James Preston Allen writes, “Art in Democracy is essential.”
Yet he complains that the only art or culture that matters is
what makes money, as though that should not be the case.
He should remember what the great English poet Alexander Pope
(a Catholic who faced persecution in Protestant England, by the way) wrote
about the English language’s greatest writer, William Shakespeare:
"Shakespear, (whom you and ev'ry Play-house bill Style the divine, the matchless, what you will) For gain, not glory, wing'd his roving flight, And grew Immortal in his own despight."
Shakespeare wrote “To be or not to be” for gain, not glory,
not goodwill, not to get a better king christened over the British Isles. He may
not have changed the politics of his country, but Shakespeare’s work still stuns,
moves, inspires, and influences our world.
Art has to sell. What can be more democratic than allowing
the people to choose, pay for what they want to see, hear, and ponder? Art doesn’t
sell, doesn’t impress, if the artist insists on shoving a message in our face,
advocating a position or a policy at the expense of revealing eternal values
and verities.
That matters of value, truth, worth: such concepts have
little interest for the Left. All they care about is power, and that’s why left-wing
activism under the guise of artistic expression fails to impress every time. Making
Art political has caused many artists to fail and has ruined the art scene for
the last thirty years.
I am an opera fan. When I was a kid, I fell in love with the
movie Amadeus, especially the opera scene from Don Giovanni. Opera
can take you from your humdrum world to true transcendence. In 7th grade, my
music teacher took the band (I played the clarinet) and other music students to
Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado.
It was very entertaining, even though some of the costumes
were cringe-worthy: The gentlemen's chorus wore karate outfits. The three
little girls from school wore women’s sailor suits. In eighth grade, we saw an
English version of The Barber of Seville. It was funny and eventful,
too.
Opera: It’s grand, it’s loud, it drives people crazy, it
invites laughter.
Opera: It invites scorn, it costs a lot of money, it’s a
rich part of a country’s history, it’s an essential part of the classical music
canon.
It’s also facing hard times. Opera has gotten postmodern,
weird, and too exclusive in trying to be inclusive.
The art form must be preserved and promoted. But how?
In the 1960s, everyday people would line up for a performance.
Maria Callas and Franco Corelli commanded respect on the stage and in the
press. Their voices were fresh and compelling. They were great actors as well
as singers.
Luciano Pavarotti was a household name (still is, based on
his ongoing social media presence) . You can listen to his incredible
interpretation of “Nessun dorma,” with the ecstatic “Vincerò!” at the end. From
1979 to his last performance at the Torino 2026 Winter Olympics, his craft would only improve,
touching your heart as well as mind and ears.
Opera has that kind of power. Rock stars can’t resonate
within a man the way an opera can. The grand stories, the tragedies and
comedies, the ongoing influence of opera in our popular culture (I still think
of Elmer Fudd chanting “Kill the Rabbit! Kill the Rabbit” in one of my favorite
Looney Tunes shows!)
And yet opera is facing unprecedented challenges, even at
war with itself, according to former opera singer and impresario (impresaria?)
Caitlin Vincent in her book Opera Wars, drawing on her experience as an
MA in Fine Arts, a retired opera singer, an opera director, and a librettist.
. She approaches the subject with an academic, historical,
and deconstructionist perspective, but it’s not off-putting. It’s a thorough
yet light excursion into a larger-than-life artistic subject which deserves
more attention—and care—than it’s getting.
In the first part of her book, she gets bogged down in
definitions. The real drama over opera isn’t how best to define it, but how
best to revive and refine it for the modern stage. I found her exploration of
different forms of opera interesting, but none of it solves the larger opera
problem.
Then she discusses the tension between composers and librettists,
directors and conductors, stage crew and performers. She gives the impression
that opera faces unique challenges connecting different—and disparate—artists
to mount a production. Ask movie producers what they go through, or even
theatre companies! The arts world faces unparalleled challenges getting their
craft off the ground.
Opera is no different. Yet the movie industry is taking back
ground in the culture. Books, even comic books, are still selling despite the
massive reach of the Internet and the online world.
Opera can make it, too, but it needs to engage in the right
operation!
Opera is special because of the music, which not only gives
life to words, but allows many stories to be told at the same time! In one of my favorite scenes from Amadeus, Mozart
explains
to the Emperor: “With lots of people talking at once, it’s just noise. But
with music, with music, you can have a perfect harmony!”
So, what are the problems plaguing opera today?
Vincent starts with “The Canon,” i.e., the accepted and
frequently played repertoire. Opera companies want reliable hits to keep the
audience coming—and the money flowing. Puccini, Verdi, and Mozart will always
draw box office. Bizet’s Carmen is a must-have for any opera company’s
repertoire. My favorite, French composer Jacques Offenbach’s final masterpiece Les
Contes d’Hoffmann has been a less frequent but reliable staple in opera
houses.
