Take Me Out To The “Bull” Game
With spring training done, the major league baseball season is finally underway. But don’t expect most Californians to dive into the state’s June 5 Primary election quite so fast or furiously. President Donald Trump and our national political melodrama are sucking all the oxygen from our civic environment. With no crisis at hand, state politics are very much […]
Trump Makes California Grate Again
President Donald Trump finally came to the Golden State and Californians responded with the ultimate dis—they pretty much ignored him. Everyone, including the President, seemed to be going through the motions. There wasn’t enough electricity in the atmosphere to power an iPhone for more than an hour. Clearly, Trump wasn’t interested in much interaction with […]
Jerry Brown—the Man Who Wasn’t There
When California Democrats held their convention in San Diego, there was a conspicuous absentee—Governor Jerry Brown. Not only wasn’t he physically present, he was barely mentioned from the speaker’s podium. The party’s activists and aspiring politicians were clearly ready to move on. Despite going into the home stretch of a highly successful run as Governor, […]
First Thoughts on the California Democratic Party Convention
When Democrats met last weekend in San Diego for their state convention there was a buzz that hasn’t been present at recent State GOP conclaves or many past Democratic gatherings. The intensity dividend that has worked for Democrats in special elections and state contests in Virginia, New Jersey and even Alabama, appears to be building […]
No “Business as Usual” in Politics, Just Ask Di Fi
Senator Diane Feinstein’s vote against the compromise leading to halting the federal government shutdown says a lot about the shape of California politics and about the cross pressures within the state’s Democratic Party. In the past, Senator Feinstein could have been expected to be one of the Senate’s centrist ringleaders seeking a middle ground—not this year. There is no question that Senator Feinstein is a strong […]
Trump and Brown Loom over Governor’s Race
Six leading gubernatorial candidates shared the stage for a Town Hall at the University of Southern California, but much of the discussion was focused on two protagonists who weren’t there—Donald Trump and Jerry Brown. It seems likely that these two outsized figures will continue to dominate the political landscape as Californians select the next governor. […]
GOP Retirements Muddle Congressional Races
Two Southern California Republican Congressmen, Ed Royce and Darrell Issa, recently announced their retirement. Advantage Democrats? Maybe. Maybe not. The first reaction to the news that these two GOP stalwarts won’t be seeking re-election in traditionally safe Republican districts (but districts that Hillary Clinton carried in 2016) was that these seats could swing toward the […]
Skinflint-in-Chief
For almost half a century, Jerry Brown has been a prominent, and often dominating, presence on the California political scene. We shouldn’t expect him to coast through his final year as Governor. The climate change battle with Donald Trump has energized the Governor and thrust him out front as one of America’s global leaders on the […]
Keeping Calm and Carrying On
Two weeks in London underscored how much—apart from a 40-degree temperature difference—Southern Californians have in common with our British cousins. Housing shortages and affordability, traffic gridlock, deteriorating infrastructure and mounting sexual harassment scandals beset both Los Angeles and London. Brexit—the UK’s decision to leave the European Union—mirrors our country’s schisms over trade and immigration. London, […]
Healthcare May Be Hazardous To Political Health
Many Democrats at the state and national levels are playing with fire as they pursue a complete overhaul of the healthcare system. In California, Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom’s gubernatorial bid and State Senator Kevin DeLeon’s US. Senate campaign could founder if they push too hard for a government takeover of health insurance. Healthcare has become […]