Newsom stakes his future on one simple argument: Fear a GOP governor
SACRAMENTO, Calif â Gov. Gavin Newsom warned in the Bay Area that electing Larry Elder would have deadly consequences for Californians amid the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic.
In Los Angeles, he painted the recall as a battle against "Trumpism" that could plunge the state into an uncharted, near-apocalyptic future. And in ads, his campaign has cautioned that failing to vote could mean the state ends up with an "anti-vax Republican governor."
As he barnstorms the state, Newsom's strategy to generate fear about a GOP takeover appears to be working to turn out Democratic voters, allowing the governor to avoid more complicated conversations about his own record.
With his governorship beset by record wildfires, poor marks on addressing homelessness and an 18-month struggle to contain virus transmission in the state, Newsom and his political advisors have sought to reframe the election as a vote on Republicans since before the recall even qualified for the ballot.
"It was about making the campaign a referendum on the opposition, not just kind of a dunking booth exercise