Opera companies need to make money or at least try to break
even. Experimental operas, new operas, or older operas not on the well-trodden
stage are risky at best, and most companies are operating on a shoestring
budget to get by. Opera in Los Angeles depends on government money!
Think about this, though: can you imagine the movie industry
surviving simply by reviving old movies? Some movie houses survive on replays,
but the industry won’t make it on sequels and replays alone. The same holds for
opera. They need new and approachable works, but opera companies are reluctant
to risk the house on experimental productions.
What else is plaguing opera? Vincent shared that Canon
operas come with extensive staging directions. Purists want to see La
Traviata the way Verdi wanted it. New opera companies want to provide
updated plots, different scenes, or even minimalist productions.
Opera isn’t struggling for talent, though. She details the
struggles opera singers face, from learning they have “the Voice” (it’s never
theirs, by the way. Singers and coaches talk about the voice as if it’s a
separate instrument), to maintaining small victories in Young Artist Programs,
to finding steady work, and then the minute cadre of singers who become
superstars.
So, what’s opera’s problem?
Throughout her book, Vincent reveals a large reason why
Opera is struggling, yet without recognizing it. She is committed to
“representation and diversity,” and she casts aspersions on the larger role of
white males in the opera world. Opera companies have been increasingly bogged
down by DEI and critical theory initiatives. Vincent even writes that some of the
world's most celebrated operas come off as “problematic” to younger, college-saturated
audiences.
The major donors funding operas are increasingly woke, as
well. They have their ideas of how opera should look, sound, and work on a
stage – and the public isn’t buying.
This woke tinkering is bad enough, but modern thinking has
also changed the type of
singing that we hear on the stage. Here are two videos (click here and here) from opera
professionals lamenting ruinous modern techniques. In the fifties and sixties, opera
singers sounded fresh, lively, and engaging. Today, too many of them sound
pinched, whiny, and overtly technical. Compare these two tenors
as an example of the bel canto versus modern style. Tell me what you
think. (Modern doesn't sound good!)
If opera wants to take center stage in our culture again,
they need to embrace a rich past with an opportune future. Try new things while
catering to the wants of a general audience. More importantly, though, opera
performers and producers need to ditch the modern techniques and postmodern
ideas, the DEI box-checking, and the identity politics. Give us a good show
that will charm us and move us, opera people, and the people will come again!
Yes, Zakaria has argued the obvious. If you want to see what
failure in the face of opportunity and plenty looks like, look at California.
The more compelling aspect of his admission is that a liberal pundit in the
national media is willing to state the obvious. We all agree: California is
dysfunction writ large. There is more to the story, but at least Fareed states
what his colleagues won’t acknowledge.
To his detriment, however, Zakaria outlines a bunch of
solutions that miss the mark and cover up the real reasons for California’s
precipitous and public decline.
At the outset of his interview, he claims that California projects
and programs have come to a standstill and can accomplish nothing because of
“vetocracy” throughout the state government, i.e., some apparatus or
decision-maker or rule frustrates any effort for reform, growth, or change. For
this term, he properly credited social scientist (and Trump-hater) Francis
Fukuyama.
Explaining his argument, Zakaria points out that the bullet
train approved by California voters in 2008 would have been built by now, but
for the constant environmental challenges. Homelessness could have been solved if
local leaders had cooperated with the state and left-wing homeless advocates
wouldn’t block enforcement measures with endless lawsuits. Reforms to improve
public safety, road repairs, and education could all take place if there wasn’t
the relentless interest-group hustle that stopped everything.
On the surface, this “vetocracy” argument makes little sense.
The California Democratic Party hegemon running the state legislation has held
veto-proof supermajorities since 2016. Republican opposition can only show up,
speak up, and vote “No!” on the worst stuff (sometimes, they vote with the rest
of the supermajority on bad stuff!), then cash their checks and campaign for
another two years to do the same rigmarole over and over. The Democrats have
carte blanche power to do whatever they want. They could pass laws to
streamline the bureaucracy, expedite change, enact better reforms, and fire the
executives responsible for accomplishing those tasks.
But they don’t.
Zakaria’s larger theme that California Democratic leaders
want to do the right thing, but can’t, is completely out of touch with reality.
As a lifelong California resident, I have no idea what Zakaria is talking about,
and why should he? He resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, another
bubble of the uber-rich and well-connected, a well of Deep Blue political
arrogance detached from the concerns and consequences of Democratic policy. He loves California, but how many times has he
visited? Has he ever lived there?
