This content is available for free to all subscribers. But you really should consider a paid subscription. This unlocks our afternoon e-mails, our Saturday “What is Jon Reading” e-mail, and analysis on breaking news. Normally a subscription is a modest $7 a month or just $70 for the year. ICYMI - Six Stories In CA Politics From This Week And A Video On How Gavin Newsom makes California unaffordable! And On This Date In 1954 - Happy Birthday Denzel Washington!The “So, Does It Matter?” Substack featured a lot of great, original content this past week. Below are the highlights!This Sunday ICYMI edition is always free for all subscribers and visitors to this Substack page! Thanks for being a part of this look at CA politics! NY Sale!Our New Year’s Sale is underway. Become a paid subscriber today to get 100% of our content or this important election year! Pro-Tip, use THIS button to get the big discount… Who’s The Big Talker? Congratulations to U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa for… being the CA Rep. with the most time talking in the House chamber. According to C-SPAN! FOMO? No, no.There were several other posts last week that you will not want to miss. If you want to check them out, you can go to the archive here and scroll down! On Great Video (I think so, anyways!)With my home podcasting setup in place, I recorded this video exposing all the ways that Gavin Newsom makes living here in California expensive! On This Date in 1954 - Actor Denzel Washington Was BornHappy 71st birthday to Denzel Washington — an artist whose career has set the modern standard for authority, discipline, and excellence on screen. For more than five decades, he has brought intelligence, moral weight, and emotional precision to every performance, earning the trust of audiences across generations. His work is defined not by excess, but by control—by the confidence to let conviction, not volume, carry the moment. His body of work is extraordinary. From the righteous fire of Malcolm X to the quiet strength of Cry Freedom, the sacrifice and brotherhood of Glory, and the unsettling complexity of Training Day, his performances are enduring because they feel lived in and true. In Remember the Titans, he embodied leadership under pressure with warmth and resolve. And in Crimson Tide, his portrayal of a principled naval officer locked in a moral and strategic confrontation remains one of the most gripping studies of command, restraint, and integrity ever put on film. Beyond acting, he has been a mentor, director, and philanthropist who invests in people and institutions that matter. At 71, his influence is undiminished—proof that greatness deepens with time. Here’s to continued purpose, powerful storytelling, and a legacy built on excellence. Earlier this year I made the Denzel Washington for California Governor — the first item in this Politico piece. Thank you for being a part of the So, Does It Matter? Family! Hope you are enjoying this holiday season! Jon You’re currently a free subscriber to So, Does It Matter? California Politics! For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. See how much more you get with an inexpensive, paid subscription, but clicking the button below! Support me in providing hard-hitting, clear-eyed analysis of California politics. I am beholding to no one, and sugar-coat nothing! |