The
global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has established a
unique platform for elected officials in the United Stated to demonstrate solid
leadership and take appropriate actions under fire. Because mitigations to this
crisis are being handled on a state-by-state basis, governors are in a
particular position to show their governing mettle. As the leader of the
world’s fifth-largest economy, California Governor Gavin Newsom is in an even
more advantageous position than most to prove his leadership capabilities.
Newsom often prefaces his announcements by calling himself the leader of a
“nation-state” setting himself up as a world leader, proving out long-suspected
presidential aspirations. Because of the population and economic power of
California, Newsom has positioned California as of equal importance to the
United States as another country would be. He has further secured this position
by being the first to introduce state coalitions during the pandemic, joining
with Washington and Oregon to form a unified front on the entire West Coast for
handling the crisis. Not only that, Newsom has also positioned himself as a
peer to Trump by taking very progressive steps to protect California during the
pandemic on his own authority. By being the first Governor to invoke a
statewide mandatory stay at home order, Newsom set a national precedent for how
the COVID-19 crisis should be handled. He continued to demonstrate his national
leadership as he offered to share the not-yet-needed surplus of personal
protective equipment (PPE) and respirators in California when it became
apparent that the national government did not step up to aid states struggling
to acquire these supplies for themselves.
Newsom
has been successful in instituting California policies by avoiding
controversies with President Trump and by, “…treating President Trump as a
business partner, not the enemy.” (Garofoli, 2020) Despite historically being
very vocal about California’s division from Trump policies and politics, Newsom
has now switched roles as he carefully maintains the peace. Newsom has avoided
controversy with the President by continually praising Trump’s actions,
securing the President’s good favor and allowing himself the liberty to take
action without inspiring retaliation. His placation of the President would seem
to show that he embodies Weber’s ideal presidential candidate, “one who exemplifies
the ethic of responsibility, one who is not a saint only interested in absolute
ends, but rather able to make a certain grudging peace with the violent means
of state and compromise for the sake of earthly consequences.” (Wagner-Pacificiand Tavory, 2017) Newsom has demonstrated other characteristics of
Weber’s perfect politician including his legal-rational authority, which he
establishes through not only his position and the power of the state that he
governs, but also through his complete knowledge of the facts about the crisis.
On numerous occasions we have seen Newsom rattle off facts from memory down to
the exact number of respirators available in California. This evocation of
legal-rational authority through, “a knowledge of the details [,] builds trust
during his time of chaos and misinformation.” (Garofoli, 2020) Newsom has also
demonstrated his charismatic charm by appealing to California families by
regaling the public with personal stories about how his family, in particular
his children, are adjusting during these unprecedented times.
Newsom’s
actions have shown that he is capable of remaining level headed during a crisis
and also of setting aside differences for the good of the people in times of
strife. He has seemingly embodied Weber’s perfect politician, one that “…would
seem to embody both the legal-rational strengths of bureaucratic authority and
visionary qualities of the charismatic authority.” (Wagner-Pacifici and Tavory, 2017) All of Newsom’s actions seem to have placed him in an ideal
position for a future presidential run.
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