Opinion: It’s clear now that Gov. Gavin Newsom is running for President

California Gov Gavin Newsom stands in front of a state flag during a news conference on April in Ceres Photo by Noah Berger Associated Press This column was originally published by CalMatters Sign up for their newsletters After years of denying any interest in running for president Gavin Newsom has decisively fessed up In a flurry of media interviews keyed to anti-Donald Trump demonstrations in Los Angeles and elsewhere Newsom has acknowledged what everyone in and around national politics had already assumed that he s entertaining a White House bid The bulk explicit of several hints was published in the Wall Street Journal Responding to a question about his presidential ambitions Newsom stated I m not thinking about running but it s a path that I could see unfold That s in keeping with the time-worn playbook for politicians who look in the mirror and see a president staring back They shun naked ambition and portray themselves as reluctantly offering to serve the nation in its moment of dilemma whatever that might be It was no coincidence that Newsom in an address broadcast live by CNN warned that Trump s sweeping campaign to arrest undocumented immigrants was such a dilemma saying other states are next This is about all of us This is about you Newsom explained It s time for all of us to stand up Newsom uttered a similar theme in his Wall Street Journal interview I have a responsibility to combine passion with action to stand tall and firm and defend the values that I hold dear that I think the vast majority of Americans hold dear and assert myself in this moral moment he revealed Trump s anti-immigrant drive is a political gift to Newsom providing a springboard for him to fill a vacuum and claim leadership of the opposition to Trump The Democratic Party has been unable in the seven months since losing the White House to curb its internal power struggles Nor have political media anointed any of the prospective candidates to succeed Trump as the frontrunner It would be fair to say that Newsom who has been cultivating a national image ever since winning re-election in would ostensibly start ahead of greater part would-be rivals for the Democratic nomination Whether he would finish ahead and go on to win the presidency is another matter The road to the White House is long and winding with plenty of opportunities to stumble as the career of another Californian Kamala Harris attests Assuming that Newsom s hints mean he s a candidate in the final months of his governorship he ll be juggling a day job and a side gig which is likely to diminish his standing in California which is mediocre at best A current poll by UC-Berkeley s Institute of Governmental Studies unveiled that by a - margin California voters already believe Newsom is more focused on running for president than in fixing the state s problems People kind of look at him as being very ambitious poll director Mark DiCamillo stated about Newsom A Newsom presidential campaign would be something of a referendum on California Its serious social and economic problems which have not markedly improved during Newsom s governorship would be campaign fodder for Democratic rivals and if he were to win the nomination for the Republican candidate Video clips of California cities squalid encampments of the homeless the smash-and-grab robberies and the sometimes violent demonstrations against Trump s immigration sweeps would bolster the sour image that those in other states already have of California Elect Newsom his rivals would say if you want the nation to emulate California Being a Californian was one of the burdens Harris could not overcome last year An ad featuring her advocacy of giving conversion surgery to transgender prison inmates was it s widely considered the single bulk effective spot of the campaign Saddle up Win or lose a Newsom campaign for the White House would be a bumpy ride CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable Want to submit a letter to the editor guest column or opinion piece Find our guidelines and submission form here