Regardless of California’s constant struggle, endless delays
and frustrations to get anything done, the problem isn’t that everyone wants to
work together but fails because of the bureaucracy. The supermajority
Democratic powers that be love the red tape, the litigation, the delays, the
incompetence, the virtue-signaling without virtue. They play into the will and
wishes of their major donors: labor unions, left-wing interest groups, and the
endless brigade of bureaucrats who consistently vote Democrat.
Performative politics among California leaders is the rule,
not the exception. Picture lame-duck (and long-shot no-chance Presidential
aspirant) Governor Gavin Newsom posing for well-timed photos in front of big
media journalists (in reality, propagandists) while picking up some trash along
the 405 freeway. Thanks, Gav, you picked up some garbage. How about enforcing
the vagrancy laws on state property so that illegal homeless encampments don’t
pollute our roads? Some twisted statistics, empty comparisons, and some jabs at
President Trump dominate Democratic pols attempting to make a difference.
There are other problems with Zakaria’s take on California’s
failed politics, or rather politics of failure, including his fawning treatment
of liberal voters. Zakaria claimed that somewhat educated people vote for
Democrats. They can’t be educated in any meaningful fashion if they are voting
against their own interests. Failed public safety measures (including lack of
coordination among departments) led to the Pacific Palisades inferno. The other
issues (homelessness, year-round wildfires, rising crime) grow worse year by
year, yet those educated keep voting for the same politicians who never fix the
problem. That’s insanity.
When Michaelson asked why the voters keep voting for the
same failed party leadership, Zakaria dodged their bad thinking and smeared
Republicans, particularly President Trump. He faulted their lack of “openness”
to diversity, immigration, and trade. He claimed that Republicans are “not
friendly to market economics.” What does he think of Democrats, then?
Zakaria won’t accept that the Democrats own the failures,
and Trump’s ascendancy in the Republican Party does not absolve them. Towards
the end of his interview, Zakaria actually claimed that the Democratic Party’s
heart is in the right place. Are you kidding me? If they have a heart, it’s
dedicated to the rich getting richer off government cronyism and cash (how do
“public servants” like Nancy Pelosi and Gavin Newsom get so rich having served
most of their adult lives in government?), pandering to diabolical identity
politics (LGBT celebrations, transgender sanctuary state laws, reparations for
African Americans in a state which entered the union as a Free State), and non-stop
Trump bashing. That’s former AG and current gubernatorial candidate Xavier
Becerra’s favorite sport, by the way, but at least his Republican opponent
ridiculed him for such weak answers in the face of California’s growing
problems.
Democratic powerbrokers from Sacramento to San Diego follow
the Mamdani model, generating failure and incompetence due to their
“progressive” vision, all while ignoring reality, diminishing losses, and hiding
the truth about the plagued state, but at least they feel good about themselves.
Their vision is right, reality be damned.
When a political class celebrates such failure as success,
why would they change it?
He suffered emotional, physical, and sexual abuse many times
as a kid. His peers mocked and teased him in grade school because of his
effeminate ways. In middle school, he came out as gay. He transitioned to female at 17, then joined
his other queer friends and joined the gay and trans club scene.He dressed up and played a drag queen. Relying
on internet ads, he engaged in prostitution with celebrities in sports,
entertainment, and the government. He lived the LGBT lifestyle out and proud.
Then one day, a dancer at a gay bar invited him to a church
in Florida. He started going to church regularly, even while still in the
lifestyle. He found Jesus, or rather Jesus found him. Then he got saved,
transitioning from death to life; he then transitioned from homosexuality to
health, from transgenderism to truth. He faced the demons that had robbed him
of his childhood and marred his adulthood. Then he got busy fighting the
destruction of children and the horrific lies of the LGBT cult.
His name was Kevin Whitt. He was my friend and fellow
warrior in the crusade against the LGBT agenda. I had a chance to speak with
him a week and a half ago, while he was struggling through major complications
following an experimental yet consistently successful surgery. He had been born
with a congenital heart defect, and the latest surgery was supposed to help him
breathe better, move better, and thus live better.
Then complications emerged, and he ended up succumbing to an
infection.
This is a difficult stage of life for many my age. I am
witnessing more friends and allies passing away. Neither school nor job
training can prepare you for these difficult times.
Kevin Whitt was a flamboyant personality, a hardcore
conservative not afraid to shout out the truth, call out the lies, and confront
the evil where it emerged. He marched and ministered with the Changed Movement,
a growing community of men and women who have left the LGBT lifestyle and
minister to others while telling the truth about homosexuality and transgender.
