West
Newsom's progressive activism, debate skills among vulnerabilities in potential national campaign: expert
While Gavin Newsom is being floated as a potential replacement should President Biden drop out of the 2024 presidential race, the liberal governor may not be the strongest candidate to take on former President Trump, a California political observer tells Fox News Digital.
Newsom may be popular among Democratic leaders and the progressive caucus for the Golden State’s liberal policies, but it’s unclear how popular he would be on a nationwide ticket. In his own state, Republicans have railed against the governor’s policies on the economy, homelessness and crime.
“Nevertheless, his popularity even here in California is sliding, with one recent poll showing that a majority of voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction,” California Policy Center president William Swaim told Fox News Digital.
“And he doesn’t seem to have captured the national party’s enthusiasm as anything more than a Biden surrogate,” Swaim added. “There’s this important strategic consideration for Democrats: Newsom brings nothing to a national ticket.”
NEWSOM TO HEADLINE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN EVENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE EVENT
President Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Getty Images)
Regardless of which Democrat runs for president, California’s electoral votes will go to the Democrats, Swaim said, but if Democrats turned to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to top the presidential ticket, they could potentially win over their respective and very crucial swing states in November.
Last year, Newsom debated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity. The two governors particularly exchanged blows over their states’ different approaches to taxes and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, in a debate with Trump, “he might persuade undecideds who don’t follow California politics that he’s worked miracles here.”
“And like Trump, he’s a clever debater, a counterpuncher who shifts any attack onto more hospitable terrain and then simply makes stuff up on the fly,” Swaim said. “That’s a real skill – diabolical but effective with low-information voters. You saw this in his televised debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: in one instance, he accused DeSantis of lying California has the nation’s highest taxes. We all know the truth, and in May, Newsom admitted the truth and said the state has the highest taxes in the nation.”
LIBERAL COLUMNIST PRAISES ‘PATRIOTIC’ NEWSOM FOR ‘SHADOW CAMPAIGN,’ SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR BACKING BIDEN
Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower, May 30, 2024 after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
Nonetheless, all eyes are on his purported shadow campaign, despite Newsom’s fervent assertion that he supports the Biden-Harris ticket.
“I will never turn my back on President Biden,” Newsom said on Thursday in a comment that appeared designed to dispel rumors that he’s running a shadow campaign. “I don’t know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight, we have his back.”
Newsom added: “I spent a lot of time with him. I know Joe Biden. I know what he’s accomplished in the last three and a half years. I know what he’s capable of. And I have no trepidations.”
DESANTIS VS NEWSOM FACE OFF ON ABORTION, TRANSGENDERISM, WOKENESS AND MORE
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters after the debate between President Biden and former President Trump in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Newsom is also headed to New Hampshire to headline a Democratic campaign event just days after the Biden-Trump presidential debate, fueling more speculation that he may be preparing to step in if Biden backs out of the 2024 race.
The July 8 event, called the “Blue Summer Campaign Kick-Off,” is being spearheaded by the New Hampshire House and Senate Democrats.
New Hampshire is a key swing state in the general election and Newsom, who is a top surrogate for Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign, will also be campaigning for the president and other Democrats up and down the ticket during his stop in the Granite State, according to sources familiar with his plans.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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Colorado
Colorado weather: Up to 14 inches of snow forecast for mountains
Snow started Monday night in Colorado’s mountains and will continue throughout the week, likely making its way into the Denver area on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Colorado’s mountain roads, including Interstate 70 at the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel and Berthoud Pass, were already snow-covered Tuesday morning, according to the weather service.
“With more snow to come throughout the day, a Winter Weather Advisory was issued for the Front Range Mountains,” forecasters said.
That advisory will be in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday for parts of Jackson, Larimer, Boulder, Grand, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit and Park counties, including Rocky Mountain National Park. Additional snow accumulations between 6 and 14 inches are possible on Tuesday, forecasters said in the alert.
As of Tuesday, the weather service’s snow forecasts included:
- 2 inches on I-70’s Vail Pass, with up to 3 inches possible
- 3 inches in Winter Park, with up to 4 inches possible
- 4 inches in Eldora and on U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass, with up to 5 inches possible
- 4 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass near Winter Park, with up to 7 inches possible
- 5 inches at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, with up to 7 inches possible
- 6 inches on U.S. 34’s Milner Pass in RMNP, with up to 8 inches possible
- 7 inches on Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass near Fort Collins, with up to 8 inches possible
- 9 inches on Mount Zirkel, the highest summit of Colorado’s Park Range of the Rocky Mountains, with up to 11 inches possible
“Travel could be very difficult,” weather service forecasters stated in the winter weather advisory. “The hazardous conditions will impact the Tuesday morning and evening commutes.”
Snow is expected to pause in the mountains Wednesday and resume Thursday before wrapping up early Saturday morning, according to hourly forecasts from the weather service.
In the Denver area, snow is most likely between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, the hourly forecasts show. Rain is also forecast for the metro area during that time, so it’s unknown how much snow will stick.
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Hawaii
Hawaii delegation continues to blast U.S. attack on Iran | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Idaho
Idaho resolution opposing same-sex marriage advances
For the second year in a row, House lawmakers will consider urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.
The nonbinding resolution, which carries no legal weight, says the decision in Obergefel v. Hodges violates the longstanding religious definition of marriage between one man and one woman.
“The current definition of marriage that allows for same-sex marriages is a defilement of the word marriage,” said Rep. Tony Wisniewski (R-Post Falls), who sponsors the measure.
The resolution further states that the Obergefel decision “arbitrarily and unjustly” rejects the historical definition of marriage.
Idaho voters passed a constitution amendment in 2006 that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, which was invalidated by the Obergefel ruling.
Wisniewski said regulating marriages should be a power left to the states.
Rep. Brent Crane (R-Nampa) agrees.
“If you want to get things … closer to the people with respect to some of these more complex social issues, I think the best place for those things to happen is in the states,” Crane said.
Doing so is a risk, he said.
“You may have states that choose to acknowledge [polyamorous relationships]. You may have states that choose to have relationships between adults and younger children,” Crane said.
Cities in neighboring Oregon and Washington, for example, are considering giving those in polyamorous relationships legal recognition.
But he said that risk is worth it to allow other states that choose to only recognize traditional marriages.
Four lawmakers on the House State Affairs Committee opposed the resolution.
Rep. Erin Bingham (R-Idaho Falls) said she’s tried to balance her own religious beliefs with those of others while considering the measure.
“I do feel like that it is important for us to work together, to find ways to compromise and to live together in peace and mutual respect,” Bingham said.
The resolution now goes to the House floor for consideration.
House lawmakers last year passed a similar measure, but it never received a hearing in a Senate committee.
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