SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom received a major political boost after Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s presidential election. Newsom now has a direct path to the White House in 2028.
Since Harris, a fellow Californian and longtime Democratic ally, will not be running for re-election in 2028, Newsom will not feel politically or morally barred from participating in the race.
This is the traditional way of looking at the election’s impact on Newsom. However, there is another view. Newsom’s brand of fiercely anti-Trump liberal politics was rejected by most American voters. What does that mean for his national political future?
Once again, California maintained its record of never sending a Democrat to the White House despite having the largest number of electoral votes in the nation. In fact, Harris is the first California Democrat nominated for president.
Had Harris won on Tuesday, Newsom, 57, could have kissed any presidential ambitions goodbye. Rather, he is likely considering whether to give up his past two years as governor and ask Harris for a Cabinet post. That would have been a terrible deal. It’s boring and boring. But in any case, that option is currently off the table.
So should Mr. Newsom jump into political violation and prepare to run at the end of President Trump’s term in four years? The reality is that Mr. Newsom will need to hit the ground running from the moment he is appointed governor in about two years, and he needs to warm up long before then.
Indeed, if deep down he truly covets the Oval Office, good luck. I’ve always wondered if he – like any politician – just enjoys the national attention and being mentioned in the same sentence as the presidential candidates. I was wondering. But I’m in the minority on that.
“When the governor of California, the largest state with a population far larger than Australia, looks in the mirror in the morning, he always sees the president staring back at him,” says the veteran Democratic tactician and former California governor. says Garry South, who is also home. Gray Davis.
I’m also very skeptical of Newsom’s chances of being elected president. What about the party nomination? perhaps. But what about oval? He is too liberal for most people in America.
Bill Carrick, a longtime Democratic strategist, said that after Democratic insiders conducted a thorough autopsy of Tuesday’s loss, they “might come to the conclusion that we can’t put someone in power.” No,” he said. [in 2028] Who would be considered too progressive? ”
“If the progressives are a good enough candidate, I think they can win the nomination,” Carrick added. “But can they win in November? That’s the big question.”
Either way, Newsom will inevitably be pushed onto the presidential stage by news outlets that already have him as the front-runner. His persona and name help TV ratings and attract clicks and readers.
“He’s one of the most charismatic and articulate people in the Democratic Party right now,” South said. South advised San Francisco’s then-mayor in 2010 when he attempted to run for governor before resigning for Jerry Brown.
“We need a Democratic face to oppose Trump’s policies, and Newsom could fill that role,” South said. “There’s going to be a Democrat. And once Newsom’s term is over, he’s going to be free and he’s not going to be flashy.”
Newsom isn’t waiting until his day job is done. The governor appeared Thursday and performed a stunt that signaled his intention to lead an attack on Trump.
Mr. Newsom called for a special session – he loves ordering high-profile “special” sessions – “to protect California and fundamental rights in the face of the incoming Trump administration.”
“The freedoms we cherish in California are under attack and we cannot stand idly by,” the governor declared in a statement. “We are ready to fight…”
He said lawmakers are “focused on strengthening California’s legal resources to protect civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families.”
In other words, political animal Newsom is marking his territory as an anti-Trump lead dog.
One factor that will likely benefit Newsom, or any other Democrat, in 2028 is that voters will once again be looking for change after four years of the Trump administration. The underlying motivation behind voting in the past three presidential elections was a demand for change.
Trump was elected in 2016 because voters wanted a change from Democrat Barack Obama’s two terms as president. And Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton clearly did not represent change.
And in 2020, voters wanted a change from the despicable Trump and elected Joe Biden. And on Tuesday, they asked the “Biden-Harris” administration for relief. By 2028, they are likely to be fed up with Trumpism again.
But the presidency may be a bridge too far for California Democrats.
For most of America, we are La La Land on the left coast, a socialist state with figures like San Francisco liberals Harris and Newsom, who welcome illegal immigrants, coddle criminals, and protect businesses. It over-regulates and suffocates successful people with exorbitant taxes.
Mr. Newsom should focus on polishing his record as governor of California, rather than attacking Mr. Trump even before all votes are counted. Homelessness remains a shame. People are fleeing the state because they can’t afford to live here. The tax system is outdated and broken.
Even California voters disagree with Newsom’s lenient sentencing policies for repeat offenders, as evidenced by the landslide approval of Proposition 36.
And he should tone down his over-the-top rhetoric on climate change. Not all wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and hot days are the result of global warming. And constant attacks on Big Oil are an attack on the thousands of workers who vote.
So, yes, start running for president. However, please veer a little closer to the center.
