The California governor's policy priorities undermine his Trump trolling — and his progressive credentials

Newsom and his team have successfully tapped into the need that many rank-and-file Democrats have for adopting a confrontational approach to Trump and his policies. But few people outside of California know much about the governor’s actual record — and many Democratic voters will be turned off to learn that his fervent opposition to a billionaire tax is part of an overall political approach that has trended more and more corporate-friendly.

A year ago, Newsom sent about 100 leaders of California-based companies a prepaid cell phone “programmed with Newsom’s digits and accompanied by notes from the governor himself,” POLITICO reported. One note to the CEO of a big tech corporation said, “If you ever need anything, I’m a phone call away.” While pandering to business elites, Newsom has slashed budgets to assist the poor and near-poor with healthcare, housing and food – in a state where seven million live under the official poverty line and child poverty rates are the highest in the nation.

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“Governor Newsom’s reluctance to propose meaningful revenue solutions to help blunt the harm of federal cuts undermines his posture to counter the Trump administration.” The statement said that the proposed budget “will leave many Californians without food assistance and healthcare coverage.”

So far, key facts about Newsom’s policy priorities have scarcely gone beyond California’s borders. “National media have focused on Newsom as a personality and potential White House candidate and have almost completely ignored what he has and has not done as a governor,” said columnist Dan Walters, whose five decades covering California politics included 33 years at the Sacramento Bee. “It’s a perpetual failing of national political media to be more interested in image and gamesmanship rather than actual actions, the sizzle rather than the steak, and Newsom is very adept at exploiting that tendency.”

Also see https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/10/gavin-newsom-presidential-candidate-democrats

Like Trump, Newsom breaks promises, serves billionaire interests and mistakes social media theatrics for leadership. Is that really what American voters will want in 2028? After Richard Nixon, Americans chose Jimmy Carter. After George W Bush, they chose Barack Obama. After Trump, they’ll likely want change – authentic, strong, moral leadership, a leader with competence and vision.

  • MajinBlayze@lemmy.world
    665·
    5 hours ago

    Anywhere else in the country, Newsom would have run as a Republican.

    Genuinely, if Newsom is selected by the Democratic party in 2028, nothing will change and we’ll be staring down the barrel of trump 2.0 in 2032.

    There are only two ways for the Democratic party to be relevant at this point:

    1. Support politicians who bring actual change to improve people’s lives
    2. Actually punish Republican politicians for all of the crimes that they are doing in broad daylight right now.

    But the Dems showed in NY how they feel about #1, and are refusing to do anything with #2 in Minnesota (and completely fumbled the opportunity they had over the last few years decades nationwide)