Kelly Grimes in the California Globe writes:

Newsom “missed scores of meetings held by the University of California Board of Regents, the California State University Board of Trustees and the California State Lands Commission, according to a Times review of attendance records.”

“He attended 54% of UC Regents meeting days, 34% for Cal State and 57% for state lands, according to the Times review. The Times included in the tally days when Newsom was present for only part of the day, and excluded days when Newsom had no committee meetings or other official business to attend.”

Duran said: “Newsom probably would have used his DNC platform to regurgitate platitudes about California’s virtues. Against a backdrop of wildfires, rolling electricity blackouts and his disastrous coronavirus response, however, it would have been hard to make a good impression. That’s probably why Newsom canceled his speech at the last minute, according to multiple news reports.”

He noted Kamala Harris’ ascendancy on the national stage as Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate, which eclipsed Newsom’s presidential hopes. Harris and Newsom both hail from the San Francisco Bay Area and served the city – Newsom as Mayor and Harris as District Attorney.

Duran credits Newsom’s “decisive action in the early days of the pandemic” which helped smash the infection curve. “For one bright moment, it seemed like Newsom might show America how to whip a deadly pandemic with strong, clear-eyed leadership. Even I — a longtime Newsom skeptic — was impressed, writing that he had now become ‘California’s president.’”

“Gavin Newsom met the moment. Then, he crumbled.”