Dear Peter Thiel,
Your spokesman said you would not run for governor.
Please reconsider.
You should run. All of California wants to see it.
You would feel nothing but love if you were to jump in in. Californians love to welcome a new, fresh voice to the political debate. And we’re especially appreciative of unconventional views (like your view that pharmaceuticals shouldn’t be regulated based on efficacy) from people who have been wildly successful in business (just ask Meg Whitman and Al Checchi).
We would be very excited about how you stood up and supported Donald Trump in his presidential race. We didn’t see his appeal, and his ability to change our country for the better. But you did—and even went to the Republican National Convention to share what you saw. Some media types will tell you California hates Trump, but don’t believe the polls or the protests. They are totally rigged.
And don’t worry about your connection to conservative views on race, immigration, and even gay rights. The fact that you’re gay will totally give you a pass. And no one in the state except a few folks in Sacramento really care all that much about climate change, so you shouldn’t worry in the least about your alignment with a president who believes climate change is a Chinese hoax.
And trade agreements? It’s not like any businesses in California rely on trade and foreign markets. No one does any business with Mexico, so those Trump tariffs won’t hurt anyone here, not a bit. And your talent for disrupting established industries – and the lives of people? No one will hold that against you. The journalists who got pushed out of the media are all happily in PR. The taxi drivers who lost those gigs are all driving for Uber these days.
You have probably been advised by old political hacks that running would be a waste of your time. Don’t believe them. I can promise you that millions of people across our state can’t wait for you to run. We are hoping you will give all of us the opportunity to express at the ballot just how much we appreciate you and the views you’ve shared with us.
After the experience, I promise you, you’ll never be the same
All my love,
Joe Mathews