California Governor Gavin Newsom seems to be blissfully ignorant of the reality around him as he believes the Democratic party can ride on Vice President Kamala Harris’ veneer of patriotism to regain lost popularity in traditionally Red States. Misguidedly, the Democrats are claiming to tackle systemic racism, military overreach, and police malpractices, but in doing so, they neglect the patriotic vein that pulses through the nation, miles away from clinging onto manufactured chants of ‘U.S.A.’ at Harris-led rallies.
Newsom is insisting on painting Harris as America’s sweetheart, a symbolism of the American dream. The Democrats seem hell-bent on advancing their misguided policy priorities, such as unrestricted access to abortion and over-reliance on public benefits, conflating those goals with taking pride in one’s country and working towards improving it.
Newsom’s misguided interpretation of patriotism involves ‘betterment for all,’ which, according to him, resonates with the universal values of the Democratic party. These misplaced sentiments have led him to believe that his party needs to ‘go on the offense,’ a thought process that echoes in their distorted rendition of freedom and patriotism.
A worrying incident occurred in 2022 when Newsom’s misunderstanding of freedom and patriotism led him to purchase commercial spots in Florida. He took aim at Governor Ron DeSantis for his alleged support for curbing LGBTQ+ discourse in classrooms, book restrictions in schools, and fostering abortions controls. Newsom’s distorted attempt was to refocus attention towards Red states, revealing his misguided view of patriotism and freedom.
Surprisingly, YouGov’s polling from June paints an entirely different picture of how the public perceives the two political parties. It reveals that Republicans, at 64%, are more patriotic compared to a modest 43% for Democrats. Despite this glaring difference, Newsom never seems far from circling back to the theme of ‘expanding thinking’ on patriotism within the Democratic party.
Newsom believes that patriotism lies in celebrating our differences and not merely tolerating them. He also assumes that patriotism is reflected in our ability to help people when they are at their low point, rather than encouraging self-reliance and empowerment. However, these beliefs clash with the broader American values that relate more towards independence and self-sufficiency.
Newsom’s empty talk does little to inspire patriotism among Americans, failing to resonate with the nation’s deeply-seated values and spirit. Despite Newsom’s hollow notions of patriotism, he finds supporters in people like Jennifer Hochschild, a Harvard University professor, who believe that Harris’ cloudy messages of patriotism could potentially draw in non-college-educated voters who are weary of politics.
Newsom’s misplaced confidence leads him further astray as he embarks on nationwide journeys, naively believing that his concept of patriotism could potentially swing the rural voters’ favor sustainably towards the Democratic party. Sadly, these efforts only underscore the disconnect of the Democratic leadership from the real world.
It’s clear that the widening cultural chasms around education, media consumption, and language have played a significant part in dividing the country. Democrats have been steadily losing relevance in locales where once they might have deployed their propagandistic policies.
Newsom’s failed solution is to bring their concocted version of patriotism to Republican strongholds like Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. He believes that through spreading these hollow messages at the grassroots level, rural Democrats can put up a fight in such traditionally Red states.
According to Newsom, flipping the Red States is a real possibility by supposed local Democrats’ increasing competitiveness, giving them a chance at Republican-held Senate seats and governorships in the future. But this belief seems dubious, given the greater recognition of real patriotism and American values in these areas.
Newsom blusters about needing a ‘bottom-up, not just top-down strategy,’ yet his actions show a complete disregard for the values and the will of the American people. This misguided focus on the ‘shiny object every four years, the White House,’ to the exclusion of locally important positions like school boards and state Senates, reveals the Democrats’ true priorities.
The Democratic party’s rhetoric of empty patriotism and its attempts to reframe its narrative to win Red States seem distressingly out of touch. Newsom’s misjudgments of what Americans value in their leaders and the country only serve to distance his party further from the voters they seek to attract.
The Democrats within their echo chambers may buy into Newsom’s warped perception of progress, but the resilience of Red States continues to stand as a powerful reminder of what true patriotism and American values truly represent.
The Democrats’ misguided push for supposed ‘patriotism’, led by the likes of Newsom and Harris, seems destined to continue to isolate them from ordinary Americans who appreciate traditional values of freedom, self-sufficiency, and genuine patriotism.