> Main Takeaway: Newsom’s podcast pivot was a political faceplant. His net favorability dropped by 10 points after the release of the podcast.
> …
> Newsom launched This Is Gavin Newsom to rebrand himself as a different kind of Democrat – one who could span political divides by finding common ground with the opposition. It didn’t work. Instead, Newsom came off as servile, weak, and inauthentic. He effusively praised Charlie Kirk more than 125 times, according to Mitchell’s analysis:
> > It was so much that even Kirk, on his podcast following the Newsom interview, stated “Governor Newsom was being overly-effusive in his praise of me“ and then he subsequently rolled right into his repeated attacks on the Governor for ruining the State of California.
> …
> Newsom’s biggest error wasn’t just giving a platform to extremists—it was assuming that engaging with them in a friendly, debate-club manner would win him any goodwill. Extremist Republicans don’t care about compromise, and they haven’t for a long time. They care about winning the culture war – and the moral war – and forcing Democrats onto the defensive.
Won’t matter for another 3 years. I can see Newsom promoting himself as a source of relief and stability after Trump for voters that don’t want to whipsaw the other direction towards AOC.
Queues-As-Tank on
You’re all just hating because you haven’t heard his Khameni episode yet.
> Newsom’s podcast won’t change any minds on the right, and it certainly won’t win him more support from progressives. If anything, it proves that trying to appease both sides only makes you look weak to everyone.
There really isn’t a good way out for him, but one option is to present the Kirk and Bannon interviews as cover to entice a higher administration official into the studio, then get ’em with the Nickelodeon slime.
financeguy1729 on
Who cares about net favorability? Haha
He is a term-limited governor of the world’s 4th largest economy.
If he dreams about winning the Democrat presidential nomination in 2028, there is a very long road ahead in which he needs to build a long tail of supporters and an accompanying ideology.
Having a podcast is great to add volatility!
ChillnShill on
It’s way too early to have a serious take on it.
I still don’t like him though
Additional-Use-6823 on
he can still recover the podcast thing just have people on talking about issues. Bring housing advocates in and talk about steps California has taken and whats left to do to combat the housing shortage. It could be a great bully pulpit to take on NIMBY’s. I dont have any issue having these far right on the podcast obviously ignoring them doesnt work so if we can get their audience to have their beliefs challenged once in a while thats good but he hasnt done that.
SilverSquid1810 on
The man is such a horrible general election candidate that honestly I hope he keeps doing whatever will make him less likely to get past the primary. Not only does he occupy the top executive position of a state that most Americans who aren’t already staunch Dems associate with ridiculous housing costs and rampant crime, he just looks like some sleazy coastal playboy whose most cherished pastime is snorting coke off of hookers’ asses in his Porsche. Nominating him is a great way to make sure every stereotype that the median voter has about Democrats continues to be perpetuated.
ActivityFirm4704 on
Newsom is making the same mistake that nearly every mainstream liberal continues to make. It’s been TEN YEARS of Trumpian politics and they still don’t realize there are no more “moderate Republicans”, there are only Trumpists. And there’s no meeting in the middle with them. You can’t convince them. You can’t reason with them. You can’t compromise. They want the entire democratic liberal world order burned to the ground.
Lame_Johnny on
Democrat circular firing squad, assemble!
The_Book on
I liked his podcast tbh. I think it’s important to engage with people whom you disagree.
Don’t understand the Newsom hate either. He’s one of the few, in addition to like Buttigieg who is quite good at talking with people who are hostile to him. Most of the party just hides from any hostility.
7LayeredUp on
The best argument against Gavin Newsom candidacy is just saying the words “Governor of California”
ModsAreFired on
Democrats when Democrats try to reach voters 😡
BackgroundBig5870 on
I didn’t think much of it when the news first broke of him podcasting with Charlie Kirk, then I actually saw some clips of him just agreeing with Kirk and letting this far right pundit talk circles around him with basically no pushback. It felt like a Democrat watching it would feel betrayed and a Republican watching it would feel like Newsom was a shiftless liar saying whatever he thinks they want to hear.
I really hope this kills any of his future prospects in national politics. Ideally it’ll also send a message to other dems thinking about pandering to the far right.
Xeynon on
As Talleyrand said, “it was worse than a crime; it was a mistake.”
Cavorting with fascists was bad. The astounding lack of political instincts it shows is much worst. And anybody who defended this as a savvy piece of triangulation on Newsom’s part has some looking in the mirror to do.
