Below is my column in The Hill on the declaration of Gov. Gavin Newsom that he is now officially “evolving.” However, unlike more modest objectives like opposable thumbs over eons, Newsom wants to accomplish a full transformation in one election cycle to appeal to the surging far left of his party. It is a cautionary tale for Democrats who want their party to reposition toward the political center.
Here is the column:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) wants you to know that he is evolving.
Newsom is facing a rising radical movement among Democrats, including a surging contingent aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. He is struggling in polls and therefore eager to show the skill identified by Darwin that allows certain species to thrive in their environment: adaptation.
Newsom has recently declared capitalism a failure. He is now joining his competitors for president in offering up the Supreme Court and its independence to the far left. His free fall into rage politics is a cautionary tale for those who want to return the Democratic Party to more centrist positions.
Often called a “political chameleon,” Newsom seems to be morphing into the actual species that evolved to adjust to its environment, including more nimble feet.
Although natural selection takes place over many years and even eons, Newsom does not have the luxury of time. He does not want to be eliminated by the more politically fit opponents to his left.
Polls continue to show he receives more media support than public support. He trails Kamala Harris by 15 points in recent polling and is nearly tied with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Harris and Buttigieg quickly turned their backs on the norms governing the Supreme Court to support court-packing. Harris dismissed those of us in opposition as engaging in mere “nostalgia.”
Newsom had previously tried to offer a sane alternative to these voices. But he has now found himself their quiet companion in a primal scream session. As he began to vanish in political polling, he decided he would not be outcrazied by Democratic opponents.
With candidates like Texas’s Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico calling for the “dismantling” of capitalism as an “oppressive system,” Newsom finds himself needing to cater to the mob. He has now declared that “nostalgia is not working” while adding that “capitalism as we know it doesn’t work either.”
Newsom has recently been campaigning in blue states such as New Hampshire, repeating his mantra that capitalism as “not working.”
But these days, it is not enough for socialists and the far left merely to oppose the most successful economic system in the history of the world. Newsom is still being labeled as an establishment politician. So he has tried to dispel that impression with his signature toothy grin and astonished demeanor, claiming that he is really undermining the system from within as “an established insurgent.”
Again, that is not enough for the current political environment. So this week, he changed his position on the Supreme Court to say that he is now “open” to court-packing.
Packing the court is considered essential today for any viable Democratic candidate. Some are openly calling for the imposition of a litmus test for all candidates: As they put it, it is a choice between “packed or sacked.”
Even moderate figures such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) have now yielded to the mob in expressing a willingness to pack the Supreme Court.
So Newsom wants the far left to know that he is yet again evolving: “My initial instinct — me, a year ago, I would have said no out of concern that it will continue to be expanded. … I’m finding myself evolving on it.”
The question is what Newsom and his Democrat opponents will offer next in their political adaptation. These candidates have shown that no institution or value is more important than their securing power. At this rate, we will be fortunate to have anything more than the ship itself after the race to toss institutions and “nostalgic” values over the side.
The danger for Newsom — like the danger of any fast-tracking of evolution — is that the environment can change, leaving you with an adaptation that makes you even more likely to be eliminated. Newsom knows that attacking our constitutional or economic systems will not play well in the general election, but he also knows he will never see the 2028 general election if his opponents on the left outflank him.
Moreover, offerings like the Supreme Court or our economic system are unlikely to satiate the far left. As I discuss in “Rage and the Republic,” history shows that establishment figures rarely survive the mob politics they seek to use for their own advantage.
In the meantime, because of the cynical calculations of leaders like Newsom, we face a growing threat of doing lasting harm to our constitutional system. The framers warned us of these voices of “mobocracy” that would tear apart the contemporary revolution in France, which became known as “the Terror.”
The danger is that, while the majority opposes court packing and socialism, the new majority in Congress could force changes without amending the Constitution. That certainly can be done with court packing. Once a new liberal majority is secured, there would then be little barrier to achieving many of the objectives of a radical agenda long discussed by professors and pundits. Some have argued that, with control of the court and radical constitutional changes, Republicans will not be able to win another election.
In other words, the radicals hope to change the environment to prevent further adaptation and future competition.
Kurt Vonnegut once said, “Evolution can go to hell as far as I am concerned. What a mistake we are.” After watching the chameleonic Gavin Newsom, it seems that we may be on the cusp of precisely such an evolutionary mistake.
Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.“
I would absolutely be pointing fingers at Democrats if my party controlled the entire federal government with a $40 trillion debt, highest inflation in decades, $6+ diesel fuel prices, started an optional war cutting off oil supply, tariff-taxes paid 100% by Americans consumers and the Epstein files!
