Joe Biden is coming to the aid of California Governor Gavin Newsom at just the right moment.
With polls showing that a majority of voters now favor recalling the governor, the president has decided to jump into the race and urge California voters to vote “No” on the recall.
It’s not exactly the cavalry coming to the rescue since this is 2021 and, as we all know, the U.S. cavalry was made up of oppressive, racist, Indian haters and should never be glorified in any way.
But just to get the snowflakes mad, let’s compare the U.S. cavalry riding to Newsom’s rescue from extreme, violent, right-wing, anti-vaxx racists.
That’s how Newsom and the Democrats are portraying supporters of the recall. It’s not working out well, hence, the 911 call to Biden.
“Governor Newsom is leading California through unprecedented crises,” Biden said in a statement. “He is a key partner in fighting the pandemic and delivering economic relief to working families and helping us build our economy back better than ever. He’s taking on the climate crisis and standing up for the rights of women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community. He knows how to get the job done because he’s been doing it. And to keep him on the job, registered California voters should vote no on the recall election by September 14 and keep California moving forward.”
A source familiar with White House planning said both Biden and Harris intend to take an active role in the campaign’s homestretch. That could include in-person appearances and social media support.
Assistance from Biden or Harris could help Newsom energize Democratic voters — a critical task as polls show Republicans are far more motivated to vote, potentially closing or erasing Democrats’ overwhelming registration advantage in deep-blue California.
Even with a massive $47 million war chest, Newsom is in danger of being recalled because California Democrats are giving a great big yawn about the whole thing. The entrance of Biden — and to a lesser extent, native daughter Kamala Harris — is designed to energize the Democratic electorate in the state who apparently love the president.
The president in particular remains enormously popular among California Democrats. A recent poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that the California electorate writ large approves of the president’s job performance by a 22-point margin. Among Democratic registered voters, that jumps to an overwhelming 76-point approval edge.
Harris’s poll numbers in California are not as favorable. But as a native Californian with a power base in San Francisco — and a woman of color, a critical California Democratic Party bloc — she would have the ability to excite Democrats.
A cockroach on the ballot could win in California with a “D” after its name, so how energized do Democrats really have to be?
Talk show host Larry Elder is the leading GOP candidate in the polls. He has the advantage of being completely and irredeemably inoffensive. That and his name recognition may be enough to carry him to victory — if the voters vote “No” on the recall question.
