By Emily Hoeven : sfchronicle – excerpt
Despite his many years in politics, Gov. Gavin Newsom still has an uncanny ability to shoot himself in the foot.
Newsom’s knack for backing himself into corners of his own making, issuing bold statements that crumble under the slightest pressure, and pursuing grand visions without much regard to details, has defined his response to his second U.S. Senate appointment…
In 2021, amid reports about Feinstein’s dwindling health and mental acuity, Newsom vowed to appoint a Black woman to her Senate seat if she were to resign before her term ended in 2024. The promise was apparently intended to placate Black women voters — often considered the backbone of the Democratic Party — angered that he didn’t choose a Black woman to replace Kamala Harris in the Senate when she was elected Vice President. (Newsom instead picked longtime ally Alex Padilla, highlighting the fact that he would be California’s first Latino U.S. Senator.)
Not only did many view Newsom’s actions as disrespectful to Feinstein — who had no intention of resigning — but they also came across as politically self-serving, as Newsom at the time was fending off a recall election.
“You don’t have to like Dianne Feinstein to see that pushing her out of her elected position for a Black woman appointment that you could have made when there is an actual vacancy to win a recall to push you out of your elected position is a very bad look,” tweeted Christine Pelosi, daughter of House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and former chair of the California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus…
Eager to generate headlines and to make history, Newsom is great at making bold proclamations — even if he contradicts them moments later.
But a leader who puts good governance first wouldn’t have said anything about Feinstein’s seat unless and until the time came to make a decision.
Forgoing the spotlight, however, has never been Newsom’s strong suit…(more)
I was going to ignore this, but, the extremely negative response Newsom gets from his strategies generates a certain desire to repeat the bad news.