Gavin Newsom Should Work on Governing Rather Than Podcasting

After listening to some of Gavin Newsom’s new podcast, I thought, “You really shouldn’t quit your day job.” But maybe he should quit his day job given that so much of the governor’s attention has been on vanity projects such as this one. They seem designed to gin up his national aspirations rather than deal with the many problems that plague the nation’s most populous state.

The podcast—where he has so far interviewed MAGA luminaries Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage—isn’t nearly as cringe-worthy as his “Campaign for Democracy.” That included tours and advertisements in red states. The campaign vowed to “expose and fight rising authoritarianism across the nation.” It was Newsom at his hectoring worst—and reminded non-Californians what to avoid.

By contrast, the This is Gavin Newsom gabfest showcases the gregarious and politically malleable Newsom who charmed his way into the state’s highest office. That Newsom is an acquired taste, albeit one I have yet to acquire. But conservatives underestimate his intelligence. When he was lieutenant governor, I interviewed him about his Blue Ribbon Panel on marijuana legalization. He was impressively knowledgeable about the nitty gritty in the report.

The latter point has left me puzzled, as he clearly can be a master of details. Unfortunately, his administration is noted for its grandiosity about, say, climate change. But the follow through? Not so much. Even many non-conservatives believe Newsom seems to treat the governor’s job as an annoyance that gets in the way of more important business.

I’m obviously not the first person to say this, but the best way for Newsom to build a national following is to do such a bang-up job running California that voters might say, “Yeah we want some of that.” I remember when Democratic Gov. Michael Dukakis tried to ride the “Massachusetts Miracle” into the White House. His hopes dissolved upon closer scrutiny, but the concept is sound: First prove that you did exemplary work on your home turf.

Yet, California remains the national poster child for government spending and dysfunction—where insurers are fleeing, taxes are painful, businesses are relocating, basic infrastructure is lacking and it’s virtually impossible to build anything in an efficient manner. The state’s golden image had tarnished by the time I moved here in the 1990s, but it’s only gotten worse. It’s depressing given California’s culture of dreaming big things.

I’m a foe of national-conservative revanchism, with its zero-sum outlook, hostility to immigrants, endless search for enemies (real or perceived), taunting of our allies, alignment with authoritarian regimes, hostility to free markets, and willingness to use government to advance oddball cultural objectives. The nation needs a leader who can articulate the old California Dream: an open society based on abundance and freedom. It’s clear that Newsom could never possibly fill that role.

Although he occasionally gives a nod to old-style California entrepreneurship, Newsom’s California is depicted by scarcity. It’s where government planners call the shots and bigger budgets are always the marks of the greater good. The LA wildfires spotlighted our state’s overall incompetence.

California once was the state where a visionary might start up a gee-whiz concept in a garage. Now bureaucrats and powerful unions would crush that concept in its infancy. Newsom isn’t to blame for this malaise, but hasn’t done a thing to unwind it—and has done much to make it worse.

Instead of articulating a compelling vision that could spark a broad-minded counterpunch to narrow-minded populism, Newsom has taken an oddly defeatist course in his first four podcasts. In fairness, I don’t disagree with reaching out to opponents for civil conversations. The governor was remarkably gracious. Again, I’m a fan of graciousness.

But part of being a good interviewer—or the potential leader for a political party or movement—is to offer thoughtful rebuttals to the interviewees’ bad ideas. It also means detailing fabulous ideas that might win over others.

Listening to Newsom, I felt almost as if he were the guest on these shows. He granted too many points, stayed silent when he should have spoken up, and let his guests set the agenda. As The New York Times summarized, “The tenor with Mr. Bannon was set early on, when Mr. Newsom did not push back on his guest’s repeated false claims that President Trump won the 2020 election.” He let Bannon prattle about the evils of corporations and oligarchs.

“I was shocked and pleased that the governor was on the same page,” Bannon told Newsweek. I’m not sure what Newsom would say about that assessment, but it left liberals scratching their heads. It won’t win over conservatives, who generally depicted the podcast as a transparent attempt to move right in preparation for a national campaign.

Newsom’s just not a very good podcaster. He’s not a very good governor, either, but there’s work to do—and he should spend more time doing it.

This column was first published in The Orange County Register.

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