At this point, it can be assumed that most Democratic voters would rather see President Joe Biden ride off into the sunset (not on a bike) after his first term. Most polls show they do not want him to run again in 2024 and would prefer a different candidate.
The problem is that the Democrats’ bench of possible candidates is pretty weak at the moment. There does not seem to be a leader among them who could hope to ensure that the party maintains control of the White House in the next presidential election.
But Californians seem to think they have the answer, according to a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll. The survey found that 61% of voters indicated that Biden should not seek re-election and let someone else take up the mantle.
Who is this person? Well, according to the poll, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) were tied for first place. Vice President Kamala Harris came in second. Nevertheless, Sanders will be 82 years old by the time election season rolls around and is unlikely to be a serious contender.
However, Newsom is, in the words of Tower of Power, still a young man. He is someone that California Democrats and Democratic voters in other states might rally behind.
The governor will probably have to challenge Harris, who is still seen as a potential nominee for some reason. With both being from the Golden State, it might be quite a showdown – especially for Californians.
Newsom has indicated that he is not interested in the presidency. But we all know how that goes – they say they are not interested until they suddenly become interested, right?
The governor has already been working on expanding his presence on the national stage. He has been criticizing his own party for not being more aggressive in their attacks on Republicans. While addressing an audience at a Los Angeles Planned Parenthood office, he argued that the GOP is trying to ban books and prohibit conversations on race in schools.
“Where the hell is my party? Where’s the Democratic Party? You guys paying attention to what’s going on?” he seethed. “Why aren’t we standing up more firmly, more resolutely? Why aren’t we calling this out? This is a concerted, coordinated effort. And, yes, they’re winning. They are. They have been. Let’s acknowledge that. We need to stand up. Where’s the counteroffensive?”
Gov. Newsom has also taken to attacking Republican Govs. Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbot. On the Fourth of July, he ran an ad in Florida slamming DeSantis and accusing the state’s Republican leaders of “banning books, making it harder to vote. Restricting speech in classrooms,” and “Even criminalizing women and doctors.”
We’re about to celebrate Independence Day — but Freedom is under attack by Republican leaders in states like Florida.
Banning books.
Restricting speech.
Making it harder to vote.
Criminalizing women and doctors.
It’s time to stand up. Don’t let them take your freedom. pic.twitter.com/cFI5UzgZzX— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 3, 2022
Newsom’s campaign also ran ads in three Texas newspapers, attacking the state’s government for passing anti-abortion measures after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The advertisements also lashed out at Gov. Abbott over gun violence and other issues.
Most recently, Newsom crossed swords with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, slamming her for her plan to build two “mega prisons” using COVID relief funds. He tweeted:
Lotta talk about education & “choice” from these GOP governors.
Let’s look at the “choices” they’re making.
When states received new federal money, CA gave 3.5 million kids college savings accounts.
Alabama spent it on two super-sized prisons.
Actions speak louder than words.
Lotta talk about education & "choice" from these GOP governors.
Let's look at the "choices" they're making.
When states received new federal money, CA gave 3.5 million kids college savings accounts.
Alabama spent it on two super-sized prisons.
Actions speak louder than words. pic.twitter.com/khHpcKrJOc
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 15, 2022
In the video attached to the tweet, he said:
Alabama chose to invest in prisons and punishment. California chose to invest in education and the future. That’s the California way. America, it’s time to make your choice.
It is clear Gov. Newsom is positioning himself for a presidential run. Like most others, he probably knows Biden is not going to seek a second term, despite his comments to the contrary. He is possibly the only candidate on the Democratic side who might have a slight chance of winning in 2024. But even this seems unlikely as the left has mishandled nearly all the issues with which it has been faced. It probably won’t get any better by the time the 2024 elections season kicks off. The situation for the Democrats is only going to get worse going forward.
