"I think he's playing the long game here," California Republican strategist Matt Klink told The Hill. "He realizes that he's got a lot of runway between now and the 2028 election."
Klink said Newsom's "positioning himself more as a moderate Democrat who is at least willing to listen to the thought leaders that are shaping the Republican narrative" might be "a start" to wiping away years of bad press.
Newsom admitted he wants to "change the conversation" by "talking directly with people I disagree with, people I look up to, and you — the listeners."
"He wants to be a middle-of-the-road Democrat," Klink said. "He tries to position himself more of a Bill Clinton-esque Democrat that can touch close enough to center, so that he can touch a little bit to the right and still move as far left as he needs to win a Democratic primary. He’s trying to try to navigate precarious waters."