Some media reports have already detailed how Harim Uzziel and I faced a black mob that wanted to lynch us--just for having Trump gear and supporting the President.
I haven't had as much time, however, to talk about the debate itself.
Unfortunately, event coordinators and security would not allow me to record the entire debate. I think that is unfortunate, but it just goes to show how universities and public news outlets pay lip service to freedom of speech and transparency, but go to great lengths to stop it when their own bottom line is endangered.
At any rate, the seats were filled up throughout the Savord Ampitheatre. The tickets were free, but they came with the "First Come, First Served" admonition.
Harim and I showed up early, along with friends of ours helping Travis Allen. I saw some Never-Trump Republicans standing around, and John Cox was briefly mingling around the crowd as everyone lined up.
The lines went by relatively smoothly, and some of the people standing in line with us were quite cordial, willing to talk to us, share their views and hopes for the debate. One lady right in front of us came by bus from Downey, CA to see the debate. She hated Hillary Clinton as much as Harim and I did, but she supported Bernie Sanders in the general election, and wrote in his name.
It still surprises me that Clinton did so well in California, even though so many hard-core Democrats and progressives absolutely loathed her. I still think voter fraud pushed Clinton to have such a heavy win in California, especially in Orange County. Then again, this line of inquiry belongs to another time.
Harim and I eventually found our seats in the second balcony. Friends of ours contacted us to save seats for them. We happily obliged. Despite the fear and hate-mongering of anti-Trump college students around us, we settled in and the debate began. Since I could not record, I took as many notes as I could.
I will touch on what comes to memory.
I was really impressed that both Republican candidates stood their ground on key issues, including their opposition to illegal immigration, the sanctuary state proposal, and single-payer healthcare.
The four Democrats on stage, Delaine Eastin, John Chiang, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Gavin Newsom strived to differentiate themselves in key fashion. For the remainder of the debate, it was clear that Newsom and Eastin wanted to grab the brass ring for most progressive, left-wing dingbat candidate in the race. Antonio Villaraigosa and John Chiang were working their hardest to sound more fiscally principled and even-tempered. Villaraigosa played the race card a whole lot more than Chiang did, who has tried to avoid going after President Trump, even though he wants to oppose the President's policies.
I don't how successful these more "moderate" Democratic candidates intend to win over middle-middling-moderate voters in the state of California. Do they plan on capitalizing on Independent voters, a demographic which has become the fastest growing in the state? I surmise that the growing number of independents are not centrist, but more ideologically polarized, since so many voters in the state of California have gotten fed up with the two major parties doing more for the Third Hourse, the Deep State, and the Sacramento Swamp.
I was really impressed with Allen's opening statements, since he immediately went after sanctuary state. Despite the heavily liberal tilt of the crowd, Allen didn't hold back. Good for him!
The first question from the two moderators was absolutely outrageous. Following up from the dubiously reported "Sh*thole" remarks in a private discussion between PResident Trump and US Senators, th moderator wanted to know if they thought that President Trump was a racist.
What a fraud. Of course, the three more left-leaning Democrats said "Yep!"
John Chiang, John Cox, and Travis Allen didn't even talk about the President, but focused on the issues. It's a really frustrating thing to see California politics devolve into which candidate can hate Donald Trump more.
Shameful.
Other questions from the moderator touched on the environment, climate change, education, racial disparities in incarceration rates, homelessness and housing, and the role of the Empowerment Congress hosting the debate.
The issue of single-payer health care was particularly contentious, and revealed some striking differences among the six candidates on the state. Easin and Newsom were fully on board with the program, even though the Speaker of the State Assembly Anthony Rendon shelved the program last year because of the exorbitant cost. Villaraigosa gave the silliest answer: "I support it in theory." What is that supposed to mean? Even in theory, single-payer is unsustainable. Give me a break. John Chiang stressed that the cost factor makes the proposal unmanageable, and he shot for a "public option" proposal, much like what Barack Obama had pushed for initially in 2009.
John Cox and Travis Allen were vocally, vocally opposed to the costly, corrupt, useless proposal. Allen compared single-payer to a trip to the DMV. Would you like the DMV taking care of your health care?
Not me.
A few other key moments from the debate are worth sharing.
Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa tangled over Newsom's committment to single-payer health care. According to the former LA Mayor, Newsom had fallen into the sordid havit of saying one thing in one county, then something else in another county. This is a huge problem, but will it matter after the June primary?
Travis Allen was the only candidate who routinely pointed out that the Democratic Party was ruining the state of California, and that new changed was needed. He pointed out that Democrats controlled the state legislature for the last 39 out of 40 years in California. Did the public really want to keep elected Democrats to every stage of goverment? Really?
Shameful and sad all at once.
John Cox got into trouble when he talked about maintaining California as a welcome state for immigrants, including immigrant labor, because this state needs people to pick our crops. The outcry from the public was immense. He had to qualify and step back from some of his remarks. Travis Allen would later release a statement condemning the insensitive remarks and then asked for his resignation. Cox and Allen also sparred over small donations given to Democrats and Democratic causes in the past.
Allen took a massive swipe at Villaraigosa and Newsom over sexual perversions in the past, then summed up the comment in connection with the corrupt, abusive #MeToo culture in Sacramento. Villaraigosa admitted that he did not hear the statement. That did not come off too well, in my view.
Final Reflection
Travis Allen did a great job handling the questions and standing his ground on all the issues which mattered. What he said at the Redlands Tea Party did not differ from what he had to share at the USC Debate, either. My biggest concern, however, will fall on what steps he takes to do well among the Latino cohort in the state of California. I do find it offensive that Univision, Estrella TV, and other Spanish-language media want to step into the gubernatorial debate as though their views and voice are the final determinant on who gets into the Top Two and then wins the general election this fall.
A couple other things I did not like about this debate setting. For starters, the event host, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, tipped his hand when he announced that health care should be a right. What? Who is going to pay for it? A right to something does not imply in any way that there will be enough of it. Who gets the first right to access the health care, and what defines health care? The fact that he set the tone of the event with such a left-wing talking point showed his own bias toward certain candidates, even if he did not openly endorse anyone. Every major left-wing politician in the state of California is going to be heding their best until June 6th. Whichever candidate has the most money and organizational reach after the June primary is going to gather all the major support. If we are talking about Democrats, that candidate is Gavin Newsom.
Hopefully, Republican Travis Allen can make it into the Top Two. I am banking that Democratic candidates are pulling apart so much of the vote, that a Republican can slip through. I have remained cautiously optimistic about conservatives' chances in the general election this year.
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