A Governor’s Admission

I long for the politics of early 2010s.

My younger self would slap my current self for this statement.

Somehow, the partisanship of the early Obama administration is tame compared to the circus of today. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I was involved in political organizations in college. I would force myself to go to opposing organizations to understand their viewpoints.

I can’t name five political figures, pundits or intellectuals who do the same in 2023. There are some, but they are very rare, and not always consistent.

That is why I was so surprised and pleased to stumble upon this story, thanks to RealClearPolitics. On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom was interviewed on Inside with Jen Psaki. Here is an excerpt of their conversation:

Psaki: “Do you occasionally turn on FOX to see what happens?”

Newsom: “No, no. Not occasionally. Every night.”

Psaki: “Every night? Do you think Democrats should be still appearing on FOX, or should they not be appearing on Fox?”

Newsom: “It contributes to the mental health crisis in this state, so on the basis of one’s own personal conditions, I would not recommend it. My staff is quite literally trying to have interventions with me about it. They say I’m too obsessed with that. But I need to understand it.”

Governor Newsom elaborated on his reasoning, which was political in nature. He wants to see the patterns in Republican thinking so that he and other Democrats can exploit them, pushing their opponents “on their heels.” I wish that he were a bit more open minded, but his words “I need to understand it,” which I extend to Republican/conservative thinking in addition to Fox News, is a step forward.

His statement implies that he doesn’t currently understand his opponents and their supporters. If the governor of the most populous state in the union, a potential presidential candidate, can say this publicly, it paves the way for others to do so too. When is the last time that you heard a politician/pundit/etc. say “I can’t respond to X until I understand X”? Maybe it happens on lesser known media sources, but I’m personally bombarded with knee jerk reactions via social media and in real life that lack any nuance.

While Governor Newsom is condescending and self-interested in his attempt to understand Fox News and its viewers, at least he makes the attempt. Perhaps others do what he does, and simply don’t advertise it. Nevertheless, the public nature of his comments is key. We may be able to achieve an equilibrium that Voltaire desired in a few generations: “I disapprove of what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it.”

Hopefully, more politicians, pundits, intellectuals and voters in both parties and beyond take a page from the governor. You don’t have to like what you read, hear or see. But you should understand it. Especially before you criticize it and propose an alternative.

Agree?