For a time, polls showed Newsom could lose the recall vote and be replaced by a talk radio host. Merely reaching the threshold of enough signatures to force a recall vote indicates a significant dislike for a governor in a state the size of California. A state that was formerly a symbol of economic vibrancy has descended into a dystopian, third-world wasteland on his watch. Income inequality has skyrocketed. So many people left that the state was lucky to only lose one congressional district. So, well, it’s still sort of laughable to think Newsom could win a general election. But, he could be well-positioned to win the Democratic presidential nomination. Many things have to happen. A lot of Democrats don’t want President Joe Biden to run for a second term. But the alternative, Vice President Kamala Harris, is even more alarming to Democrats looking at her favorable ratings. If Biden opts not to run for age or health reasons, Democrat heavyweights might seek a way to give Harris a soft landing, with a high-paying corporate board seat or a more noble post as a president of an Ivy League university.
