Steve Hilton: Chad Bianco needs to go now before Newsom deploys nuclear option for Dems
Gavin Newsom finally said the quiet part out loud.Last week, Newsom admitted he has a secret “break the glass” plan to stop Republicans from advancing in the governor’s race.That comment revealed how the California Democrat elite views this election.They are worried.
Not about whether a Democrat will make the top two.No, they’re worried that Republicans will finally unite behind a candidate who can compete statewide and threaten the corrupt machine that has run California into the ground.And for Newsom, it’s even more personal.
As we’ve seen for years, his only interest is running for president.Losing California to a Republican would be a massive setback for his 2028 primary campaign.But even a Republican candidate qualifying for the top two would be a nightmare for Newsom, because it would mean a high-profile debate about his disastrous record.
That’s the last thing he wants.Far better for Newsom’s presidential ambitions to have two Democrats out-bidding each other on the left. So Newsom’s “break the glass” strategy is not what many Republicans have assumed.
It’s not a scheme to stop a Republican sweep of the top two spots.That idea was always a fantasy.The governor’s real strategy is much simpler: Encourage Republican voters to imagine that both GOP candidates will make the general election, leading them to split their support between two candidates, dividing the opposition vote and clearing the way for a November runoff between Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer.I hear Republicans repeating the Newsom narrative everywhere: “Maybe Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco can both make the top two.” But for months, the numbers haven’t been there for that theory.The current RealClearPolitics polling average shows me at 20%, Xavier Becerra at 19.8%, Tom Steyer at 14%, and Chad Bianco at 13%.
After months in the race, the field has started to solidify.The polling consistently shows our campaign in first place statewide, while Chad Bianco remains ...