Newsome would do considerably worse than Biden vs Trump. It would be incredibly easy to paint him (accurately) as an oily, hair slicked back, lying, weasely, radical Commiefornia leftist. Newsome does not sell outside of the Left Coast. Sure Democrat strongholds like Chicago and the Acela Corridor would vote for him because they would vote for any Democrat. But he’d lose Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, the South, and the non Left Coast West. He’d get trounced.
If they drag this out, and bring in Newsom late, he will get positive reception, as a rescue for the dems. Flashy, young new guy. Able to speak, the opposite of Joe.
And then no time to drill down and expose him.
Kind of like the unknown Barry O.
But conservative CA knows all about him. Blue CA knows a lot, too, but may still vote for him to get him out of CA.