Gavin Newsom, being one of the worst, most shameless governors in the country, is currently facing a recall attempt in his state of California. The necessary signatures to trigger a vote for his removal have already been gathered, though ironically, Democrats in the state have decided to meticulously scrutinize each signature for fraud. This from the same people who endorse ballot harvesting and insist voter fraud doesn’t exist, but I digress.

The reality remains that Newsom is in trouble. His handling of the pandemic is being heavily criticized as he’s had some of the most draconian, economy-killing mitigation orders in the country while having almost the same death rate as Florida, which has been completely open since last summer. Florida’s unemployment rate is currently 4.8%. California’s is 9.2%. But lockdowns don’t just destroy livelihoods, they also destroy lives, and California has destroyed many lives over the last year with reckless abandonment. Voters are not happy, including many Democrats in the state.

Newsom must be feeling the heat because he’s decided now is a good time to run to the identity politics well. He thinks people are stupid, and I’m not sure he’ll be proven wrong.

.@joyannreid: "If Dianne Feinstein were to retire, will you nominate an African American woman to restore the seat that Kamala Harris is no longer in the Senate? And do you have a name in mind?"@gavinnewsom: "We have multiple names in mind, the answer is yes."#TheReidOut pic.twitter.com/SrQ5iGKeNM

— The ReidOut (@thereidout) March 15, 2021

California’s economy may be in shambles while illegal immigration and homelessness overwhelm the state’s resources, but hey, he’s gonna be a racist and appoint a person to high office based purely on their skin color. Everything is good now, right?

That’s certainly the calculation Newsom is making. He treats black people like mindless idiots, using them as pawns to buy himself some political capital during a low moment. It’s actually insulting when you think about it, and no one with the ability to think critically should mistake this move for anything other than what it is — a desperate attempt to deflect from a recall attempt that poses a very real threat to Newsom.

California deserves better than this, but it’s up to the voters there to make that happen. No state is too far gone. There are many states that have seen dramatic political shifts over the last half-century. Things can change, and California can change. A lot of great people, including several in the RedState family, are fighting the good fight there every day. Newsom deserves to be thrown out of office, and shallow appeals to identity politics shouldn’t save him.