The Biggest Lies Used By Gavin Newsom In His Debate With Ron DeSantis
Gavin Newsom is what one might call a rhetoric peddler more than a debater. He has a talent for twisting cherry-picked statistics and offering them out of context to defend false claims, and anyone seeking to enter a discourse with him will be forced to keep a long list of data points on file in their brain in order to counter the lies. The most difficult people to argue with are those that aggressively exaggerate or slant the truth every time they open their mouths. They are not bound by the same rules as someone trying to argue logically; they have an edge, until they are exposed for what they really are.
The political left's spin machine is out in force on social media suggesting that Newsom “wiped the floor” with Ron DeSantis during their recent and much hyped Fox News debate. This is not really the case, though a same small set of clips will probably circulate for the next couple weeks showcasing Newsom's habit of throwing out soundbites and stats without evidence. And, unfortunately in this day and age two minute video clips are what most people consume for their news.
Some might say that neither DeSantis or Newsom are relevant because neither of them will be presidential candidates in 2024 (Newsom even made this assertion at the beginning of the debate). Don't be so sure. Joe Biden is increasingly losing his faculties and there is always the chance that he will step aside in 2024; as his public approval ratings plummet it may even be in the best interests of the DNC to push for a different candidate. Gavin Newsom, suspiciously, has been acting as if he is auditioning for a chance at a presidential or vice presidential run.
It's a good idea to keep an eye on him. He is, at the very least, a good litmus test for the kinds or propaganda the political left will rely on in the coming months. And speaking of propaganda, here are the top most dishonest claims made by Newsom during his debate with Ron DeSantis.
Newsom Claim #1: “The last two years, more Floridians went to California than Californians going to Florida.”
This is a strategy designed to deflect criticism of California's oppressive policies against businesses as well as their recent draconian covid policies. The claim is utterly false. In 2021, 24,000 Floridians moved to California – while 37,000 Californians moved to Florida. In 2022, 29,000 Floridians moved to California while 51,000 Californians moved to Florida. Furthermore, California had an overall population loss of 800,000 people in only three years. Florida gained a massive 600,000 people in that same time period.
Keep in mind that thousands of small business owners and a number of major corporations have also left CA. Newsom has consistently and blatantly lied about his state's population exodus for a reason – It's embarrassing.
Newsom Claim #2: “Florida has more gun violence than California...”
This is based on per-capita data, a common method Newsom uses to obscure the massive crime in his own state. Multiple cities across the US are not reporting complete crime data to the federal government as they wait for the FBI to finish updating their statistical collection system by 2025. This means we can only compare data from 2021 or before.
That said, in 2021, CDC info shows that California had 3576 gun related deaths in 2021, while Florida had 3142 (many of the deaths are suicides or accidental). California had 2361 homicides that same year, while Florida had only 1462. And what about mass shootings? California is #3 on the list of states with the most mass shootings in 2023, with around 60% more incidents than Florida.
Per capita adjustments do not make California a safer state, and neither do stringent gun control laws, as the facts show.
Newsome Claim #3: “The working class pays lower taxes in California than Florida...”
False, and also a deflection to avoid the issue of cost of living. Florida is among the top ten states with the lowest income tax burden. California has the third-highest cost of living in the country, along with a higher tax burden. Surveys show that the average annual income needed to live comfortably in California is $80,000. In Florida, it is 57,000.
Newsom Claim #4: “Inflation down to 3.2%. Wages are up to 4.4%. The economy is booming. 5.2%. GDP growth in the last quarter...”
Another use of cherry-picked data to paint a false picture of the economy. CPI is not an indicator of overall inflation, it is merely a window in time showing where inflation growth is at for the month. Since Joe Biden entered the White House prices on the majority of goods and services have risen by 25%-30% on average. A falling CPI does not change this in the slightest. Americans will likely be paying 30% more for the cost of living for many years to come.
Over 60% of US workers say that their wages are lagging well behind inflation, even those that received a pay increase this year. Biden is overseeing the worst stagflationary crisis in America in over 40 years.
GDP growth numbers include government spending in their calculations, meaning they are fraudulent. States like California and the federal government learned a long time ago that they can boost their GDP stats by borrowing and spending more each year. These numbers do not represent the true health of the US economy in any way. Which is why California is able to brag about having the highest GDP in the country yet it also has one of the worst homeless epidemics in the country.
Newsom Claim #5: “14 million jobs created under Joe Biden, that’s 10 times more than the previous 3 GOP presidents combined...”
False, and this lie is getting old. The vast majority of the jobs cited by Newsom were not created by Biden, they were jobs lost during the covid lockdowns which Biden and Newsom aggressively pushed and tried to prolong for years. When the Democrats were forced to end the lockdowns, many of these jobs returned.
Also, the surge in consumer buying created by over $8 trillion+ in covid money dumped into the economy created a short term employment frenzy, which is now starting to fade. The stimulus bought Biden a few years, but will it last until the end of 2024?
Newsom Claim #6: “1406 books banned by Florida so far...”
Incorrect. No books have been “banned” by DeSantis and the State of Florida. Some books have been removed from public schools, either for pornographic content or for propaganda content with no educational value. The real question is, why does Newsom defend the exposure of young children to the pornography in these books, which are often easily found in California schools? If it's related to LGBT issues does that make it okay in his mind?
Newsom's strength is his ability to lie with a smile on his face, and this says a lot about him as well as the people who support him. America is suffocating under the weight of spin doctors, we don't need yet another.