He spoke out against bans on so-called conversion therapy. He helped shut down
Drag Queen Story Hour programs throughout his adopted state of Texas (He was
born in Benton, Arkansas). His biggest interest was to protect children, not
just to end the medical and surgical mutilation of children, but to end the
social transitioning as well, i.e., the practice of confused or wretched
parents dressing up their boys as little girls and vice versa. Such confusion
is just as abusive, twisting and tormenting the mind of an already confused
child who needs truth, not enabling.
Kevin Whitt was the best witness for convincing politicians
and political groups to take a stand against this agenda. He had endured that
lifestyle, and he lived reborn to tell the story. He withstood hate from both
sides of the aisle, not just because he decided to turn away from the gay
lifestyle and expose its decadence and destruction. Republican circles
dismissed him or diminished him because he was outspoken, refusing to be
silenced by the Republican political establishment.
To this day, many pro-family conservatives don't want to
have these discussions. They fear being labeled a bigot, hater, homophobe, transphobe,
take your pick. It's that fear which has allowed the rampant harm to children and
society to proliferate.
Kevin refused to be quiet.
One of his closest confidants (and a friend of mine) was a
fellow pro-family activist, Tracy Shannon. For five years, she served as the
Texas director for international pro-family group MassResistance. She and Kevin
waged war against a repressive, destructive, tyrannical agenda that was
targeting her home state of Texas. Starting in 2021, Tracy and her team fought to
end the sex mutilation of minors, to codify a clear definition of sex as a
biological fact in the Texas code, and to repeal recognition of same-sex
marriage based on the corrupted Supreme Court opinion in Obergefell v.
Hodges.
Kevin had a lot of connections, more than I had ever
imagined.
He was there every step of the way with Tracy and
MassResistance. He
testified about his own trials as a child before numerous legislative
committees, and he rigorously demanded that lawmakers put the needs of
children and the well-being of society first. Despite the attacks from the
press, including the smears that he was a conspiracy theorist or a bigot, he
soldiered on to do what was right.
During the 2020 election, Kevin was featured in two Michigan
campaign ads (click here
and here to see) to
stop Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden and Democratic US Senator Gary
Peters from winning—both supported sex mutilation of minors and allowing
biological boys to invade girls’ sports. He was also featured in the Super Bowl
ad “He Saves Us,”
which served as a necessary and welcome response to the progressive ad series “He Gets Us.”
In October 2021, he
started a nonprofit, the Whitt Project, and he invited me to attend his
inaugural fundraising event. I didn't even have to pay anything because I had
been an energetic activist with him. I got to meet Congressman Louie Gohmert
and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz's pastor father, Rafael Cruz. It was an incredible
event, listening to this once-damaged boy become a fiery activist determined to
protect as many as possible from suffering what he went through. Kevin
was definitely a people person, and that care for people drove him to fight for
everything right in this world.
His death is the first in recent memory in which I had the
opportunity to say goodbye just before it was too late. Tracy and Kevin were
planning many events after his surgery, convinced that he would tough out the
complications and survive. They took no precautions, though, and friends
and family visited him in the hospital before he left us.
His legacy will not be lost to this world, though. A year
before his death, he completed a memoir about his life, trials, and
restoration in Christ: God Saved the Queen. Production and
distribution are pending, but I know it will be a great read.
I am sad to see him gone, but I know he’s in a better place,
and he left this world a better place, too.
It's been six years, and hospitals are still pushing the vaccine.
Unbelievable!
Dear Arthur,
You are eligible to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. If you are 65 or older, with a weakened immune system, or with other certain health conditions, you are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19. The good news is that updated COVID-19 vaccines are available, are safe, and are designed to give you stronger protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
Getting vaccinated can help protect your health, keep you out of the hospital, and allow you to safely enjoy time with family and friends.
In fact, Trump proved the exact opposite to the world. His
epic reception of the Chinese president on September 23–25, 2026, was the
ultimate troll. The 47th President mocked the 46th
President, who had played the perfect puppet for Chinese interests at the
expense of America. If nothing else, Xi Jinping should have taken the hint that
his attempt to turn the United States against itself with corrupted leaders
failed. Trump also scheduled a B-2 Spirit bomber and four F-22 Raptors to fly
over their red-carpet reception, allowing Trump to flex our nation’s military
muscle before the leader of our main international rival. Most importantly,
China walked away from the latest summit with the President with no major
concessions from Trump to ease China’s growing economic challenges.
However, if Trump’s diplomacy doesn’t convince the public
that China is facing serious domestic problems, consider the disturbing trend spreading
among Chinese youth, which should provide the truth the West needs to know
about China’s future.
Since 2021,
Chinese Gen Z and younger are facing burnout like never before and responding
with a growing disengagement from the relentless rat race. They face daunting college
entrance challenges, fewer opportunities for studying in the United States
(thank you, President Trump, for putting American students first!), and a
foreboding career market, with little chance of upward mobility.
