The quarterback drops back to pass, spots a receiver and cocks his arm to throw, but the football slips out of his hand, a lineman from the other team snatches up the loose ball and runs for a touchdown. Itâs called an âunforced errorâ and in sports, itâs the worst kind of mistake, one that could mean the difference between winning and losing. Whatâs true in sports is also true in politics and Gov. Gavin Newsom should confess, at least to himself, that he faces a recall election that could tank his political career largely due to his unforced errors.