The current conventional wisdom is President Joe Biden will run for reelection in 2024. He’s said as much and, generally, the party apparatus appears reconciled to the idea.
But that doesn’t mean Democrats are happy about the prospect of Biden of running – 64 percent say they want someone else running in 2024. And some are getting vocal about the need for another choice.
But before Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s most famous socialist, gets ready for a third presidential bid, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is out making noise and winning converts. His profile-building efforts have sparked rumors he’s running…even as Newsom says he wants Biden to run again:
…Newsom (D) has found an audience in many Democrats who have grown dismayed at the Biden administration and party leadership in Congress after Republicans rolled back long-cherished protections on their watch. His combativeness, including a direct confrontation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), and policy countermeasures, such as using Republican antiabortion tactics to tighten state gun laws, have stoked speculation about a possible run for president as soon as 2024.
“He’s giving a signal to others in the Democratic Party that this is not, you know, a time to be — ” Boxer said in an interview.
She paused, struggling to find the right words. “This is the time,” she continued. “It isn’t the time to be sweet and nice.”
Newsom sounded more alarms Wednesday about Democrats’ strategy during a trip to Washington, even as he said emphatically that Biden should run for reelection. He said the party has allowed Republicans to “dominate the narrative” and that a cohesive countereffort “just doesn’t exist, respectfully, from my vantage point,” shortly after using his speech at a national education conference to denounce the conservative backlash to school discussions of race, LGBTQ identity and “social-emotional learning.”
Incumbent presidents don’t usually face high-profile primary challengers. But when they do, it usually spells problems for the incumbent in the general election – think Carter v. Kennedy in 1980 or Bush v. Buchanan in 1992.
But Newsom isn’t exactly a risk-free, or even likable, alternative for Democrats if Biden decides not to run:
…last year…an effort to recall [Newsom] from office prompted headlines like “Why Are Democrats Freaking Out About A Race In California?” and “Newsom’s big problem in the recall election? Likability.”
Newsom won the recall convincingly. But California is no longer a crucible capable of producing politicians with broad, national appeal. The last Californian to hold the nation’s top political job?
Ronald Reagan. And Gavin? You’re no Ronald Reagan. Heck, you’re not even Jerry Brown…
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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Norman Leahy has written about national and Virginia politics for more than 30 years with outlets ranging from The Washington Post to BearingDrift.com. A consulting writer, editor, recovering think tank executive and campaign operative, Norman lives in Virginia.
Seeing what a s***hole banana republic kALIFORNIASTAN has become under him, only a fool would vote for Goblin Nuisance. Orcs, anyone?
Well, the liberals are certainly foolish.
Don’t underestimate the power of fools. Newsome needs a very very severe case of monkey pox before he comes to national prominence.
Run, Garcon Newscum, run! I seldom get a chance for so much pleasure as I would derive for voting against you!
Let’s go, Brandon! Remember in November; end the madness.
This has to be a joke! That worthless dude is at least the second most hated person in the left wing loony state of Kalifornia, right behind Pelosi. The way he has further screwed up that state why would any thinking person vote for him? It’s doubtful that even the leftist DNC would back him as their candidate.
This dude a amazingly dangerous to America. He’s not senile like Biden. It’s quite possible Newsome is the anti-Christ.
Not doing much now to show he even wants the job
Another out of touch girly boy. He had to come to Florida just to see how a real governors management creates a good environment for its people and business.
From one idiot to another failure. Oh, the Democrats are on a roll, aren’t they?
After seeing what Newsome and his San Francisco cronies have done to destroy my native state, I’d say he would be worse than Biden as president if that’s possible. Hopefully the country doesn’t have the very high concentration of morons as we do here in California, so maybe we can dodge that bullet.
The only person besides Harris who could make Brandon look good would be Newsome.
Oh please. I live in California, unfortunately, and he would probably turn the whole country into a swamp. Our homeless problem is through the roof, our crime problem is bad, and illegals are pouring in with their drugs and on and on. People are leaving here in droves and I wish I could join them.