Yes, Donald Trump is off to a roaring start. Egg prices have dropped, he is not backing down on tariffs, and he may well get the situation in Ukraine under control. Chuck Schumer folded like a two-bit riverboat gambler on the CR, and on Friday, Paul Krugman offered up what could be charitably described as a flaccid attack on Trump's push to bring manufacturing back to the United States. The administration is working to dismantle the overgrown, moss-laden bureaucracy and would be further ahead were it not for activist judges.
Overall, Trump is enjoying better approval ratings by the public than what his detractors would have you believe, and the Democrats continue to beclown themselves in such a way that one would think that Benny Hill was the minority leader of either chamber, possibly both if such a thing was constitutionally possible. But as the old saying goes, "Great shot, kid. Just don't get cocky."
I have said it before, and I will say it again until someone takes me seriously: the Democrats are down, but they are by no means out. You may not be able to see them from the road, but there are some adults in the room over there, and those adults are plotting their next moves. And these aren't the AOCs, Jasmine Crocketts, or Al Greens who have so richly entertained us of late. And if you don't believe me, maybe you will believe Charlie Kirk.
In an op-ed at Fox News, Kirk talked about his appearance on the inaugural episode of Gavin Newsom's new podcast, and he came away with a stark warning for the country: Gavin Newsom is playing the long game for a presidential run, and it is a monumentally bad idea to ignore him.
Kirk likened Newsom to none other than hockey great Wayne Gretzky (sorry, hockey fans). Gretzky, Kirk asserted, had the uncanny ability to understand where the puck was going to be on the ice and then skate toward that spot. Kirk noted that Newsom applies the same strategy to politics, which is why he was ready and waiting when Californians began favoring same-sex marriage.
In 2004, in his capacity as mayor of San Francisco, Newsom ordered city clerks to approve same-sex marriage licenses even though it was illegal at the time. In the present day, Newsom has sensed the wind in terms of men in women's sports, which Kirk rightfully sees as a calculated move to appeal to the center, including the center-right, when he announces his campaign for the Oval Office. Newsom may have an abysmal track record as governor, but in his mind and those of the members of the DNC, it is time to put all that in the past and start thinking about the future.
Kirk wrote in part:
Unsurprisingly, Newsom is charming and friendly in-person. You don’t become governor of 40 million people without having some charisma. But there’s clearly a layer beneath the charm. I saw that Newsom wants to be president more than any living person (and possibly every dead person, too). He is an ambitious man, and his new podcast is clearly a product of that ambition.
It is crucial to remember that Democrats are not motivated by good governance but by the desire to govern. "Good" is something that will take care of itself due to their belief that by nominally embracing a set of values, the party and its candidates are "good" by default. It does not matter what the party does so long as it is in control. Newsom is ample proof of that.
I have written before that Democrats labor under a complex set of emotional issues that inform their thinking and drive their actions. Such people are typically eager to use manipulation and subterfuge to achieve their ends. They may have issues, but they can also be smart and patient. Bear that in mind moving forward.
Kirk concludes, “One thing I learned in my podcast experience: The governor isn’t a joke. He has a shark’s instincts and is hoping that voters will have a goldfish’s memory. He knows his current record can’t win him the White House, and so he’s trying to rewrite what that record is. The conservatives he speaks with in the weeks to come shouldn’t let him.”
Kirk is right. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, but do not forget that your opponents aren't necessarily who you think they are. They are not resting and likely have more tricks up their sleeves and better strategies than you think.
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