Gavin Newsom is California's lieutenant governor. But I am beginning to wonder if social media identities are not what tells more these days. On Twitter, he just goes by Gavin As a Democrat in what is presently a very questionable field he is almost proving that to be a viable candidate on the national stage, you need to take on Trump.

Not only that, you need to be able to hold your own. With Trump, that means coming out ahead.

Trump has not to my knowledge struck back at Gavin. But he will. Because Gavin is swinging at him consistently. In May the LA TImes noted the linkage.

Polar opposites

The LA Times article is a good way of catching up on Gavin. The chase is for the governorship in 2018. The issues are textbook Trump killers -- at least that is what a good Democrat might hope. The 49-year old Newsom wants more rigorous gun control, less university debt creation, legal pot and no drilling for Trump's chosen idol -- oil -- offshore. Universal healthcare is also on the docket according to the LA TImes.

Twitter chops matter

But it is on Twitter that Gavin's battle may be won or lost. It is the verbal wrestling ring and Trump excels despite his nervous friends in the White House. When you can suck all the world's oxygen in with one tweet, you are not whistling Dixie.

It's a wonder one of the top five businesses in the world -- all social media companies -- do not buy the struggling little bird. Who knows? Maybe Trump will. The Right Wing seems set to buy all manner of media, including those they allegedly hate.

A few examples

Here is the July 1 tweet Gavin is responding to, vintage Trump, replete with grandiose flourishes. "Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL.

What are they trying to hide?" Thus spake Trump.

Challenging Trump violence

If you click the link you will be led to the extreme behavior Gavin is flagging.

In defense of Trump

So deep is the present division that Trump's tweets do often represent our only window on matters that we should be considering. Trump noted recently that there has been almost no public discussion of the remarkable rise in the stock market. There are other indications that he has a point when he must rely on FOX as the only remotely qualified channel for news that just might be accurate.

Gavin is stacking up as one of a handful of Democrats who might remotely challenge the GOP. That challenge should begin sooner than later. Democrats need new blood. Badly or bigly, as you prefer.