16 Comments
No it’s actually not.
> Main Takeaway: Newsom’s podcast pivot was a political faceplant. His net favorability dropped by 10 points after the release of the podcast.
> …
> Newsom launched This Is Gavin Newsom to rebrand himself as a different kind of Democrat – one who could span political divides by finding common ground with the opposition. It didn’t work. Instead, Newsom came off as servile, weak, and inauthentic. He effusively praised Charlie Kirk more than 125 times, according to Mitchell’s analysis:
> > It was so much that even Kirk, on his podcast following the Newsom interview, stated “Governor Newsom was being overly-effusive in his praise of me“ and then he subsequently rolled right into his repeated attacks on the Governor for ruining the State of California.
> …
> Newsom’s biggest error wasn’t just giving a platform to extremists—it was assuming that engaging with them in a friendly, debate-club manner would win him any goodwill. Extremist Republicans don’t care about compromise, and they haven’t for a long time. They care about winning the culture war – and the moral war – and forcing Democrats onto the defensive.
Well, not everyone can be like Pete.
https://i.redd.it/inrnfaigpjpe1.gif
Won’t matter for another 3 years. I can see Newsom promoting himself as a source of relief and stability after Trump for voters that don’t want to whipsaw the other direction towards AOC.
You’re all just hating because you haven’t heard his Khameni episode yet.
> Newsom’s podcast won’t change any minds on the right, and it certainly won’t win him more support from progressives. If anything, it proves that trying to appease both sides only makes you look weak to everyone.
There really isn’t a good way out for him, but one option is to present the Kirk and Bannon interviews as cover to entice a higher administration official into the studio, then get ’em with the Nickelodeon slime.
Who cares about net favorability? Haha
He is a term-limited governor of the world’s 4th largest economy.
If he dreams about winning the Democrat presidential nomination in 2028, there is a very long road ahead in which he needs to build a long tail of supporters and an accompanying ideology.
Having a podcast is great to add volatility!
It’s way too early to have a serious take on it.
I still don’t like him though
he can still recover the podcast thing just have people on talking about issues. Bring housing advocates in and talk about steps California has taken and whats left to do to combat the housing shortage. It could be a great bully pulpit to take on NIMBY’s. I dont have any issue having these far right on the podcast obviously ignoring them doesnt work so if we can get their audience to have their beliefs challenged once in a while thats good but he hasnt done that.
The man is such a horrible general election candidate that honestly I hope he keeps doing whatever will make him less likely to get past the primary. Not only does he occupy the top executive position of a state that most Americans who aren’t already staunch Dems associate with ridiculous housing costs and rampant crime, he just looks like some sleazy coastal playboy whose most cherished pastime is snorting coke off of hookers’ asses in his Porsche. Nominating him is a great way to make sure every stereotype that the median voter has about Democrats continues to be perpetuated.
Newsom is making the same mistake that nearly every mainstream liberal continues to make. It’s been TEN YEARS of Trumpian politics and they still don’t realize there are no more “moderate Republicans”, there are only Trumpists. And there’s no meeting in the middle with them. You can’t convince them. You can’t reason with them. You can’t compromise. They want the entire democratic liberal world order burned to the ground.
Democrat circular firing squad, assemble!
I liked his podcast tbh. I think it’s important to engage with people whom you disagree.
Don’t understand the Newsom hate either. He’s one of the few, in addition to like Buttigieg who is quite good at talking with people who are hostile to him. Most of the party just hides from any hostility.
The best argument against Gavin Newsom candidacy is just saying the words “Governor of California”
Democrats when Democrats try to reach voters 😡
I didn’t think much of it when the news first broke of him podcasting with Charlie Kirk, then I actually saw some clips of him just agreeing with Kirk and letting this far right pundit talk circles around him with basically no pushback. It felt like a Democrat watching it would feel betrayed and a Republican watching it would feel like Newsom was a shiftless liar saying whatever he thinks they want to hear.
I really hope this kills any of his future prospects in national politics. Ideally it’ll also send a message to other dems thinking about pandering to the far right.
As Talleyrand said, “it was worse than a crime; it was a mistake.”
Cavorting with fascists was bad. The astounding lack of political instincts it shows is much worst. And anybody who defended this as a savvy piece of triangulation on Newsom’s part has some looking in the mirror to do.