In a recent one-on-one conversation with Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative figure, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his concerns about the Democratic Party's strategy for the 2024 presidential election.
The discussion, which took place on the inaugural episode of Newsom's new podcast, "This Is Gavin Newsom," saw the governor expressing admiration for Kirk's success as the founder of Turning Point USA, an organization that significantly contributed to former President Donald Trump's popularity among young voters.
According to Fox News, Newsom referred to an op-ed by renowned Democratic strategist James Carville, who suggested that Democrats should "roll over and play dead," allowing Trump and the Republicans to "crumble beneath their own weight and make the American people miss us" as part of a "strategic political retreat." Newsom, however, disagreed with this approach.
Newsom told Kirk, "I immediately, no B.S., thought about you, who's just 24/7 flooding the zone, owning this space every day, getting a convert every day, picking up one, two, 10,000 folks, continuing the momentum, coming out of this damn election." He expressed concern about the Democrats' potential passivity, saying, "And then I'm thinking about - we're gonna stand back and watch you run circles around us for six months, the next two or three years, waiting for the moment to finally strike - struck me as not necessarily the best advice. And that's not a knock on Carville, who I have deep respect for."
Kirk responded with enthusiasm to the idea of a Democratic retreat, saying, "Yeah, I hope you guys retreat. More for us!" He criticized the Democrats for their lack of activism and their "cringe" social media videos.
Newsom, seeking advice, asked Kirk, "What do you do? Seriously, Charlie Kirk, give us some advice." To which Kirk responded, "Get better ideas, governor."
Kirk then shared his successful strategy, which aimed to shift the youth vote by 10 points over 10 years. He said, "Because our whole hypothesis was - and we did this alongside President Trump and his great team - was that this demographic is disproportionately to the Democrat side. We believe Democrats were taking them for granted. We think that your side had no message whatsoever and an ideological monopoly. We saw some of the fault lines there."
Kirk also credited President Trump's use of podcasting and TikTok for harmonizing with their strategy. He said, "But, yeah, I mean, we did it in four years, not 10, in large part thanks to you guys."
The conservative activist highlighted the "crisis" among young people, which he believes the Democratic Party has "completely ignored." He said, "This is the first time in America's history that a 30-year-old is gonna have it worse off than their parents. It's a breakdown of the social compact."
Kirk also praised Trump as a "cultural phenomenon," saying, "No matter what you threw at this guy, he rose above it," despite criminal charges and Democrat-led efforts to remove him from state ballots. He added, "So he personified what a lot of young people, especially young men, wanted back in their politics, which was an ascendant rebel attitude against these institutions that have failed them so miserably."
The conversation between Newsom and Kirk provides a stark contrast between the strategies of the Democratic and Republican parties. It also highlights the importance of engaging with young voters and the potential consequences of ignoring their concerns. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, it remains to be seen which party's strategy will prove more effective.
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