(VitalNews.org) – The California Governor with the signature slicked-back hair is getting a lot of attention on social media this week after a video of his appearance at a Florida college went viral.
Gavin Newsom visited Florida’s New College the first week of April to throw his support behind the college’s leftist approach as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tries to change the political bent at the institution. DeSantis recently appointed a slate of conservative board members to oversee the college.
DeSantis wants to root out what he sees as “woke” academic orthodoxy. This includes a heavy left-progressive tilt among the professors and the curriculum. The governor is concerned with “critical race theory” practices. This leftist academic approach believes racism structures nearly every interaction.
Newsom, a far-left liberal, seemed to be trying to position himself as a savior or hero to beleaguered New College students. During a talk at one of the school’s libraries, he told the gathered students, “I’m crawling out of my skin for you guys.”
Another video from that day depicted a sing-along with faculty and students. Older adults sang the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Newsom could be seen clapping along alone in a chair, slightly off the beat, with a blank expression.
Reaction from political observers and social media denizens seemed to coalesce around one opinion: Newsom’s behavior was deemed “cringe.”
Christopher Rufo, a conservative investigative writer and activist from the Manhattan Institute who has worked closely with DeSantis, criticized Newsom’s manner and affect, saying he was behaving like “a kindergartener.”
At the end, Rufo threw in a sting, saying Newsom was giving off “serious Patrick Bateman vibes.” Patrick Bateman was a psychopathic character in Bret Easton Ellis’ novel American Psycho. The book was turned into a movie with Christian Bale playing the character.
Many people have said Newsom reminds them of Bateman in appearance and mannerisms. Sometimes called “Governor Goodhair,” Newsom wears the same slicked-back style as the character.
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