California Democrats’ attitudes toward the Sept. 14 recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom seem something like an Aesop’s fable.
Newsom backers derided the effort at first, claiming it would never succeed with all the political clout in the state stacked against it—not to mention their massive fundraising advantage.
Likewise, they initially thought an earlier election date would play to their benefit by leveraging the state’s post-pandemic reopening efforts.
But for Newsom’s long list of detractors, slow and steady wins the race—and a shift in the political landscape is creating unexpected hurdles for the governor and his supporters.
Newsom appeared to crack under pressure Tuesday, referring to himself as the “future ex-governor” during a teleconference with state media outlets.
“It’d be damn nice if our homegrown teams started focusing on what’s right!” Newsom said, according to the Gateway Pundit. “Everybody outside this state is bitching about this state because of our success!”
With a month to go, state Democrats are now in all-out panic mode, begging for political heavyweights to come bail them out as Newsom’s poll numbers continue to sink.
“Frankly, Democrats need a kick in the pants in this election because it’s been portrayed as a circus and ‘the governor should have nothing to worry about’ for so long,” said Steven Maviglio, a prominent political consultant in the state, according to Yahoo News.
“The numbers have changed, and now it’s getting real,” he said. “It’s not just an abstract recall.”
Maviglio would know. He was press secretary to former Gov. Gray Davis, the Democrat who lost a 2003 recall to Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger under similar circumstances.
For leftists, the stakes may be even higher now, as they fear a true conservative such as front-runner Larry Elder—a well-known radio talk-show host and Fox News personality—could totally shift the power dynamic of both the state and the country.
“The Newsom campaign, their whole message has been: don’t let a Trump Republican take over California,” Maviglio said. “If that’s what happens, that’s going to cause headaches from everyone at the top [on] down.”
He urged leaders like President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris—herself a product of California’s farm system for political radicalism—to step in, while reminding party leaders of the high-stakes implications.
Among his concerns was the election’s potential to reverse the majority balance in a 50–50 US Senate if something unexpected should befall 88-year-old Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
“It makes a lot of sense for the president himself to do some stumping,” Maviglio said, noting that Newsom is the leader of the largest and bluest state in the US.
“He delivers a lot of money to Democratic candidates,” Maviglio continued. “And it would be a real blow on the virtual eve of the 2022 elections to have a major upset in California of all places.”
But a Biden bailout would carry its own set of risks. The bumbling leader bears a large share of the blame for a litany of California crises, including the porous Mexican border; skyrocketing inflation and violent crime rates; and the emergence of new, vaccine-resistant strains of the deadly coronavirus.
Harris, meanwhile, has routinely rivaled Dan Quayle for the dubious distinction of being the least popular vice president in modern memory—beating out contenders like Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Dick Cheney and Biden himself.
The gambit underscores how dire the outlook may be for Newsom, who has been struggling even in demographics long taken for granted by the Left, such as Hispanic voters.
Although 64% helped to elect the governor in 2018, 54% of Hispanics now favor recalling him, compared with 41% who oppose, according to Yahoo News. That number is 3% higher than the state’s overall average, in which only 51% of voters support the recall.
Even if the opposition vote were split amongst 46 rival candidates competing in the election, Newsom need only secure less than 50% support to lose. If the majority of voters favored recalling him, the winning alternative would become governor.
Several times already, Newsom and his allies have tried to rig the outcome by changing the rules of the game or using their offices to pander to potential voters.
The governor has even encouraged more homeless people to come to the state, hoping to vulture the votes from one of California’s fastest-growing constituencies.
Moreover, the state’s lax rules on ballot-harvesting will likely play to Newsom’s benefit, with some reporting that voters might be able to print their own ballots from home.
Don’t believe me about the print from home option in the #RecallNewsom election?
“This will also be available to ALL voters” for the recall election. @larryelder @nettermike @KevinKileyCA @RubinReport @RichardGrenell pic.twitter.com/NRRZwOvxra
— Jeff Dornik (@JeffTheGK) August 6, 2021
Yet, with other go-to strategies having already backfired, California Democrats can no longer rely on the state’s standard vote-rigging mechanisms as a last-minute safety net.
“In a normal election, this Republican recall wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in Death Valley,” said Nathan Click, communications director for Newsom’s anti-recall team, according to Yahoo. “That’s why, across the state and country, you see Democrats are activating against the recall and rallying behind Gov. Newsom.”
