California Governor Gavin Newsom speaking to Chester County Democrats at The Desmond on Saturday, July 6
A capacity crowd of enthusiastic Chester County Democrats enjoyed dinner and speeches from state political leaders and special guest California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday night at the Desmond Hotel in Malvern.
A key theme from the evening was the progress the party has made in Chester County while at the same time recognizing the work ahead to elect Joe Biden, Bob Casey, Chrissy Houlahan, and the Democratic slate to Washington and Harrisburg. As Chester County Democratic Committee (CCDC) chairwoman Charlotte Valyo said, “Governor Newsom’s visit to Chester County is in recognition of the work the Democrats of Chester County have done not just to elect Democrats within the County but to provide votes that elect our statewide and federal candidates.”
State Senator Sharif Street, the state Democratic Party chair, began the evening program by explaining the realities of a Biden versus Trump second term: “President Biden delivered for us with the CHIPS Act helping to bring jobs; he’s delivered the infrastructure bill. And, you know, we as state legislators from both parties love to show up with the big cardboard checks. We don’t have those resources [at the state level]. If it isn’t for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and their economy, we don’t have those resources to fix up our streams, for example. All those infrastructure investments were made possible by them.
The Trump administration would take that away. But most importantly, in addition to all their failures, Trump would continue to socialize division. He would continue to walk away from accountability. He is a man who has lied thousands of times and spent his time in the last debate telling lie after lie.”
State Representative and Auditor General candidate Malcolm Kenyatta used a news story to make points about the November election, speaking about a student at his North Philadelphia high school alma mater who had been shot and killed during a pickup football game. While touring the school, the principal pointed out a “Dream Board” she had put on the lunchroom wall. He said, “And kids were writing on it. What you would expect. ‘I want to be a nurse. I want to start a small business. I want to go to this college of my dreams.’ But one young person wrote something that stops you in your tracks. This anonymous student wrote ‘I want to live to 30.’
Kenyatta then used that story to point out the uncertainty that people all over the state have – will gun violence be addressed, will they have a family-sustaining job, will there be the mental health support needed for these challenging times? And even young people are asking about Social Security and Medicare – will those things be there for them? “And so, we all understand that student; we don’t know them, but we all know what’s at stake at this moment.”
Governor Gavin Newsom offered his perspective on the presidential race, comparing the progress of the last three years under President Biden to the regressive policies and darker times that Donald Trump would bring to the White House:
“Can I say that my life has been defined, our lives have been defined, by progress. Forces of regression versus those forces of transformation that define so much of our politics today. The moment we are in, it’s no longer the rights revolution, it’s the rights regression; you’re seeing it on civil rights, on LGBTQ rights. You’re seeing it on women’s rights, not just access to abortion, but access to contraceptive care.
You’re seeing it on voting rights across the spectrum. You see governors all across America rewriting history, censoring historical facts, banning not just abortion, but banning speech in the classrooms, in the boardrooms, as well as banning travel [for healthcare]. Ask the young women up in Idaho, folks in Tennessee. And in Mississippi you can’t even travel outside the state to get reproductive care. That’s the moment we are living in – 4,240 books last year were banned. 4,240. Surprisingly, primarily on the African American community and the LGBTQ community.
So this election, it’s daylight with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, or darkness. It’s right and wrong. Liberalism versus illiberalism. The stakes are clear. They’re foundational.”
Newsom followed with facts about the progress made under Democrats after mentioning that he sits at the same desk as Ronald Reagan did:
“And about those days, Ronald Reagan, 1989. It’s interesting that since the end of the Cold War in 1989, there have been 51 million jobs created in the United States of America. I just thought it’d be interesting to take a look at the tally how Democrats have done in those years, how Republicans have done in those years. You had a few Bushes, you had Trump; you had Obama and Clinton, and you have Biden’s – about equal in terms of weight and time, so let’s just look at it.
“Take a look at the evidence because we’re having a debate about jobs in the economy, even though the nation’s economy is booming. Inflation is now cooling. The GDP is three times what it was under the Trump administration, but somehow, we’re losing the economic argument, so I thought it’d be interesting to look back. Maybe we always do badly, and maybe this is an anomaly so people aren’t used to it, except it turns out that’s not the case. Since 1989, 51 million jobs were created in the United States of America. Take a guess how many were created under Democratic administrations. 49 million of the 51 million were created under Democrats. Wow.
“I told folks in Bucks County [today] it’s time to buck up. Time to be a little louder, a little more proud of the record of accomplishments.
“Yeah. People do better under Democratic administrations, period. Full stop. People are doing better under the Biden / Harris administration. It’s not just the 15.7 million jobs. It’s not just the remarkable job they’ve done at taming inflation, which was flat last month, down 2/3, as you know, from the 9.1% peak. But the economic plan and strategy are working.
“Of this election, we’ve never, ever in our lifetime had a better record to run on than the record we have today, so it’s a long way of saying this. I couldn’t be more proud to be a Democrat. I couldn’t be more proud to be here with all of you on the fight of the moment for this nation.”
Commenting on the speeches, Valyo stated: “Governor Newsom’s messages were positive and forward looking, a stark contrast to the vision expressed by the opposite party. Representative and State Auditor General candidate Malcolm Kenyatta and State Senator Sharif Street gave speeches that were personal and motivating. This was a great night.”
