Larry Elder’s reviews could help him succeed

[ad_1]

In summary

Attacks on Larry Elder, the top Republican candidate to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom if Newsom were to be recalled, make an Elder gubernatorial job more likely.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend is an ancient proverb that dates from a Sanskrit writing of the 4th century BC on the art of government.

The most striking example of its application occurred during World War II, when Soviet Russia, which had a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, was suddenly attacked by its former ally.

Overnight, the dictator of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, went from enemy to partner of the United States and Great Britain in their war against Germany and its dictator, Adolf Hitler. Militarily, this was the best thing that could have happened for the Western allies because if it had not happened, Hitler could easily have triumphed.

Something like this is happening in California as Gov. Gavin Newsom fights a campaign to oust him from office via a recall election on September 14.

Get a seasoned journalist’s perspective on what’s going on in California with a weekly roundup of Dan’s Column every Friday.

With the vote underway, Newsoms’ campaign has shifted from defending his gubernatorial record to attacking the leading Republican candidate to succeed him, talk show host Larry Elder. Pro-Newsom columnists and Second Republican, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, have joined Newsom’s assault on Elder.

The general theme of the attacks is that the Elders ‘far-right views make him unacceptable as an official, and the drum beat picked up last week when the Elders’ ex-girlfriend accused him of having verbally abusive and even, at one point, brandishing a gun at her.

For a brief moment, I thought he intended to shoot me. I feared for my life, said Alexandra Datig, adding: At the same time, I am also very fearless and, having grown up around guns, I did not take it seriously.

Elder, of course, denied the gun allegation, but immediately his critics stopped saying he shouldn’t be governor to demand that he drop the contest.

The Sacramento Bee has said that elders’ misogynistic attitudes towards women and the damning allegations revealed this week about how he treated his ex-fiancee Alexandra Datig are disqualifying and make him totally unfit to be governor of California. The elder must quit the race immediately.

The retrograde positions of the elders undermine women’s rights and the livelihoods of California families, Faulconer said in a statement released Friday afternoon. Lack of judgment by elders and flaws in character threaten the success and credibility of this historic recall movement. Californians will not vote to recall a dysfunctional governor if that means replacing him with another.

Support California Nonprofit Journalism

We count on your generous support to cover the stories that matter most to you. If you find our work valuable in these difficult times, please support our journalism.

So what effect will this barrage of criticism from Newsom, Faulconer and pro-Newsom media have on Elder and the recall campaign?

Newsom is obviously hoping that focusing on Elder and the allegedly terrible fate that would befall California if he becomes governor will not only change the subject, but motivate Democrats to vote against the recall. The democratic apathy of voters is, according to polls, the main reason Newsom risks losing his job.

However, the focus on Elder might also make it more likely that he would, in fact, become Governor if the recall was successful. Voters in favor of the recall could easily conclude that if Newsom, the media and Faulconer gang up on Elder, he may be the man leading the revolt against the political status quo.

This is what happened in 2016 when Donald Trump stepped out of the Republican pack to become the GOP presidential candidate. The more Trump was attacked for his many personal shortcomings, the more attractive he became to angry Republican voters. The rest, as they say, is history.

Elder may be, as his detractors say, unfit to be a governor. However, like Trump, he probably enjoys attention because his enemies make him more friends.

[ad_2]