This generation of youth has labeled their movement Tang
Ping, or “Lying Flat,” in which they are engaging in a non-Confucian,
passive-aggressive rebellion against Chinese leaders, parents, and employers.
They see corporate demands yielding diminishing returns, and employment options
are not good. Instead of fighting for a better life, which is further out of
reach, they have opted for the following:
·They have given up the broader “Chinese Dream”
of owning a car, property, a home, or even raising a family.
·They have given up on “going big,” rejecting what
they deem empty consumerism.
·They don’t care about larger professional or
corporate goals, opting to opt out of life in general. It’s “quiet quitting,”
but with a Chinese twist.
·They do the bare minimum so that they can just
get by, since they are convinced there’s little hope of attaining anything
better.
The Chinese Communist Party is doing what it can to reverse this
trend, since the government craves a striving workforce culture to rival the
United States' ongoing hegemony in the world. The government has resorted to
deleting social media posts, including anything with the hashtag relating to Tang
Ping. The government has cracked down on the notorious ‘996’ (9 am to 9 pm,
six days a week) work culture. Large employers have implemented mandatory
clock-off times and shorter workweeks, too. Last of all, the Communist
government has labeled the whole push to urge young people to do as little as
possible as a Western conspiracy to frustrate Chinese productivity and national
success.
Yet all the prodding cannot make a Chinese ox drink, and they
cannot force Chinese youth to drink the Communist Party Boba-Tea of “Work Hard,
Get Ahead, Have Babies, and Make China Proud” when there’s little chance that
they can achieve any of this.
Even younger generations in China are succumbing to similar
Lying Flat middle-life crisis levels of disengagement. In one of the most
heart-breaking videos recently
posted on social media, a third-grade schoolboy from Tianjin (a major port
city in northeastern China) broke down in tears, slaving over a homework
assignment, while his mother filmed the entire nervous breakdown for the world
to see. He wasn’t crying because the assignment was difficult. He was wailing
because of a growing certainty that all his hard work would amount to nothing. He
was convinced that instead of wealth, success, and independence, he would turn
into another wage slave, or worse, end up in manual labor just to get by later
in life.
What’s particularly striking about this exchange is that
this little boy is openly challenging his mother, arguing with her,
contradicting her, and talking over her despite her best attempts to calm him
and redirect his attention to his studies. No matter how modern societies have
become, traditional Chinese Confucian culture places considerable emphasis on
filial respect and obedience to parents. Shockingly, this child dismissed submitting
to those norms, revealing desperation and exhaustion.
Another concern: why would a parent want to record her child
having such a horrible mental breakdown? At least she could have blurred out
her son’s face. Perhaps she was trying to alert the public to the increasing
stress and strain that Chinese children are facing?
What should the mother have done? She should have told him
to stop working right away instead of recording his emotional outburst, given
him a big hug, and then told him: “Yes, times are tough, but everything will be
OK.” If none of her assurances would have helped the boy, the mother should
have allowed him to be angry and let him release his emotions. Clearly, the
child was losing control of himself.
Major Asian news sites, including Gutzy
Asian, The Online
Citizen, and Singapore-based
Mothership, commented on this sad scene, with some of the articles making
light of this boy’s meltdown. Perhaps Chinese government officials watched this
video, or at least they should, since this suggests that their efforts to turn
back the “Lying Flat” movement are failing.
Despite all the Chinese Communist Party’s pretenses, the nation’s
younger generations are not doing as well as President Xi Jinping would like us
to think. Rapacious business policies, unsound protectionism, and aggressive
anti-American chauvinism are taking their toll on Chinese youth, forcing them
into harsher competition for higher education and jobs which aren’t as
plentiful as before. A large cohort of unemployed and underemployed, educated
Chinese are simply dropping out in the face of increased surveillance state
pressures, economic decline, and cultural malaise.
China is in trouble, and President Trump’s ongoing trade war
and pressure tactics are taking advantage of these weak spots. There is no
better proof of China’s ongoing problems than a Chinese boy breaking down over
the stress and strain of school and career. Could that cry, multiplied by
millions of other young Chinese, turn into a collective shout and national
protest against the regime’s authoritarian measures? Who knows, but Chinese
youths’ “Lying Down” movement shows no sign of stopping; rather, it exposes
China’s ongoing national—and international—weakness in the face of President
Trump’s continued MAGA policies.
At first, I was thinking about not doing an endorsement list. A friend of mine contacted me in September 2026 asking me to provide a list of voting preferences for the LA County voters in my area.
I thought that most of the endorsement lists were adequate enough, plus the fact that more races have only Democrats this year, which would make listing an endorsement really problematic.