Especially when he was elected on draining the swamp, avoiding foreign wars of choice, lowering prices and releasing the Epstein files.
I’d try to divert the attention of the voters also!
Communist Theory Remains Perfect, per Gavin Newsom and his ChatGPT bot
Communism, it seems, continues to encounter the same unfortunate obstacle it has faced for more than a century: reality.
This is obviously not the theory’s fault.
The theory itself remains immaculate. On paper, everyone is equal, resources are abundant, workers are liberated, exploitation disappears, and somehow nobody has to explain who is supposed to make the things everyone suddenly needs.
The difficulty arises when the theory is removed from the paper.
Then the usual complications begin.
Factories fail to produce enough. Incentives disappear. Bureaucracies metastasize. Shortages become features rather than bugs. The state acquires an extraordinary amount of power in order to create a society in which, theoretically, nobody has power over anyone else.
And when people inevitably notice that this arrangement is somewhat less than ideal, the answer is reassuringly familiar: They did it wrong.
This is the most impressive aspect of communism’s intellectual architecture. Its successes belong to communism. Its failures belong to capitalism, sabotage, foreigners, insufficient revolutionary consciousness, historical circumstances, corrupt officials, bad weather, insufficiently pure communists, or—when all else fails—the fact that nobody has ever implemented the real version.
The theory is therefore permanently undefeated.
It cannot fail because every failure is automatically disqualified as an authentic test.
A country can nationalize industry, abolish private enterprise, centralize economic decision-making and produce a shortage of nearly everything, and the response is not that perhaps the experiment deserves reconsideration.
No.
The experiment simply requires another experiment.
And another.
History, apparently, is just an unusually expensive focus group.
Meanwhile, capitalism commits the unforgivable sin of allowing people to make decisions without first obtaining permission from a ministry. It produces inequality, recessions, bubbles and plenty of genuine failures. But capitalism has one irritating characteristic that makes it difficult to dismiss entirely: when something doesn’t work, someone has an incentive to try something else.
Communism offers a more elegant solution.
If something doesn’t work, put it under new management.
If that doesn’t work, increase the planning.
If that doesn’t work, increase the planning again.
And if, after decades of planning, the shelves are still empty, the workers are still miserable and the government is still insisting that prosperity is just around the corner, congratulations: the revolution has achieved something remarkable.
It has abolished the need for evidence.
The theory remains perfect.
Reality remains the problem.
Declassified several decades ago:
Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican icon, president and Allied Commander of the D-Day Invasion).
Eisenhower viewed Senator Joe McCarthy and Roy Cohn as the most disloyal Americans to their oath of office and the USA.
In the 1950’s Eisenhower was secretly the enemy of the highly disloyal McCarthy and Cohn since they were subverting America’s model of government.
Trump and the highly disloyal American Roy Cohn were best friends. Cohn is largely credited with teaching Trump how to break laws and in dirty tricks.
Apparently Cohn being disloyal to his oath of office in the 1950’s also made a big impression on Trump supporting foreign models of governing. Having contempt for America’s model of government.
^^^^^^^^^
Capitalism May Not Be Too Healthy Right Now
There are numerous differences between today’s U.S. economy and that of 2007 when the 10-year Treasury yield peaked around 5.3 percent.
Some investors and analysts note, however, that in both periods a rise in Treasury yields accompanied strong, concentrated growth tied to one industry. Back then it was housing, and now it is A.I.
Technology companies have turned to the debt market to supercharge their growth, borrowing billions to pay for the rapid build-out of data centers and other infrastructure, in turn raising expectations for growth and inflation in the future, which pushes yields higher.
Some analysts have warned that if A.I.’s transformational impact falls short of promises, it could pose a broader threat to the economy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/business/10-year-treasury-yield-5-percent.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
…………………………………
The comparisons to 2007 are grim. The Great Recession began in the 4th quarter of that year. It was all downhill from there.
This piece clearly implies that economic growth is overly concentrated on AI, a boom that could bust. If indeed that happens, DSA types will gleefully exploit the recession that follows.
The Democrat Party is now controlled by China, Qatar, Russia, and some Far-Leftist billionaires. And their endgoal is to destroy America and replace it with a Democrat-IslamoCommuNazi empire. What will America look like with a Democrat-IslamoCommuNazi dictatorship?
Estovir, a Russian oligarch paid for Don Junior’s wedding only a few months ago. And you’re trying to tell us the ‘Democrats’ are controlled by Russia???
Since there seems to be lots of people on here that support “Capitalism”.
