The look doesn’t wear well on the California governor, and he strikes me as a man who cares about how he looks rather than what he does .

And now, ladies and gentlemen, a few words from the governor of California:

DONALD “TACO” TRUMP, AS MANY CALL HIM, “MISSED” THE DEADLINE!!! CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE “BEAUTIFUL MAPS,” THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!). BIG PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEK WITH POWERFUL DEMS AND GAVIN NEWSOM — YOUR FAVORITE GOVERNOR — THAT WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR “MAGA.” THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GN

Sometimes you get caught up in a story and end up focusing your attention on it to the exclusion of nearly all other topics. So it goes with me and the “gerrymandering wars,” and with good reason: I suspect that we will look upon this era as a genuine watershed moment in our modern politics, for better or worse; the downstream effects will be real and unmistakable.

Also, I just enjoy watching elected Democrats, especially Gavin Newsom, squirm. The eternally grasping undeclared presidential candidate and part-time governor of California is at it again, seeking to steal the spotlight from Democratic rival JB Pritzker and seize the mantle of leadership within the party. (The hapless Illinois governor suffered a recent setback when he nearly popped like a balloon live on camera after being pricked gently by NBC’s Kristen Welker about the hypocrisy of his grandstanding about gerrymandering in the most infamously gerrymandered state in the nation.)

Now, with all the subtlety of a small child waving his hands furiously in the air to get the attention of an indifferent father, Newsom has reappointed himself the Main Character of the anti-Trump “resistance” just in time to saddle up for a presidential campaign that all expect will be announced after the 2026 elections. He’s back to save the day and banish those bad memories of 2024: “Let’s try it again in four years with a California politician who actually can talk to people this time!”

New podcast? Check. Unavoidable national presence? Check. But it wouldn’t truly be a “Newsom moment” without the cringe-inducing messaging, the off-putting attempts to simulate coolness by either imitating Trump’s tone or talking to voters with his signature perpetually simpering facsimile of authenticity, like Steve Buscemi going undercover among high schoolers. The pattern is clear. First, he threatened to put a ballot measure before California voters to eliminate the state’s remaining Republicans, or at least “neutralize their gains,” whatever that means. (California’s delegation is already wildly lopsided in favor of Democrats, 43–9.) That having failed to get a rise out of anyone, Newsom has decided to do the same thing — albeit in capital letters, in an imitation of Trump’s posting style. When Newsom writes, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER,” however, he comes across like somebody pleading for it. We get it, Gavin, we get it — you’re going to gerrymander the hell out of your own state. Give it a shot. Republicans don’t care.

There is one interesting wrinkle to all of this: As I mentioned in my earlier piece on this matter, the experts I spoke to about Newsom’s ploy warned me that it assumes the desired outcome — that voters will elect to toss out the state’s independent redistricting commission for a nakedly partisan gerrymander. It was therefore noteworthy to read CNN’s Aaron Blake making the same point this afternoon, that “it’s a risky bet — both for Democrats and for Newsom” and that “you could understand if Republicans are inclined to try to call their bluff.” That is exactly what it going to happen: The GOP has nothing to lose.

We shall know more soon enough. As this piece was being drafted, Newsom announced (once again in all caps) that tomorrow was California doomsday:

HUGE “HISTORIC” EVENT — THURSDAY 11:30AM PACIFIC IN LOS ANGELES!!! A “BEAUTIFUL RALLY” / PRESS CONFERENCE WITH GAVIN CHRISTOPHER NEWSOM & STRONG DEMS. DEMOCRATS WILL DESTROY GREG ABBOTT’S “TOTALLY RIGGED MAPS.” TREMENDOUS WORK IS BEING DONE. DONALD TRUMP (THE CRIMINAL PRESIDENT) GET READY FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PAYBACK YOU’VE EVER SEEN!!! COULD BE THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE AS YOUR PRESIDENCY ENDS (DEMS RETAKE CONGRESS!). AMERICA WILL BE LIBERATED — “LIBERATION DAY” MANY ARE CALLING IT!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GCN

My guess is that Newsom will stop trying to communicate like Trump within the week. (The look doesn’t wear well on him, and he strikes me as a man who cares about how he “looks” rather than what he “does.”) But his ambition to replace Trump as president is so palpable as to take on oedipal overtones. Or perhaps there’s a different sort of relationship at play here: As Elvis Costello once said about politicians like Newsom, “all little sisters want to try on big sister’s clothes.”