Dirt Road Dem: Roger Salazar’s Rubicon

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Sacramento political communications expert Roger Salazar has deep roots in Democratic politics: he was the press secretary for Governor Gray Davis and, deputy press secretary for Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, and assistant press secretary in the Office of President Bill Clinton from 1995 to 1999.

But Salazar has even deeper roots in the off-roading/Jeeper community: The earliest known photo of his father shows Salazar senior in front of the family’s 1946 Willys Jeep. There has been a Jeep in the Salazar family continuously for nearly 75 years.

Those who follow Roger on Twitter, Instagram or Threads will be well aware of his off-road exploits: Adrenalin-inducing photos of he and his Wrangler Rubicon “Jeep No 7″ in the wilderness are a regular feature of his social media – mixed in with posts about DiFi’s health woes, the governor’s gun policies, and the Association of American Political Consultants.

We asked him about his experiences, and how he navigates the trickiest terrain on the trail: the largely right-leaning politics of many of his pals in the Jeeper community.

Plus – Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics!

Salazar Family in 1948 with a ’46 Willys Jeep

2:15 How did you get into Jeeping?

4:57 What does the off-roading community look like?

6:24 “Not a lot of Joe Biden bumper stickers out on the trail”

7:25 Jeep vs. Toyota

9:31 The “Tread Lightly” Philosophy

14:15 The Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission

15:54 Oceano Dunes Recreation Area

19:11 Any electeds on the trail?

20:42 Sharing the trail

23:00 Breakdowns

26:04 Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, other Instagram

27:37 #WWCA

(thanks to Ryan Nobles of NBC News for capitol audio clip)

Roger Salazar at Black Bear Pass near Telluride