Check out the bi-partisan film “Saving Capitalism” featuring fiscally-conservative Tea Party Republicans and Bill Clinton’s economic advisor.
One could make a very strong argument that the U.S. Court case “Citizens United” destroyed capitalism and free market competition.
The “Citizens” ruling also degrsdef democracy, the Bill of Rights and U.S. Constitution.
The rise of more socialist ideas is the result of destroying American capitalism. If capitalism worked properly, socialism wouldn’t be so popular.
Great must see film “Saving Capitalism”!
Do you care to explain how that one case destroyed capitalism? Or are you just going to assert it and expect people to believe you? Citizens United was a First Amendment case that expanded freedom of speech. How can more freedom of speech destroy capitalism?
A “Constitutional-Conservative” uses constitutional due process to reach the proper outcome. America’s model of government.
“Constitutional-Subversives” start the opposite direction. Subversives justify the “ends” using unconstitutional-means.
In the 21st Century it’s not a very close call. Republican leaders have been way more subversive than Democrat leaders.
In the 1950’s DOJ and FBI investigated “constitutional-subversives” on both the extreme right and left.
Or that was the marketing plan!
In reality J Edgar Hoover, Joe McCarthy and Roy Cohn subverted the constitutional rule of law violating the constitutional rights of mostly “non-subversive” Democrats.
In other words the DOJ, FBI and Congressional investigators were “Constitutional Subversives”. The U.S. Constitution is a “wartime” governing charter designed to be followed during wartime and peacetime.
Fast forward to today, Trump was a long time employer of subversive Roy Cohn. The same subversive from the 1950’s that betrayed his oath of office.
Today the most dangerous “Constitutional-Subversives” are Trump officials. Attempting to subvert the constitutional rule of law illegally. Not trying to change the system legally following the U.S. Constitution.
Labels are misleading but if you choose them at least be honest and accurate. The most liberal party on the U.S. Constitution in the 21st Century is the Republican Party. Not even a close comparison.
I’ve noticed the people who say the most backwards, ridiculous things almost always do so anonymously.
This is pretty rich coming from Professor Turley. For those, who actually care what he said, he stated he was still hesitant but open given the “district court” arguments, meaning his rationale is precisely the same one Turley previously held (i.e., that the size should expand with the increase in the number of district courts). I suppose Turley “evolved” too?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/gavin-newsom-expresses-openness-packing-222420268.html
I support neither Newsom nor expansion of the Court. But, I don’t think Professor Turley should mislead his readers to fuel the Age of Rage, about which he purports to care.
I just read the article you linked to. Newsom did say he has “evolved” to now supporting the expansion of the Court, apparently no longer finding that a dangerous precedent. As for the alleged basis for his new-found openness to expansion, he didn’t say other than referring to unnamed “district court arguments.” Your own interpretation of what those arguments are (an increase in the number of district courts) is in substance the same excuse FDR used – the justices are overworked – that everyone saw through in the 1930s.
Newsom also, in the article you linked, took the opportunity to bash another pillar of the American political system, the Electoral College. The EC’s benefits to the American democratic republic republic are well known, and I don’t believe for a minute Newsom is unaware of them. But he’s playing to the radicals in his party, so.
#WeAreEstovir
The Bee’s is reporting includes a few interesting tidbits. Apparently, Newsom uses ChatGPT to find out what his political positions should be each week, he’s admitting he doesn’t really want to be president, just wants to leave California, he’s trying to hide the fact that he runs California because that might sink his presidential ambitions, he’s vowing to double California’s violent crime rate if Trump doesn’t stop cleaning up D.C., he’s launching a true crime podcast about how he killed California, he has been rushing into burning buildings to inform fire victims that Trump is bad, in his visit with Xi Jinping he sought ideas on how to run California, he was caught at the French Laundry eating eggs cooked on a gas stove, he’s begging Kamala not to campaign for him, he’s been named U-Haul salesman of the year, his recent dip in the Pacific Ocean caused a massive oil slick, he’s trying to woo Californians back with road signs falsely saying they’re entering Texas, and he’s thankful for the high gas prices because people can’t afford to fill up their U-Hauls anymore, and many other fascinating developments.
#WeAreEstovir
ESTOVIR, what are you babbling about here?? Is this your attempt to do an Onion-like piece? It reads like the rantings of some lunatic on the street who’s still wearing his Psych Ward wristband from 3 weeks ago.
MORON ANON writing form the PSYCH WARD!! First everyone was Dustoff now Estovir. WHAT A DF!!
from
Newsome, like so many of the Dems, is not ‘evolving’, he’s de-volving (if it’s not a word then it needs to be added to the English language).
