Despite Alex Wagner’s best efforts, Gov. Gavin Newsom refused to accept her suggestions that it’s game over for President Biden’s candidacy. Because it’s the policies, stupid.
Wagner called Biden’s comments on abortion “garbled and undirected at best.”
Newsom responded, “I think it’s significantly insignificant” because Americans support Biden’s policies. “They don’t support the policies of Donald Trump,” he said, “or his assertions – somehow ‘The American people always wanted this to be states’ rights,’ which was laughable and absurd.”
Newsom said he doesn’t think Biden’s debate performance will matter because in all the elections since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Democrats have been overperforming. “We keep winning and we have to keep our minds, he said. “So, I think for all of us, worry less and do more.”
“We have the opportunity to turn the page,” Newsom continued.” We have the opportunity to put our heads down. We have the opportunity to universally have the back of this president who’s had our back. You don’t turn your back. You go home with the one that brought you to the dance, 100 percent, all in.”
Wagner followed up by saying there’s a “panic that has set in” among Democrats, Democratic strategists “and some even inside Democratic campaigns” about whether Biden should step down. “Do you think it’s unfounded?” she asked.
“Well, I think it’s unhelpful and I think it’s unnecessary,” Newsom said. “We’ve got to go in and got to keep our heads high.” One performance is not reason to turn our backs on Biden. “What kind of party does that?”
Then Newsom listed what he called the “masterclass” of Biden’s accomplishments: 15.6 million jobs, eight times more than the last three Republican presidents combined. “The only thing the last three Republican presidents have in common is recessions,” he added. “Democrats deliver. This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment.”
He finished with a polite jab at the line of questioning: “With all due respect, the more time we start having these conversations, go down these rabbit holes, it’s unhelpful to our democracy, our fate and future of this country, the world. They need us right now to step up. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
He’s absolutely right. We don’t have time to worry about this one night, more than four months from the election. We do have time to do the work needed to defend our democracy and our rights.
