The media is trying so hard. The left-wing shills at Politico have seized on the chaos in California hoping it can be manipulated to catapult the state's Democrat governor into the national conversation.
But if this is his audition for 2028, it's not going very well. California Governor Gavin Newsom is up to his armpits in another mess of his own making. The progressive poser who during his tenure as mayor managed to turn one of America's most beautiful cities into a poop-stained, needle-riddled cesspool of debauchery took those talents from San Francisco to Sacramento. The results have been nearly identical.
Billions of dollars spent to combat homelessness, only to see the homeless rate increase.
Billions of dollars spent since 2019 to build a high-speed rail that hasn't been built.
Thousands of convicted felons granted "early release."
Businesses fleeing the state twice as fast as years prior.
The highest gas prices in the country due to state regulations and "windfall profit taxes" on oil companies that are merely passed off to consumers.
And now as his state is exploding with lawless violence against state and federal officers merely doing their jobs, Newsom is attempting to turn into a tough guy. Not tough on the rioters, mind you. Tough on federal officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth:
The problem for Newsom is that progressives are no longer dealing with a political opposition that rolls over for this type of absurdity. Gone are the days of the Right attempting to lower the temperature, or participate in the caricature drawn up by the Democrat Party propagandists in mainstream media. Hegseth fired back almost immediately:
That'll leave a mark. Particularly on any future presidential campaign. Social media, YouTube, and the rise of conservative media now makes the careful packaging of these types of situations impossible for the old guard. What Hegseth is acknowledging is what Americans are all seeing for themselves - riots, looting, and lawlessness. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt picked up Hegseth's hammer and finished driving the nails into Newsom's coffin:
That type of context totally alters the media's desperate attempt at Newsom-friendly framing. So yes, Politico may humiliate themselves with free campaign puffery like this:
…and this:
But no one outside their shrinking echo chamber buys what they're selling. Newsom isn't gaining a step, he's beginning to drown. And even casual observers understand that $134 million is being spent only because Newsom has created a lawless hellhole that he can't control.
Good luck running on that reputation, Gavin.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.