“It’s the [electorate], stupid!”
– James Carville
___________________
Why are Americans talking about Newsom, communists, liberals, women, minorities, illegal alien voters, and expansion of the welfare state?
America exists under the “dictatorship of the majority,” the “dictatorship of the poor.”
“So, the lunatics have taken charge of the asylum.”
The American Founders understood that the leaders of society must lead.
Turnout in 1789 was 11.6%, and generally by state, voters were male, European, and 21 with 50 lbs. Sterling or 50 acres.
Genuine, authentic, actual democracy was created in Greece in 508 B.C. with a severely restricted vote.
Citizen Population: Out of a total population of roughly 250,000 to 300,000 in ancient Athens, only about 30,000 to 40,000 free men qualified as active citizens.
The adults in the room must take charge…
or chaos will.
This story about Don Jr’s wedding being paid for by Russian oligarchs is getting really weird.
Don Jr’s new wife has just declared this story about her wedding being paid for by a close associate of Putin, is “fake news”, in true Trumpian style.
She then said the following:
“Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding,” she wrote, adding it was “an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful.”
“It’s unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from,” she wrote. “Friendship doesn’t require a political motive. Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift.”
Really ???
She says it is “fake news” then confirms that the story is true.
She also says that it was a “gift from their dear friend Umar”.
So, how “dear” is this friend who is a close associate of Putin?
Just how grateful are the Trump’s for this extravagant gift?
What will Umar be expecting in return for this extravagant “gift”?
Russian oligarchs are in the business of giving “gifts” for which they expect reciprocal favors.
I’ve just been reading about this wedding. Jared Kushner was a guest! The same Jared Kushner who’s been trying to mediate the Russian-Ukraine war. He attended Don Junior’s lavish Carrabean wedding that was paid for by one of Putin’s loyal oligarchs!
Your comment has nothing to do with the article.
As a resident of KleptoFornia, the state government is totally hostile to citizens, and gives a smirk and a nod to election corruption.
We are powerless to stop the plainly illegal featherbedding of illegal aliens, grift through public construction, denial of public works based on zip code, but the worst part is they are and will continue to walk free because the leaders never lose.
Estovir, there are no Amish in California. What a stupid puppet! It’s just another convoluted, first person account intended to deceive the few random readers who might happen along.
Federal Investigation Of Gavin Newsom Expands
According to a new report, the Justice Department has expanded its federal criminal investigation into California Gov. Gavin Newsom to include his international travel and personal expenses related to a nonprofit that funds his trips through private donations rather than taxpayer money.
By: Tyler Durden – Zerohedge ~ Sep 13, 2026
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/federal-investigation-gavin-newsom-expands
As another entry in the “those people are dangerous and crazy” cavalcade this column is fine. But, those of us who are on the right KNOW this. Yet, the independents who swing elections don’t see to. The DSA appeal has spread beyond the enclaves of NY and Cali, and now radicals like Talarico and el Sayed are leading in Texas and Michigan. Rather than (or at least in addition to) sounding the alarm, we need to try to understand how candidates with positions that would have been unthinkable a decade ago are appealing to voters who should know better, and come up with campaign strategies to counteract them. Clearly just shouting “commie” isn’t working.
This has been the real Gavin Newsom all along. Well shiver me timbers a far leftist running as a moderate who is now running as a far leftist. who would have thunk it?
We should keep in mind that Newsom is the quintessential example of a Democratic politician.
Instead of the Macarena the new dance the Democrats are doing is appropriately named the Turn on a dime and give you nine cents change shuffle. Dance class every day at ten AM. Don’t be late.
It is my understanding that if effective advertising can get consumers to consider the highly salted, overprocessed glop of Olive Garden to be their restaurant of choice (I checked their menu on line since I have never been to one) I am certain that they can sell a lying incompetent governor as a presidential candidate who will be embraced by the well-trained horde of dem voters.
“the highly salted, overprocessed glop of Olive Garden”
LOL! Yeah, I’ve outgrown them, too 😉
I was appalled at the content of the menu, but also enlightened as to the obesity, diabetes, heart disease epidemic across America. How can people eat this slop unless they have been conditioned to only recognize fried, salted, artificially flavored junk as good food. I would guarantee that most never really cook from scratch, but just open a bag of frozen stuff and eat that plain out of the bag with, perhaps, a dollop of ranch dressing straight out of a bottle and washed down with diet coke.
here’s to Diogenes, Whimsicalmama, and myself, not exactly 3 persons of the trinity
The Case of the Three People Who Were Secretly One Person
Once upon a time, on a little internet comment page, there lived three perfectly separate human beings.
