NEW YORK CITY, NY — In a moment of pure, unscripted truth that drew gasps from the high-society audience at the DealBook Summit, Democratic presidential hopeful Gavin Newsom received a very public reality check, not from a political rival, but from Hollywood royalty. The offense? Apparently, when you’re constantly preparing your acceptance speech, you tend to overlook women.
Academy Award winner Halle Berry zeroed in on the Governor’s decision to issue a Newsom menopause veto, not once, but two years in a row, effectively killing a bill that would have expanded coverage and training for women’s midlife health issues.
“At this stage in my life, I have zero f**s left to give,” Berry announced, setting the perfect tone for a discussion about a progressive Democrat’s commitment to half the population. “Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill. He has overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us. He probably should not be our next president either.”
Newsom’s office attempted to spin the veto, claiming the bill was rejected to prevent the “unintentional raising of health care costs for millions of working women.” This is the classic progressive tactic: sacrificing a small, specific group (women suffering from a universal biological process) to protect a large, abstract, politically convenient group (voters who might see their already astronomical California premiums rise by three dollars).
Political analysts noted that the Halle Berry Gavin Newsom confrontation exposes a fatal flaw in the Governor’s campaign strategy: his inability to focus on anything that doesn’t involve striking a flawless pose for the national media. Aides admitted that Newsom had no idea what the menopause bill was about because the word “menopause” does not appear on any of his presidential campaign mood boards or in his motivational mirror affirmations.
“The Governor can’t support a bill that reminds people that not everything in life is glossy, perfect, and eternally youthful,” said one anonymous Newsom staffer. “It was a conflict with his brand. You can’t be America’s next heartthrob president while simultaneously acknowledging the unsexy, biological reality that is midlife for half the voters.”
At publishing time, Gavin Newsom was seen trying to veto the entire concept of middle age, citing cost concerns to the nation’s Botox industry.