Gavin Newsom Goes to Simi Valley – There will be an unusual, although familiar, face amongst the sea of red at the GOP primary debate this evening. Joe Biden’s campaign is deploying Governor Gavin Newsom to the second Republican showdown being held in the Governor’s backyard, Simi Valley, California.
The move signals tightening ties between the President and the Governor, who, despite his persistent protests, many still consider a viable candidate for the Democratic ticket in 2024.
While the public has barely seen hide or hair of Joe Biden, his minions seem to be willing to do his bidding, gathering support for the 46th President amidst flailing numbers. The President is going to need all the help he can get.
In the hypothetical, but likely, re-match between Biden and Trump, Trump is posting stronger leads every day. The latest polling has Trump triumphing by 5 points in the 2024 race.
Garnering excitement for Biden these days is an uphill battle, but Newsom persists. Newsom told The New York Times earlier this month that it was time for Democrats to rally around Biden: “The train has left the station…We’re all in. Stop talking. He’s not going anywhere. It’s time for all of us to get on the train and buck up.” Newsom sounds like a parent coercing a child to eat boiled Brussels Sprouts. The only difference is that Brussels Sprouts are actually good for you.
In June, Biden called Newsom “one of the best governors I’ve ever worked with” and a “buddy.”
I believe the gentlemen’s budding bromance is being pushed by the DNC to present a united front and make an eventual replacement of Newsom on the 2024 ticket seem less of a coup and more of a natural consequence of a manufactured friendship.
Gavin Newsom’s Reinforcements
Newsom’s response efforts will be reinforced by Biden campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison.
Along with ground troops, Biden’s team will reportedly also mount an air defense. The DNC also is hiring a plane to fly over Southern California reading “2024 GOP: A Race for the Extreme MAGA Base,” according to a Biden adviser, despite the fact that the leader of the MAGA candidate will not even grace the debate stage this evening.
The prop seems like a desperate attempt to slander GOP voters, a tactic that has been proven to backfire. The right, no matter which candidate they support, has gotten used to the name calling and scare tactics from the Left and has largely become immune to it. The DNC’s money would be better spent on trying to rehabilitate Biden’s image, although I’m not so sure that would be money well spent either.
Losing out to a man facing 4 separate indictments, racking up a total of 91 charges, speaks volumes about Biden’s viability in the coming months.
Still, the Biden campaign believes its tactics to be effective. Re-elect spokesperson Kevin Munoz told Axios: “The campaign response builds off the strong and effective plan from the first debate with a clear north star: Push back on Republicans’ lies and highlight their extremism at every turn.”
From the Author
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor and opinion writer for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
From the Vault
