Gov. Gavin Newsom has been ridiculed for delivering a wildly rambling response when asked a straightforward question about his brand of politics — invoking MLK Jr., Gandhi and the “spirit of the ’60s.”
The scrambled answer given during an interview with comedian and podcast host Adam Friedland as part of his book tour reveals how he may struggle to convince Americans he is “authentic” during an expected run for president, experts say.
It was also on-brand for those who have seen Newsom rise up the political ladder over nearly three decades, offering an insight into his biggest Achilles’ heel: a thirst for the limelight but an inability to get out of his own way.
“You know, I don’t have like a brand, I don’t have a tag — Make America Great or the Great Society or something like Medicare for All,” Newsom said.
“But for me, no bulls–t, it’s just standing up for ideals, striking out against injustice that defines my ‘why’ in every way, shape, form.”
Had he stopped there, Newsom may have saved himself from ridicule. He didn’t stop there.
“Stand up for ideals. Strike out against injustice,” Newsom continued. “I’m a Sargent Shriver Democrat. I mean, in that whole ’60s, the vernacular, the ’60s, solving for ignorance and poverty, disease and the spirit of the ’60s, the spirit of King, by the movement in Gandhi and Mandela, that whole set of moral authority space.
“That’s the zeitgeist, yeah, and that’s that. So that’s me. That’s my dad. So it’s my mom, that’s the book, and that’s my ‘why.’ ”
Friedland followed up: “So if you had to define it: ‘Vote for me and you get X.’ ”“I just gave you my ‘why,’ ” Newsom responded. “But how do you translate that into human?”‘It’s not going well’
Izza Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, declined to answer The Post’s questions regarding the governor’s comments and book tour.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
