Governor Gavin Newsom said in a speech Thursday that if he loses in September, that Democrats in California and across the nation could see their election and re-election chances be hurt for years to come.
The Governor maintained that Democrats are not paying nearly as much attention to the recall as they should, despite prominent Democrats such as President Joe Biden denouncing the recall, Vice President Kamala Harris saying that she will campaign for Newsom, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) recently appearing in an ad supporting Newsom. Newsom explained that they are not thinking about what the long-term effects of one of the most prominent Democratic Governors in the country being ousted from power could be.
“I don’t think the national Democratic Party’s asking themselves that question,” said Newsom on Thursday. “If this was a successful recall, I think it would have profound consequences nationwide and go to not just politics, but to policy and policymaking. Democrats could face consequences for many, many years.”
The odds of Newsom’s chances of being recalled have been increasing in recent weeks due rising COVID-19 figures, a worsening drought, the return of major wildfires across the state, a large increase in crime, as well as lingering factors from last year such as restrictive lockdowns, policies he enacted that harmed small businesses, and several incidents of Newsom breaking state COVID-19 mandates for he and his family. The CDPH under Newsom even just issued another mandatory mask order on indoor public places.
Earlier this week, a new UC Berkeley survey found that Newsom now only has a razor thin lead in not being recalled by likely voters, as well as Newsom himself admitting for the first time he could lose.
In his speech Thursday, Newsom rebuked some of these criticisms, particularly attacking crime and saying that he supports police reform and not outright defunding the police.
“Don’t ever confuse me with the ‘defund the police’ movement,” stressed Newsom. “While I support police reform, I am not one of those people that think you can smash someone’s window or knock over some grandma and somehow have a slap on the wrist. I don’t buy that.”
Newsom defends tenure of Governor despite slipping lead in recall election
Experts noted how quickly Newsom has gone from largely ignoring the recall to now all but campaigning to keep his position since the beginning of summer.
“Newsom flat out ignored the entire recall effort until March, when it started to become likely that the recall movement got enough signatures,” noted Harry Schulz, a former lobbyist who had previously worked during the 2003 California Governor recall, to the Globe on Friday. “Then they were riding high and basically told every prominent Democrat not to run, even as an insurance candidate. So now Newsom is pretty much stuck campaigning to keep himself, and now by extension, the entire party in the highest office in the state. They didn’t expect this recent surge against him and they did not expect those that voted for him in 2018 to be so indifferent to voting this time around. Republicans and pro-recall supporters have, conversely, remained passionate and have been drawing in many groups that would have, in other years, voted for Newsom. It’s nowhere near the number of people that were against Gray Davis in 2003, but it is growing.”
“More importantly, recall supporters are trying to de-partisan politics in California by not making this a party issue and simply making it a Gavin Newsom issue. And the crazy thing is that it has been working little by little. A large percentage of signatories for the recall were in parties other than the GOP, and the Berkeley survey found that 6% of Democrats are in favor of the recall. The latter may not seem like much, but considering how close this election is becoming and how divided California has been, it’s not insignificant.”
“It’s no wonder that Newsom is now fighting like hell. He’s losing ground, and the party has no back up plan.”
Newsom ended his Thursday speech by saying that, even if he loses, that he has no regrets as Governor, even pointing out that he thinks the ‘California Dream’ is still alive and well.
“If they kick me out, I’m gonna feel good about what we just did, and not ever regret a damn thing,” added the Governor. “We put it all out there on this education budget. I’m a future ex-governor. It could happen in a few weeks, it could happen in a few years, but I love this damn state. The California dream, I think, is still alive and well.”
The recall election against Gavin Newsom is to be held on September 14th.
View Comments (28)
Sounds like a plea for help from outside of the state to me. And what business is it of anyone outside of California what happens with our recall?
Seems like Gavie and his peeps are running scared.
As for myself, I'd rather have a Brother from South Central as governor than a spoiled child of privilege from Pacific Heights. Larry cares. Newsom's a grifter.
90% of Democrats feel that the recall is a "waste of money". This is the line that the Party apparatchik has been pushing from the start of the recall effort, and their followers as usual dutifully believe. So now in the final month, they are in a position of having to motivate their voters to take part in this waste of money and time? The best thing that could happen for the recall supporters is if these Democrat voters throw the ballot in the trash. Their backstop, of course, is the voting machines and fraud; but harder to do if their people just refuse to vote.
Excellent point, Raymond.
No they don’t.. over 35% of people who signed the recall were DEMOCRATS ❗️ This RECALL is about tge worst Governor in California history.!
