OC Register Endorses Larry Elder over Gavin Newsom in California Recall

In this July 13, 2021 file photo radio talk show host Larry Elder speaks to supporters dur
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File

The Orange County Register, a major newspaper in Southern California, has endorsed conservative talk radio host Larry Elder in the Sep. 14 recall against Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In an editorial Sunday, the Register said:

As one of the state’s few right-of-center editorial pages, readers — and the state’s political leaders — no doubt expected us to come to our conclusion that voters should recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. Perhaps that explains why Newsom, whose policies we’ve often criticized, would not meet with our editorial board, despite our numerous attempts to arrange a meeting.

Pick an issue and the state’s failures are obvious. As the governor focuses on progressive visions, the state struggles with uncontrolled wildfires, water rationing, a homelessness crisis, a spike in homicides, housing unaffordability, nationally high poverty rates and failing schools. Unlike his predecessor, Newsom has reacted like a deer in the headlights in the face of these challenges.

Choosing a replacement is a tougher decision. Unlike in the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis, this year’s recall doesn’t have an Arnold Schwarzenegger on the ballot — someone with celebrity status and a wide nonpartisan appeal. But we’ve met with the leading candidates and believe that radio talk-show host Larry Elder is the best choice for the office.

Elder does not come from a traditional political background, but like Schwarzenegger and former Gov. Ronald Reagan he understands the core challenges that California faces and has a knack for explaining issues in a way that can resonate with the general public.

The Los Angeles Times took a very different view, declaring in a recent editorial that recalling Newsom would be a “disaster.”

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

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