Progressives have reason to be skeptical

On top of all of that, I think there are particular weaknesses Newsom has with progressives.

One, Newsom campaigned on single-payer in 2018 (“I'm tired of politicians saying they support single-payer but that it's too soon, too expensive or someone else's problem”) and what did he do as governor? He gave up on it. If he can't lead on single-payer in California of all states, how can he be counted on to make it happen in Washington, D.C.?

Two, Newsom loves the prison guards union and the prison guards union loves him. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association played a pivotal role in establishing California's mass incarceration system, resisting reforms for years. Guess who they backed in 2018? Newsom. Guess who Newsom, without justification, decided to shower with money? That's right, the CCPOA. And guess which union spent heavily to help Newsom defeat the recall last year? The CCPOA. In Newsom, the deplorable prison guards union has a friend. That goes over just fine with your typical establishment Democrat, but I'm not sure progressives will be pleased with that.

Three, Newsom has a knack for getting himself into sketchy situations. Violating his own COVID rules to dine with lobbyists at the French Laundry. Denying there was any conflict whatsoever in his wife's nonprofit receiving “at least $800,000 in political donations

from corporations that lobby state government in recent years,” as reported by the Associated Press. Doling out no-bid contracts to campaign donors.

Newsom's sort of your standard-issue political machine politician who plays the game, even if it means backtracking on major promises or rubbing elbows with wealthy interests.