However, looking over the ballot this year, and recognizing that some of the endorsement lists from statewide organizations are questionable, and the long list of appellate justices to consider for retention or rejection, I decided to provide an endorsement list after all.
If it's a Democrat, it's a recommendation, not an endorsement.
So, here goes!
Every candidate and office is listed in the order that they appear on my ballot, so please forgive me if the list order seems strange or odd.
1. El Camino Community College Board Member, Trustee Area 5
Keicy Chung
She's a business owner who wants to expand applied tech and trade employment. The opponent is a proud member of her local PTA, which is an automatic red flag for me.
State Senator, 24th District
Brian Goldsmith
This race has two Democrats in it, so it's a clothespin vote. Goldsmith has been endorsed by Nathan Hochman, and he's been focusing on transparency and quality-of-life issues in his ad campaigns. I also have no problem with his receiving funding from tech corporations supporting data centers. Creating more AI hardware is a good thing.
His opponent is an out LGBT activist from West Hollywood. That is an automatic NO for me.
State Assembly, 66th District
Paul Seo
This race is a bitter disappointment. We have two Democrats in the Top Two because George Barks spoiled the preferred Republican candidate Jessica Maldonado's chances. He jumped into the race at the last minute, thus splitting the vote. Very disappointing.
We have to stop Berniecrat (and racist) Sara Deen from getting the assembly seat. Hold your nose and vote for Seo, who has a military and law enforcement background.
United States Representative, 36th District
No Endorsement
At first, I enthusiastically supported Houston Brignano. He was endorsed by the CRA and promoted by Pastor Derrick Gates.
After the primary, he received the endorsement of the Log Cabin "Republicans."
This is not conservative at all. This is a betrayal. I wrote Houston my opposition to this endorsement, and he just made excuses.
I cannot reward betrayal, and I cannot support a candidate promoted by a Pastor who then turns around and accepts the endorsement from an anti-Christian, anti-family hate group.
County Sheriff
Alex Villanueva
I voted for him when he was a registered Democrat in the primary and the general election during Election 2022 because he took a stand against mask mandates and COVID-19 lockdowns. He is now a Republican, and I am voting for him again. Robert Luna is a disaster to the LA County Sheriff's Department, a woke leader who kowtows to the LA County Board of Supervisors and refuses to take a stand against the corruption and general cultural malaise overtaking the county. An unprecedented number of sheriff's deputies have committed suicide or left the department because of Luna's mishandling.
Judicial Seats
Office 64 -- Write In Larry Elder
Both judicial candidates are so awful, so woke, so unqualified that I cannot vote for either of them.
Office 65 -- Anna Slotky Reitano
She has a broad array of sound endorsements, including the SoCal News Group. I will trust their judgment on this judicial nominee.
This measure seemed good at first because it restricts bargaining power for some public jobs in the county. However, this measure would extended collective bargaining for the remaining public employees so that the county cannot force its best, final offer on those unions. The measure has too much sleight-of-hand for my taste, and the unions most likely pressed for this measure so that they could extend negotiations to an arbitration board and get more money.
County Measure E
NO
This proposal expands the oversight bureaucracy. We don't need more investigators or quality control officers. We need less government. Period.
Governor
Steve Hilton
Yes, I wanted Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, but I pledged to vote for the GOP nominee come November, no matter who. I even told Hilton that at the CRA Convention in February that I would vote for him.
On another note, while his staffer tried to protect him from my questions, Hilton approached me directly and said, "Look, I know you're supporting the sheriff, and that's fine. What should I do differently?"
He actually wanted my thoughts on improving his chances. I respect that.
After the primary, I have noticed Hilton showing real effort. He is campaigning all over the state, putting himself in the public eye as much as possible. He's gotten plenty of great press, and he forced former AG Xavier Becerra to debate! The public, especially Republicans in California, still don't appreciate how incredible that is!
I was worried that Trump would be too liberal as President, but for both terms he has exceeded expectations. I trust Hilton will, as well.
He has my vote.
Lieutenant Governor
Gloria Romero
I have liked former state senator Gloria Romero, even when she was a Democrat. She was not crazy; she cared about school choice; and she pushed for key reforms in the state legislature.
Now she's a Republican, and she's not afraid to fight for what is best for California. She even voted for Trump, and she was not afraid to tell the public:
Secretary of State
Donald Wagner
The rest of the statewide executive offices are easy to endorse. Republican all the way, but it's worth adding a little to convince anyone who is thinking about sitting out the election, or if there are independents or disaffected, open-minded Democrats who want to consider GOP options.
Don Wagner is not afraid to meet with small groups or large. He has attended a number of picnics to meet with the people. He fought against vaccine passport proposals in Orange County. He wanted to take a stand against SB 54 when he served on the Irvine City Council.
