OPINION:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in an interview with the leading liar for President Biden, that is, former press secretary Jen Psaki, said of all the people in the world, of all the MAGAs in the White House, of all the politicians he’s encountered in years past and present, and probably future, too, that J.D. Vance “for whatever reason, scares me.”
And this is the Democrats’ top or near-top candidate for president, 2028?
“Vance, for whatever reason, scares me, almost more than Trump,” Newsom said on MS Now, The Hill reported. “I mean, talk about a guy who put a mask on and his face grew into it.” Newsom went on to slam Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vance as both “frauds” and “phonies,” but then added, “J.D. is a unique fraud and phony, and he’s a little more dangerous.”
Cue really, really, really, really scary music.
If Newsom can’t even stand up to a Republican without quivering in his shoes, then how could he ever be expected to stand up to China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — or anyone who set sights on destroying America?
Of course, Newsom wasn’t expressing genuine fear of Vance. He was waxing hyperbolic, for political effect, to narrate to the nation Vance is so far right, ideologically speaking, that he’s off the charts dangerous. But genuine fear, faked fear, whatever. It’s a bad look for Democrats. It only underscores that their principles, platforms and pro-America ideas are so lacking in existence, they have to resort to hyperbole and emotionally charged name-calling in order to make a case to voters.
Democrats’ primary means of pulling in voters is to call out the other side as fill-in-the-blank. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, with her “F— ICE” pin and her “KKK” State of the Union chants, may be “low IQ,” as President Trump put it. But she fits in well with her party. It’s stranger these days to see Democrats stand and applaud America First ideals than throw tantrums and scream obscenities about America First ideals.
It’s going to be an interesting couple of election cycles, but more so the next White House contest.
Democrats have zero candidates with national appeal. They barely have candidates who are popular in their own districts, within their own states. Newsom, for instance, gets low marks with his own California constituents, receiving a 31% favorability rating versus 39% unfavorable in a new Decision Desk HQ poll. Yet he’s still a leading contender for Democrats’ pick for president in 2028. And guess who’s first?
The Democrats’ loser in 2024, Kamala Harris.
Newsweek, citing a Harvard Caps-Harris survey, reported recently that Harris “leads the pack for Democrats” for the next White House hopeful, with 39%. Newsom is next, at 30%. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez comes in next, at 12%; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, at 9%; and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, lastly, at 7%. Four percent name somebody else.
Doesn’t matter.
They’re all losers.
Ex-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg? Sen. Mark Kelly? Hillary Clinton? The breast-feeder-slash-chest-feeder. The anti-gun zealot. The lady of the left who just won’t go away.
And all the Republicans go: LOL.
Democrats just don’t have a long bench of players from whom to select a winner — or even a contender. And nobody knows that better than the Democrats, who’ve spent their political capital fighting voter identification, immigration control and all-things-Trump.
“The next 2 years will be a bumpy ride for Democratic presidential candidates,” The Hill wrote.
Their campaign strategy seems to be if Trump wants it, we’re against it.
That’s not a winning message. That’s a vow of defiance. Americans are weary of vulgar-spewing, violence-enabling, angry, hateful Democrats. That’s why 2028 looks good for the Republicans — they have a lengthy list of adults serving in office, any of whom are quite prepared to step into the role of commander-in-chief. The Republican bench is wide, deep and long.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.
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