Governor Gavin Newsom and other Democrats seem to think the coronavirus pandemic could bring about a significant shift in Democratic politics, both on the national and state level.
In his daily press update on Wednesday, Newsom was asked by a reporter for Bloomberg News if he saw 'the potential, for a new progressive era in national politics and policy?' According to the California Globe, Newsom gave a long, drawn out (in other words, boring) response that ended with:
"There is opportunity for reimagining a more progressive era as it relates to capitalism. So yes, absolutely we see this as an opportunity to reshape the way we do business and how we govern."
Newsom isn't the first one to say that the pandemic could really change Democratic politics as we know it. Presidential candidate Joe Biden told PBS NewsHour last month:
"We're gonna have an opportunity, I believe in the next round of congressional economic aid here, to use the - my green economy - my Green deal to be able to generate both economic ground and consistent with the kind of infusion of money as we need into the system to keep it going."
And according to the Washington Examiner, House Majority White James Clyburn recently told Democrats on a conference call that the coronavirus relief package was a 'tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.' But, when that quote was published, Clyburn's office insisted that the comments were 'taken out of context.'