Controller
Herb Morgan
I just found out that the McClatchy News Group, which owns the Sacramento Bee, has endorsed Morgan for State Controller.
That alone should encourage everyone to vote for him.
He's a conservative committed to rooting out corruption and waste. He wants to audit all the state finances. He has a plan, and he's committed to getting it done.
Treasurer
Heather Hawks
I have nothing extra to add besides the fact that she has business experience, which her opponent was the Lieutenant Governor who couldn't compete for Governor!
Attorney General
Michael Gates
Michael Gates is the celebrated city attorney for Huntington Beach. He has led multiple fights to secure the vote, protect the city, and protect children from predators and perversion in the classroom.
He's a true zealous advocate who will fight for the best for California.
Insurance Commissioner
Ben Allen
This is another clothespin vote, since two Democrats made it into the Top Two.
Jane Kim is a Berniecrat, and Bernie Sanders will be holding rally for her in Los Angeles on October 5th, 2026. We need to stop a crypto-communist from taking over the insurance industry in our state.
State Senator Ben Allen is an outlandish progressive, but he will not be as crazy. He fought for local control in the South Bay regarding housing issues, and he helped push back on the "conversion therapy" ban somewhat in 2018. I have met him one time, and in 2015 he worked with Republican State Assemblyman David Hadley to pass school choice for military families in the state of California.
Board of Equalization, Third District
Mike Gipson
This is another clothespin vote between two Democrats. Mike Gipson is the establishment pick with all the money and power behind him from every political interest in the state. A Democratic political consultant informed me that he is functionally illiterate. He can sound out words, but he has no idea what he has read.
But the alternative is worse. Sukaton is a Bernie Bro. We need to stop the communists at all costs.
State Superintendent of Schools
Sonja Shaw
She's awesome! She has been the most outspoken fighter for kids across the state, including no boys in girls' sports or spaces, no keeping secrets from parents, and focusing on education, not indoctrination. The Democratic Party is scared of this woman, and Governor Gavin Newsom took extraordinary steps to limit her power should she get elected.
She's a threat to the corrupt, child-abusing status quo. We need her for State Superintendent!
Statewide Propositions
One --- NO!
No bonds. NONE! EVER!
Two --- NO!
The argument for an increased rainy day fund is really an argument to increase spending and taxes. NO!
Three -- NO!
It's an extension of taxes previously passed by initiative. We need to stop these taxes!
Four --- NO!
Tax dollars should not be used for campaigns. You want to run for office? You spend your money or raise the money through private donations.
Five --- NO!
This initiative aims to gut the voters' recall power. Don't let them do it!
Thirty-Seven --- NO!
The state should not be creating loan programs for anyone or anything. You want to buy a home? Save your money; don't spend mine!
Thirty-Eight --- NO!
I am disagreeing with Reform California and other organizations on this one. Public-Private partnerships should not be getting our money. I don't care what the research is for; California is going broke, and we need to stop spending we don't even have.
Thirty-Nine --- YES!
If you cannot prove that you are a citizen, you should not vote. Voter ID is a necessity, and even third-world countries like India require voter ID before citizens can vote. The heading for this initiative is not confusing to me, and no one but citizens should vote, and they should prove they are citizens to vote.
Forty --- NO!
This is the billionaire's tax that will turn into another middle-class tax. NO!
Forty-One -- YES!
Stops taxes. How can you not like that?
Forty-Two --- YES!
Stops taxes. How can you not like that?
Forty-Three -- YES!
This initiative would raise the threshold to pass bonds in municipal, county, and other elections. I completely support this. Only those who pay taxes should be voting on whether to raise taxes. Bonds and other tax hikes at the municipal level should require massive buy-in before passage. Local governments should focus more on balancing their budgets and cutting spending rather than taking more from taxpayers.
Forty-Four -- NO!
This measure wants to layer more red tape and fines on community health clinics, which are suffering from lack of funding as it is, plus all the federal Medicare and Medicaid fraud! We don't need to make their operation and governance any more difficult.
Forty-Five --- YES!
This measure will put a stop to the CEQA abuses that labor unions and corporate interests rely on to stop building projects.
State Judicial Seats
These can be considerably complicated, and California has a unique system in which the governor appoints the State Supreme Court and appellate court justices, but we the people can vote to retain or reject them.
My criteria was basic: was the judge or justice first appointed by a Republican? If so, I vote to Retain. If not, I vote to Reject.
I am urging voters to RETAIN THESE TWO JUSTICES ONLY, AND REJECT ALL THE OTHERS
RETAIN:
Brian Hoffstadt
He was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger, and he clerked for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. He's not a radical or even a Democrat, I presume, based on his resume and first appointment.
