UNEXPECTEDLY: Gavin Newsom’s death-row betrayal.
As a gubernatorial candidate, Newsom solemnly pledged to abide by the voters’ death-penalty decisions, despite disagreeing with them. He promised to be “accountable to the will of the voters” and not let his “personal opinions” interfere with “the public’s right to make a determination” about capital punishment. His spokesman last year told the San Francisco Chronicle that Newsom “recognizes that California voters have spoken on the issue and [would] respect the will of the electorate.” In editorial-board meetings, Newsom agreed that “it would be an affront for a governor to say ‘Here’s what I’m going to do by fiat.'”
Why would Californians have ever trusted his word? Newsom has long enjoyed instituting his vision by fiat, something voters of the formerly Golden State evidently didn’t mind when they elected him.