Will Dems turn out to save Newsom?

Have Gov. Gavin Newsom’s odds against being recalled changed for the worse because of apparent Democratic voter apathy about the election?

That’s our Question of the Week for readers.

Time was, and it wasn’t such a long time back, that the prospect for California’s governor being removed from office were slim to none.

It was less than three years ago, after all, that Newsom took 61.9% of the votes throughout the state to shellac GOP candidate John Cox in the largest landslide for any Democratic candidate for governor in California history.

Newsom had been highly visible for over a decade as mayor of San Francisco and lieutenant governor. He was the heir apparent to Jerry Brown in an increasingly Democratic state.

When recall proponents began their signature-gathering campaign, the governor was able to paint it all as a Trumpish plot fueled by out-of-state Republicans.

But what if GOP voters are highly motivated to get to the polls for the Sept. 14 election, and Democrats for whatever reason are not? That changes the recall picture dramatically.

The September date is one problem. Voters are not at all used to a late-summer election, and when Democrats around the state were approached for interviews by the Associated Press, “many were aware of the recall but hadn’t yet formed an opinion, did not know when the election was scheduled, or were lukewarm on Newsom.”

Some political analysts say that it’s going to be harder for Democratic strategists to reach out to potential supporters because of changing viewing habits — away from the television stations that air political advertisements. They note that with the rise of the delta variant, new COVID-19 worries will make it harder to get registered voters to answer the door when it’s knocked on by Newsom partisans.

Are you highly motivated to vote in the recall election? Do you think Democrats on the whole will be? If you are for the recall, which candidate will you vote for to replace Newsom? Do you think that if he is recalled, he will just run again in 2022 — and win?

Email your thoughts to opinion@scng.com. Please include your full name and city or community of residence. Provide a daytime phone number (it will not be published).