The wonder is how someone who has reached such high elected office could be so clueless about the political game’s fundamentals.

Gavin Newsom — twice-elected San Francisco mayor, twice-elected lieutenant governor, and twice-elected governor, plus winner of a 2011 recall election — hasn’t the foggiest idea about basic political strategy. His $30 million net worth helped, as did his far-left agenda and well-placed connections, including those to the Pelosi family.

But Newsom, consumed by Trump Derangement Syndrome, remains oblivious to national politics’ first rule: tack to the middle. Reaching the middle ground may be less important in this era of progressive extremism, but nevertheless, the center remains a good launching pad for presidential campaigns.

At his recent speech at Los Angeles’ Japanese American Museum, Newsom — surrounded by radicals including Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla — opened with a paean to diversity, declaring Los Angeles the world’s “most diverse city, in the most diverse country, in the most diverse state.”

His speech may have resonated a decade ago, but the governor appears unaware that California and the nation have moved rightward in recent elections.

Newsom’s more serious misjudgment is that he missed an opportunity to reach independents and undecided voters. Instead, they came away........

© Santa Clarita Valley Signal