Staff Reports
Gavin Newsom’s attempt at a relatable moment turned into a political face-plant during a book event in Atlanta, where the California governor told a predominantly Black audience, “I’m like you,” and boasted about being a “960 SAT guy” while explaining he has trouble reading because of dyslexia. What he likely meant as humility came off as condescension, and a short clip of the exchange lit up social media within hours.
The reaction was immediate and furious, with conservatives and even some public figures blasting Newsom for talking down to voters instead of offering real solutions. Critics highlighted how a national Democrat positioning himself for higher office should know better than to reduce whole communities to a punchline about test scores.
This is not an isolated misstep but textbook Democratic pandering: symbolic gestures and theatrical empathy in place of policies that actually lift people up. Commentators from across the political spectrum pointed out the “soft bigotry of low expectations” in Newsom’s remarks, a tone-deaf approach that insults the very voters he’s trying to court.
Newsom’s defense—that he was merely speaking about his lifelong struggle with dyslexia and that Republicans were engaging in “fake outrage”—rings hollow when the offense was entirely avoidable. Owning a disability does not give a public figure license to infantilize an entire audience, and trying to pivot to grievance politics only reminds voters that Democrats prefer optics over accountability.
As speculation grows about a 2028 presidential bid, this episode should set off alarm bells for Democrats who think identity-marketing will paper over poor messaging and political arrogance. If Newsom hopes to unite a broad coalition, he’ll need more than awkward anecdotes and condescension; he needs policies that respect voters and improve their lives, not pity them.
Patriots and hardworking Americans deserve leaders who speak to them with respect and whose first instinct is to solve problems, not lecture or patronize. Conservatives should keep hammering this point: real outreach is measured by results and dignity, and every voter can see when a politician’s reach for relevance becomes a reveal of contempt.
