What recall taught Democrats for 2022: Embrace vaccine mandates and talk about Trump
Gov. Gavin Newsom decisively fended off a recall with a two-pronged strategy: nonstop GOP bashing and an unapologetic embrace of vaccine mandates. Now, the architects of his win say Democrats across the country should follow suit in next year’s midterm election.
“Step one: Name the villains,” said Sean Clegg, a top campaign advisor. “Step two: Describe the stakes” — which Newsom portrayed as a life-or-death choice on ending the pandemic.
For national Democrats facing an uphill battle to keep control of Congress in 2022, those two steps behind Newsom’s overwhelming victory on Tuesday may offer a road map for success — the former rousing otherwise disengaged Democrats and the latter making inroads with independents and even some Republicans. But prevailing in indigo-blue California is one thing, while eking out wins in swing states and congressional districts is quite another.
“Newsom had plenty of
