Eight Leading Candidates Go Head-to-Head in Second California Governor's Debate

The second California governor's debate was held yesterday, adding two new candidates to the mix. Veronica Carter and Bret Burkhart spoke with a political science professor at Sonoma State University, David McCuan, to hear his thoughts.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I bet our weather is better here than it is where.
Our next guest is just to brag a little bit
to get into it. It's David McEwan and David joins
us on the Coco News Lifeline because two Republicans and
five Democrats who are running for governor of California went
headed ahead in the debate over public safety, housing, you
name it. It was the second gubernatorial debate, which included

(00:22):
two candidates who didn't appear at the first debate.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
And thank you very much, professor for joining us on
San Diego's Morning News. So give us your assessment of
you know, the If you had to describe it in
one word, what would you say about last night's debate.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
I mean it was it was fine. I don't know
that there's any breakthrough, breakout moments. The key element I
hear Veronica said about one in four voters are undecided.
Ballot squad next week, absent squad next week. With that process,
it means the two debates that are held next week
are going to be huge. And as we turn to
kind of issue choose around the state, we look at

(01:01):
where the voters are at Southern California, for example, candidates
like Antonio Virigoso, the former LA mayor or the Superintendent
of Public Instruction Tony Thurmant are going to have a
lot of pressure on their campaigns to get out. The
race does seem to be settling into a place where
you have Steve Hilton at the top with Tom Steyer,
who's spent more money than God, and you have obviously

(01:24):
Javier Vassara, who's had a lot of momentum, with Swallowell
leaving that dynamic of those top three leave the others
that are kind of in the middle, Katie Porter, Chad
Bianco and perhaps Matt Maheen kind of looking for a
way forward as Democrats try to get to their magic
number fifteen and Hilton continues to leave the race.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
It's so interesting to follow. And as you know, David,
campaigns in California doesn't matter how much money you spend
a lot of times it doesn't work. And how much
of these debates though, are aimed at attracting campaign dollars
in addition into attracting voters, especially at this point in
the game.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, I think that's a good good point here. I mean, look,
you need to keep your campaign on more than life support.
So if you're grabbing some momentum like how Erbasa is.
His campaign was running lights swallowell leaves. They grab some momentum,
get some key endorsements, and therefore the money will come.
It's not that they have to spend dollar for dollar
with someone like Tom Steyer, and in general, zillionaire candidates

(02:23):
in California haven't done as well. There's been some rejection
with that as well. But when you look at someone
like Styer, he's going to spend what it takes. And
then how Airbasara is going to continue to roll out
some endorsements that can try to put him over the top.
Those two are battling to get to that fifteen number,
right around that number, and Steve Hilton, you want to
elevate and keep yourself above this. Hilton's difficulty is going

(02:44):
to be that he was endorsed by Donald Trump, and
that'll be a general election issue. He may be popular
amongst Republicans, he's not popular amongst California voters. You also
have a number of ballot measures that have qualified, so
that portends a very expensive race in November that's going
to be really record chattering. And that's not just a
function of money or people that are in the race.

(03:05):
It's a function of all of the interests around there,
because a lot of at stake when you're trying to
lead the fourth largest economy in the world.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
We're talking to political science professor David McEwan. Okay, so
you said this one was fine. Longtime political reporter Dan
Walters described the first debate as boring. Is there going
to have to be something little with a little more
fireworks to get one candidate to shine a little more?

Speaker 3 (03:31):
Yeah, Look, candidates are looking for that breakout moment, that quipper,
that quote that goes viral. It's hard to do that
when you're engaged in forty five second segments about important
issues like homelessness or healthcare or affordability. Those are very
dense issues, and so on the one hand, you're trying
to create that breakout moment, especially if you're kind of
stuck in the middle there, and you're trying to play

(03:54):
it safe if you're in the lead. So each candidates
a different strategy as they approach this. For example, after
that first debate, that boy and one that Dan Walters
was referring to, Javier Abacaro had momentum didn't come out
into the spin room. I didn't want to talk to
reporters that play it safe. Kind of category is an
element here for how things move forward because so much
of the electorate is undecided or feeling just blah about

(04:17):
this set of candidates.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah, it's a very good point. I mean, what you
don't say is often news as well. David, thank you
so much for joining us. Really appreciate your time.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
Well, thank you very much. It's a pleasure to chat
with you both. Have a great day.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah you too. Political science professor at Sonoma State University,
David mcewa