@Mary, we all appreciate your enthusiasm, of course. Newsom SHOULD go, imo. But, we need to be realistic about the numbers. If 35% of 2.2 million signers were Democrat, that's 770,000. CA SOS reports in 2020 that 46% of 22+ million CA registered voters are Democrat. So if you do the math, the 35% of petition signers equals 7.5% of all Democrats registered in CA in 2020.
The death knell of the Cabal.... "Order out of chaos" or "Forever Free of the Matrix"
My guess, he'll try to exercise the "God Complex" by doling out Fed funds as the eviction moratorium ends;
the Stimulus Checks (last of free money) as the ballots roll out. Word from "Leaked" (intentionally or otherwise) documents from CDC that Lockdown is planned for 2nd week in August. The narrative also includes interruption of the Supply Chain to mask the Fiat Currency fiasco; expect the unexpected... Internet down, blackouts, and anything else they can throw your way. Get right with God, and Let your light shine, California!
Ahhh,yes. Their bribe checks...the Rubicon per Schultz. The final desperate cry to the sheep. But where did they all go?
You have their playbook and game plan, @Marilyn. And Yellen's response to the debt crisis - suspending the sale of state and local government securities announced Friday - foreshadows the monetary crisis we are about to experience. They will increase the debt ceiling in the nick of time, of course, just to kick the can down the road but, oh oh......we just ran out of road. Now what do we do? Yikes!
Oh Gavin, do you really believe you are so important that when you lose the recall election it will have "profound consequences nationwide for years and years?" Gavin's California dream gives me nightmares! Recall this arrogant, hypocritical idiot with zero regrets!
Exactly Stacy!
Well said.
You're so right Stacy ---- I guess he thinks that because he has a textbook case of narcissistic personality disorder. Unfortunately there is no treatment for it, so woe to us who have been suffering under this guy and his minions for what seems like FOREVER. Hopefully not too much longer! (knock wood)
“profound consequences nationwide for years and years?"
But of course it will. It will show that unctuous, condescending, narcissistic, credentialed dip-wads can't run roughshod over the electorate forever, which puts a crimp in the democrat's bench.
Well said!
I am MINDFUL that Gov Gav has released thousands of criminals back onto the streets yet he claims he is not for defunding the police and wants law and order. I guess he just likes to complicate their jobs and add to the chaos on the streets.
[“Don’t ever confuse me with the ‘defund the police’ movement,” stressed Newsom. “While I support police reform, I am not one of those people that think you can smash someone’s window or knock over some grandma and somehow have a slap on the wrist. I don’t buy that.”]
Sure Gov Gav, I believe you????
Remember this is the same guy that just last week said we are not going to return to the 80’s and 90’s in our policing efforts.
Just a thought but wasn’t there less crime on our streets back then and more police per capita?
I lived here my entire life, it was a rare event to see a smash and grab or criminals brazenly go into a store and casually walk out with hundreds of dollars in goods!
Maybe we can’t go back to the 90’s but can we go back before prop 47 and 57 became law!
No kidding, Cali Girl. With any luck, Mr. Gruesome will become so irrelevant so fast it will make everyone's head spin, including his. Fingers crossed.
CaliGirl, I was shocked at his "defund police" movement statement as well. He IS "one of those people" but would like for voters to think otherwise. Showandtell is right NPD for sure! No cure except RECALL!
No one in this country gives a rats ass about Goobenor Frat Boy. His recall will however be one of the first in a massive landslide of Democrat recalls and resignations as these Fascists see the writing on the wall. Mene mene tekel upharsin, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. Count on it!
I sure hope so CW!
CW you are correct that this is going to happen. The signs are everywhere. Their reign is nearly done.
Gavin Newsom executive fiat ordered HALT TO DEATH PENALTY and is Gov of CA where he leads to LET CRIMINALS WALK OUT OF PRISON...
Crime goes up and newsom does NOT CARE!!!!
He used power of a tyrant during emergency orders.....he needs to go!!!
Didn't you hear, "he is not one of those people." His actions and words don't complement each other, like Biden and the CDC and and and......I'm beginning to think the Dems assume we are all like their illegal votes crossing the border, we don't understand English and to scared to question it.
He has lost touch with reality. Everything he does is counter productive to his political survival.
Wow, God complex much?
As he goes so goes the democrats in the rest of the nation?
We can only hope.
Letting the EDD/PUA fall apart since December, which may have directly impacted nearly a quarter million Californian renters and retail businesses, may turn out to be the deciding factor in this recall.
Newsom's deaf ear may end his political aspirations. He only has weeks to fix PUA in California.