Gavin Newsom Cancels Public Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Rather Than Face Protesters
The Democratic Party has created small armies of woke narcissists. In that sense, the party’s leaders have molded their followers in their own image. Now, however, some of those leaders stand poised to pay the price.
On Tuesday, KCRA-TV reported that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California had opted against holding an in-person Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Sacramento as originally scheduled for that evening.
In short, Newsom bowed to pro-Palestinian protesters, a group that in recent weeks has repeatedly demonstrated its collective narcissism.
“As we continue to see protests across the country impacting the safety of events of all scales — and for the safety and security of all participating members and guests including children and families — the ceremony this year will be virtual,” a spokesperson for the governor said Tuesday. “Viewers can tune in Wednesday evening to watch this year’s festivities.”
In one sense, the relocation of this particular ceremony to an online-only setting is no great loss. After all, Newsom had already bowed to the woke mob.
According to KCRA, the evening will feature “a blessing from the chairman of the Wilton Rancheria tribe, a performance from the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir,” and a tree lighting by the governor and “first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom” along with “special guest Harley Goodpasture, a 5-year-old who will become the first Native American child to assist with the ceremony.”
Interfaith choirs, “first partners” and participants chosen because of their race — everything a Christmas tree lighting needs for those who wish to display their perceived moral superiority.
Newsom, of course, would have loved to showcase his woke piety outdoors as scheduled. Alas, pro-Palestinian protesters foiled his plans.
In fact — in an odd way — Yassar Dahbour of the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights exposed Newsom as a hypocrite.
“Governor Newsom decided to cancel the tree lighting ceremony rather than face the public that is enraged by his shameful silence on the genocide in Gaza. This certainly doesn’t add up with his past stance with Native Americans,” Dahbour said.
Thus, we see the woke chickens coming home to roost. Newsom, the protester implied, cares about natives only for appearance’s sake. Dahbour got that much correct.
Indeed, most of what Newsom says and does reflects his concern for optics. After all, despite his obvious failures as governor of a collapsing state, his name consistently comes up as a potential replacement for President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee.
And it makes no sense. Newsom’s governorship has proved so catastrophic that he now amounts to a punchline.
For instance, thanks to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, we now have the Gavin Newsom “poop map,” a memorable reminder that the California governor cleaned up San Francisco for the arrival of a communist dictator but not for the U.S. citizens who actually live in that once-great city.
Still, despite his failures, Newsom might have presidential aspirations. And for that reason, he undoubtedly wants to avoid another public embarrassment of the kind that pro-Palestinian protesters would provide.
The cancellation of the public Christmas tree lighting ceremony, however, has other implications.
It reminds us of a question Canadian psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson has asked: “When does the left go too far?”
Last month, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a Christmas tree lighting in Seattle. A similar and more violent scene erupted five days later at New York City’s Rockefeller Center.
I think we can safely conclude that disrupting a Christmas tree lighting ceremony constitutes going “too far.” Considering the occasion and the fact that children often attend such ceremonies, that disruption requires a special kind of narcissism.
How ironic, therefore, that a narcissist governor must hide from the many little narcissists his party has unleashed.
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