Republicans in recent cycles, but reportedly She said it planned to suspend donations to the 2024 candidates.
But despite the current move, “I would wager that the vast majority of the tech community will vote for Joe Biden in a Biden vs. Trump or Biden vs. DeSantis race,” Shrum said.
https://www.ft.com/content/0ad42fab-bc07-4f1d-bf50-c82e52942643
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