During a speech in January, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that "In our finest hours, California has always been freedom's force multiplier, protecting liberty from a rising tide of oppression taking root in statehouses, weaknesses masquerading as strength, small men in big offices."
The talk sounded statesmanlike, but statesmanship is not about spouting words in a manner reminiscent of John F. Kennedy Jr. As a piece in the Art of Manliness summarized, a true statesman "does not make his countrymen's hearts soar and burn with empty promises; he keeps his word and does what he says he will do." He or she builds consensus by convincing the public of "the soundness of his philosophy."
