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Rankin didn’t mince words about the implications of Newsom’s comments. “You can’t go around and say that a segment of your state is intellectually inferior and think you’re going to represent Americans,” she explained.
Newsom’s campaign scrambled to explain the incident. Spokesperson Izzy Gardon claimed dyslexia played a role and dismissed the backlash as “MAGA-manufactured outrage.”
Rankin, however, saw through the spin. “Trying to blame this on dyslexia is completely separate from what he intended to say,” she said. “He truly believes that Black people, Black Americans, are intellectually inferior. That is where his comments were coming from.”
The Atlanta incident isn’t an isolated misstep. Just weeks ago, Newsom opposed the SAVE Act’s voter ID requirements by arguing that Black citizens face difficulties obtaining passports – echoing the same paternalistic assumptions Democrats have relied on for decades.
Rankin directly connected the dots. “What’s Jim Crow?” she asked. “Thinking that Black people are intellectually inferior. It’s the mindset of thinking that Black people are not smart – and that was the reason to hold Black people down.”
This type of pandering has long been a Democratic strategy. Hillary Clinton famously adopted a Southern drawl in 2007 to appear relatable to Black churchgoers. Democrats often assume winning over Black voters requires theatrics or lowering themselves, rather than addressing the issues voters actually care about: jobs, safety, and fair treatment. Focus groups across five battleground states repeatedly show frustration over identity-based pandering while economic concerns are ignored.
Newsom’s gaffe may already have political consequences. Black voters are a crucial Democratic primary constituency, and Newsom was trailing Vice President Kamala Harris among them before the Atlanta comment. Rankin warned bluntly: “This is gonna haunt him for the rest of his career and any potential career he thinks he’s going to have.”
The implications are clear. Any 2028 campaign ads targeting Black voters practically write themselves. Newsom just handed Harris a 40-million-view video to use in battleground states like South Carolina, showing voters a governor who seems to equate academic struggles with an entire community.
Meanwhile, 70 percent of Democratic voters support voter ID laws – legislation Newsom has consistently opposed and mocked in California. While the party’s base has shifted, its leaders remain stuck in outdated assumptions.
Sunday in Atlanta, Gavin Newsom didn’t just embarrass himself. He gave the nation a glimpse of what he thinks about the very voters he needs to elect him. For Newsom, the road to the White House just got much steeper.