There was Diogenes, a Muslim philosopher who enjoyed pointing out absurdities.
There was Whimsicalmama, the wife of a Jewish rav, who enjoyed pointing out absurdities with considerably more seasoning.
And there was Estovir, a devout Roman Catholic, who enjoyed pointing out absurdities while buttressing his comments with Church Patristics like St. Augustine of Hippo
Three people. Three lives. Three very different religious backgrounds.
Jonathan Turley’s blog is the residence of a sub-human Internet Troll (i.e. Gigi / Svelaz / X / Sally / Wally / Concerned Citizen / TDS Anonymous) who expounds upon everything with absolutely zero intellectual thought but that doesn’t stop him from pontificating with his make believe papal tiara adorned with make believe rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds.
“I have uncovered the truth!” cried the Troll.
“How?” asked Diogenes.
“Your writing styles are similar!”
Whimsicalmama raised an eyebrow. “So are the writing styles of people who use the same alphabet.”
“Exactly!” screamed the Troll. “More evidence!” while striking the ground with his 9″ stiletto heels
Estovir laughed. “This is going to be painful, isn’t it?”
The Troll then produced his most sophisticated piece of forensic technology: copy/pasta ad inifinitum
He pasted the same accusation approximately seventeen times. It sure beats his copying/pasting the Book of Revelations in Latin like he did months ago
“SEE?” he announced. “Nobody can refute this!”
“That isn’t evidence,” said Diogenes.
“It isn’t even an argument,” said Whimsicalmama.
“It appears to be an AI-generated paragraph while experiencing withdrawal from crystal meth,” said Estovir.
The Troll was furious.
“You’re all the SAME PERSON!”
At that precise moment, the three appeared simultaneously in three different places.
Diogenes was buying coffee.
Whimsicalmama was making dinner.
Estovir was somewhere else entirely, probably explaining to somebody why this was technically a matter of canon law.
The Troll remained unconvinced.
“I have an explanation for that!”
“What is it?” they asked.
The Troll paused.
“…AI.”
And so the investigation continued, producing 46 more paragraphs, 19 accusations, 11 variations of the same copy/pasta, and absolutely no evidence whatsoever. Not even copying/pasting Chaucer in Old English helped
Eventually Diogenes offered the Troll a piece of advice:
“Three people can disagree about politics, religion, food, and everything else—and still be three people.”
Whimsicalmama added, “And if you keep shouting that everyone is secretly the same person, eventually people may suspect you’re the one having trouble distinguishing individuals.”
Estovir nodded solemnly. “Let us pray.”
The Troll immediately posted another 900-word AI-generated rebuttal.
Nobody read it.
Fin
🙂
+1000
ESTOVIR, no one’s going to read your John Say-length jokey dismissal of the so-called troll exposing your deceptions.
Here ESTOVIR is Diogenes replying to Estovir as Whimsical Mama.
This exchange illustrates how these threads are being constantly manipulated to deceive the few random readers who might happen along.
Go to an OG. Try the breadsticks.
It wasn’t five minutes ago that Gov. Nuisance was blasting cancel culture and doing outreach to conservatives like Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk. It was obviously a tactic after Trump’s election success. Now he’s back to Maoism.
Professor Turley is onto something here. Newsom is truly an evolutionary fluke (I said, “fluke”, not “puke”). Snakes shed their skin, but Nuisance is the first snake in the grass that ever tried to crawl back into one.
Normally, this would suggest to me the guy is a loser, but this is the Democrat Party. They’re ALWAYS against something until they’re for it. Regardless of what they say, the consequence will be decadence and bankruptcy.
As for his claim that capitalism has failed: no, globalism has failed, and we all know who the globalists were and still are. We all know who gets Chinese dark money and can’t live without it now that DOGE has ended the embezzlement of taxpayer funds.
Vote for America and retire a Democrat.
Diogenes is ESTOVIR condemning Newsom for being a ‘snake that sheds its skin’.
In other words, it’s okay for Estovir to keep changing identities while attacking Newsome for changing identities.
Send your text messages to #Sand.
Nice 🥳
Gavin Newsom is a closet communist.
True dat.
It’s fascinating that Gavin Newsom believes that adopting lunatic positions will help his election chances and that no one will notice his incompetence with respect to managing California. This sudden waive of anti-capitalists proves a point I have had for years: specifically that the biggest problem we have as a country is how few people understand their own system of economics. I guess if enough people don’t understand economics and think Newsom has accomplished great things in California, he might have a chance. It’s difficult to comprehend we need to even discuss all this.