When you picture an American president, you think of someone who personifies strength, unity or, as Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote in “Hamilton,” “approachable, like you could have a beer with him.” The first names that come to mind may be John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. Trying to force his way onto that list is California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and his strategy is to make you think there isn’t anyone else.
For the past year and a half, Gavin Newsom has been working to establish his name among every political subgroup in America. He’s debated with Ron DeSantis on Fox News, trolled Republicans on social media, launched a redistricting campaign and traveled to various swing states. He looks like he’s going to announce his running soon, but before he does, he wants everyone to know about his charismatic smile, polished appearance and the fact that he looks 22 years younger than our current president.
All of these moves are meant to sell the image of a politician who can cross the aisle and find common ground with anyone. His podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” reinforces that brand, featuring conversations with political figures across the spectrum, from Charlie Kirk to Ezra Klein to Steve Bannon to Amy Klobuchar. Across these appearances, Newsom does what every presidential hopeful aims to do, make the other side think he’s one of the good ones. In short, he’s going centrist.
However, in a polarized America, finding a middle ground looks different because whatever one side believes, the other tends to believe the exact opposite. Thus, centrist for Gavin Newsom means agreeing with whatever side the person in front of him is on. If he’s on X, mutuals with every member of the DNC, he’s satirizing President Donald Trump’s social media presence and misgendering MAGA supporters.
Yet, if you’re over on his YouTube channel, Newsom is on his podcast talking about tariffs with Steve Bannon, Trump’s closest aide during much of his first term. At one point, Bannon claims that “Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Hollywood,” have “really forgotten the underlying kind of principles of the country.”
The irony is laughable. Bannon himself was a Goldman Sachs banker, the executive producer of 18 Hollywood films and the founder of the alt-right news site Breitbart News. Rather than challenge the contradiction, Newsom nods along. The two laugh, smile, agree and offer exaggeratedly respectful disagreements. The video is accompanied by thousands of positive comments from Republicans who “just stopped by for Bannon!”
Although this seems illogical considering his Democratic platform, there are some benefits to Newsom’s work. If he continues to court Republicans, he could sway some moderate Republicans who are tired of Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. He wants to be seen as the safer option compared to whoever the GOP chooses in 2028, which is likely someone on the far right. Former Vice President Kamala Harris tried a similar strategy when she promised to put a Republican in her presidential cabinet if elected. Politics is politics, and pandering could lead Newsom to victory in 2028. This would prevent Democrats from having another four years on the defensive, effectively limiting the power of the GOP.
On the other hand, it could alienate Newsom from his Democratic base, assuming they aren’t satisfied with his centrist repositioning. Would he risk losing blue votes for a few red ones?
Ultimately, this debate over platform and strategy points to a larger problem. If Newsom is trying to be everything to everyone, what does he actually believe? How can voters trust him if his positions shift depending on the audience?
The left is frustrated with Democrats who are unorganized and ill-equipped to take on Trump. Voters need consistency within the party and a leader they can trust to stand firm on the party’s principles. Newsom’s pandering, however, feels all too familiar to 2024.
What the Democrats need now is not another opportunist, but someone bold enough to move the left from being reactive to being proactive. For years, Democrats have long prioritized maintaining power by protecting incumbents and clinging to their seats. In doing so, they have blocked fresh voices from rising within the party, leaving them unprepared for the future. If this continues, they risk the party’s downfall.
In 2028, Democrats can’t afford a candidate who makes false promises. Until Gavin Newsom proves he stands for more than performance, he isn’t the leader Democrats should want in the Oval.
Melanie Guilderson can be reached at [email protected].
