Gavin Newsom's gaffe

If Proposition 8 passes, thereby ending gay marriage in California, expect some in the gay-rights community to lay some of the blame on their strongest ally: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Here's what he said in May, when the California Supreme Court legalized gay weddings:

This door's wide open now. It's gonna happen. Whether you like it or not.

Pride goeth before a fall. Here is the ad that the pro-8 forces have turned that remark into:

And now a poll suggests that the ad is working. The new SurveyUSA poll shows Prop. 8 winning, 47-42. That follows earlier polls that showed it failing, 49-44 and 55-38.

Newsom, a Democrat, is planning to run for governor in 2010. This remark suggests a certain... lack of discipline, which could be a hindrance in that effort.