Some recent polling in the California gubernatorial recall race still shows Gavin Newsom beating the recall by a slender margin, but the numbers have been shifting in the wrong direction for him for several weeks now. He’s only up by 8 points in Los Angeles, which he previously won in a landslide. You can tell Newsom is getting even more nervous because his people have called in some favors and gotten some of the biggest guns in the Democratic Party to come out in support of him remaining in office.

First up on the list is none other than the President of the United States himself. Uncle Joe Biden was somehow enlisted to make a statement in support of Gavin Newsom yesterday. And you just know that Biden’s endorsement of any governor is critical and well reasoned. After all, Biden is the guy who said earlier this week that Andrew Cuomo had done “a hell of a job.” (NY Post)

“Governor Newsom is leading California through unprecedented crises. He is a key partner in fighting the pandemic and delivering economic relief to working families and helping us build our economy back better than ever. He’s taking on the climate crisis and standing up for the rights of women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community,” President Biden said in the statement.

“He knows how to get the job done because he’s been doing it. And to keep him on the job, registered California voters should vote no on the recall election by September 14 and keep California moving forward”

It’s not clear how Newsom is “building our economy back better than ever” when California is continuing to cycle through reopenings and new restrictions while witnessing a huge surge in gang violence. But let’s not get bogged down in the details, shall we?

The other big name to be trotted out in Newsom’s defense was Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She announced that she is activating her extensive statewide campaign structure on Newsom’s behalf, pushing to get out the vote against the recall. Pelosi was also careful to say that she “respects” the process and the right of the people to decide but plans to defeat the effort anyway. (Fox News)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday said she’s activated her political operation to help California Gov. Gavin Newsom stay in office and expressed confidence the recall effort against him will fail.

Pelosi, D-Calif., said she’s working at the grassroots level to turn out the vote in California ahead of the Sept. 14 election.

“We respect it,” Pelosi said Thursday of the recall effort against the Democratic governor. “But we do not like it, and we will defeat it.”

Weirdly enough, Pelosi also said on the same day that the recall effort is “not good for children and other living things.” Make of that what you will.

In order for this recall effort to work, Newsom would need to lose the “yes or no” vote on whether or not he should be recalled. If he fails to defeat the effort, the second question on the ballot will decide who will replace him as governor. The crowded field of contenders is currently led in the most recent polling by conservative Salem radio host Larry Elder with 16%. He’s holding a ten-point lead over Caitlyn Jenner, businessman John Cox, and former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer.

While miracles do happen on occasion, I’m still getting the sense that Newsom is somehow going to slip the noose yet again and cling to his office. California hasn’t shown any signs of a surge in common sense or self-preservation instincts that I’ve been able to detect, and the state’s residents will likely stick to what they know, despite the disastrous results they’ve been living with for years.