Democrats Keep Playing Defense, While Gavin Newsom Shows How to Play Offense

by Rohith Chari, Special to South Asian Herald August 25, 2025

By Rohith Chari, Special to South Asian Herald August 25, 2025 0 comments 3 minutes read

PHOTO: gov.ca.gov

As the Democratic Party begins to look beyond 2024 and toward the next generation of leadership, one name should be front and center: Gavin Newsom.

In a party that too often struggles to communicate with clarity, consistency, and confidence, Newsom stands apart. He pairs sharp, disciplined messaging with a presence that wins both the optics battle and the policy fight. While many Democrats hesitate, calibrate, or wait for the “right moment,” Newsom shows up, ready to claim the narrative before the other side can define it. In an era where politics is as much about perception as policy, that combination makes him the most effective communicator in the Democratic Party today.

I write this as a Southern Democrat, raised in North Carolina, educated in business and policy, and shaped by experience in both political and private-sector roles. Living outside Washington has made it easier to see how our politics land with people who aren’t steeped in every headline.

In conversations with friends, colleagues, and neighbors across the political spectrum, I’ve seen how narratives take hold and how often we, as Democrats, allow the other side to set them. We go on defense, chasing Republican talking points instead of defining our own. We search for a middle ground where none exists. We hedge when clarity is needed most.

Newsom does the opposite.

Whether it was stepping into a nationally televised debate with Ron DeSantis on Fox News – purely for the sport of dismantling DeSantis and his talking points – or showing up at LAX during California’s wildfires to confront Donald Trump, Newsom moves toward the fight. Most Democrats would have avoided a Fox News debate with a Republican presidential candidate, but Newsom dove in anyway. And during the wildfires, when the Trump administration had deliberately kept him out: hoping to control the optics and cast Trump as the one standing with Californians in crisis – he showed up, waited on the tarmac, and literally towered over Trump, refusing to give him the image win he came for.

Recently, Newsom’s press office has taken to social media with Trump-style all-caps messaging and cheeky memes that have gone viral – mocking Trump’s “tiny hands,” declaring “PERFECT MAPS” that will “end his presidency,” and even signing off as “GCN” (a riff on “DJT”). Where many Democrats default to playing defense – responding cautiously or only after Republicans set the terms – Newsom plays offense. He takes the fight directly to Trump and the GOP on their own turf, twisting their playbook back on itself and proving that Democrats can define the conversation rather than chase it.

He’s also been unafraid to challenge Republican narratives about California itself, defending the state’s record as the world’s fourth-largest economy and a leader in innovation. And he’s shown up in places Democrats too often ignore – from Mississippi to Hannity’s studio – making the case for our values on their turf.

In the years ahead, Democrats will need more than good policy – they will need a messenger who seizes moments, commands attention, and refuses to let Republicans dictate the story. Newsom has shown, time and again, that he understands both the fight and the theater of politics. He doesn’t wait for permission, shrink from confrontation, or play defense when offense is required.

Democrats have a choice in 2028: keep hedging and responding, or choose someone who knows how to fight, how to lead, and how to win. Gavin Newsom is the candidate Democrats need – and I’m ready to do everything I can to help him get there.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.