In 2018, Gavin Newsom was swept into power as governor of California, beating his Republican rival by nearly 24 points and becoming the first Democrat in over 130 years to succeed another Democrat for the office. Barely three years later, he was pulling out all the stops to survive a recall election, throwing more money at the race than he did to get elected the first time, and enlisting heavy hitters like Barack Obama and President Joe Biden to get him over the top.

What happened?

Newsom’s is more than a story of a nonsensical set of rules for recalling a governor, though there’s no doubt the GOP’s attempt to muscle into power in the blue-dominated state couldn’t have happened without those. It’s also the story of hubris, imprudence, unforced errors, and, as is so often the case with the Democratic Party, liberal betrayal.