Kenneth Yegan
He was appointed by George Dukmeijian, and his first appointment was in 1990! He's old-school, as far as I'm concerned.
California has a chance to break the cycle of Democratic
doom and destruction.
A chance, but not a certainty. Election 2026 has been awash
in good polls, bad polls, and lots of politicians trying to get a win over
entrenched and endangered incumbents.
The California Governor’s race is a contest of a different
sort.
For the last three election cycles, there were no nationally
broadcast debates between the two candidates running in the general. From 2014,
in which Governor Brown was all but assured re-election and participated in a
small debate, to 2018 and 2022, in which Gavin Newsom didn’t bother with much
of a major debate, either, since he was assured victory.
This year, though, things are different.
Eight years of Gavin Newsom have waged their fair share of
destruction.
For the first time in 16 years, the Republicans have a
somewhat conservative candidate who is not afraid to confront bad leadership
while making inroads to bring in conservatives as well as reach independents
and disaffected Democrats.
I supported Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, and I was
crestfallen that he didn’t make it into the Top Two. I was worried that Steve
Hilton, the GOP nominee this cycle, would be another lame liberal who would
disappear after the primary, having made the consultants and media class happy
while doing nothing for the grassroots and the generic voters.
Hilton has happily surprised me. He has been campaigning
much harder than previous Republican statewide candidates. He has connected
with everyday voters, proposed unique policies, and has managed to keep his
name in the press and the limelight.
He’s articulate, prepared to respond to any question or
challenge. When I confronted him over some of his views in years past, he
didn’t shy away from me. A few minutes later, he accepted that I was supporting
his opponent, but he asked me what he could do to improve his campaign anyway.
He also spoke on multiple podcasts and attended every
debate. Those smart moves helped assure his ascent to the general election.
He has dogged his Democratic opponent, former Congressman,
California Attorney General, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier
Becerra over his frequent failures as a politician. The negatives following
Becerra over his mismanagement and loss of hundreds of thousands of migrant
children at the border have dragged down his campaign.
Hilton has done such a superb job of maintaining the
pressure that Becerra conceded to a live, nationally televised debate. This
didn’t happen in the three previous election cycles. I knew this would be a win
for Hilton because I spoke to a previous Republican challenger who ran against
Becerra when he was a Congressman from Downtown Los Angeles. He was so
ill-prepared and outmatched, that most of the audience acknowledged the
Republican as the better of the two. Not that it matters, though, since Becerra
continued to get elected by double digits in supermajority Democratic Downtown
LA.
This year, Californians are open to change for a change.
Democrats who had gladly (blindly) voted for Newsom have told Hilton that they
will vote for him this time around. They don’t want repeat offenders released
onto the streets. They want to end the homelessness crisis with enforcement and
accountability. They want affordable housing, gas, and groceries.
They want a state that works again, and Hilton has the plans
and the panache to make it all happen.
In the debate on September 30th, 2026, Hilton
showed his suave command of the issues while rebuffing Becerra’s desperate
attacks.
Hilton talked about how Democrats are the ones who created all
of California’s problems. They have controlled all the levers of state
government power for the last sixteen years. Does anyone think that the same
people can fix them?
Becerra talked about red tape and other hazy issues as the
real problem, combined with no ability to call out the real culprits.
On AI regulation and expansion, Hilton mentioned that even though
the major AI firms are based in California, Texas and Arizona are getting all
the business and revenue, while California keeps losing money as more
businesses flee. Hilton also suggested that AI regulation should protect
children above all, and it should be banned in the classroom because students
have become so accustomed to relying on Grok, ChatGPT, etc., to answer all the
questions that their learning has been stunted.
Becerra claimed to care about protecting jobs, when in reality,
he’s just kissing up to the California labor unions endorsing his campaign, who
don’t want innovation cutting into their power.
As expected, Becerra hid behind Donald Trump throughout the
entire debate, chanting “Trump” as a distraction to throw Hilton off. It didn’t
work, and it was the best he had.
Hilton jabs Becerra with slurs and insults from his
Democratic colleagues during his time in the Biden Administration, Susan Rice’s
epithets “Idiot” and “B*tch A--.” Those insults stung Becerra and elicited some
shock and laughter from the public, but will it sway voters to the GOP in
November?
On data centers (as contrived an issue as any other), Hilton
talked about construction for jobs, while Becerra worried about the energy and
resource costs to the state. California has been wasting millions of gallons of
water per year under his watch, and now he cares about water usage?
Immigration came up, as well. CNN moderator Jake Tapper deserves
credit for comparing illegal crossings under Biden vs. Trump 2.0. Becerra had
to admit (subtly) that Biden did a bad job, and Trump did a better job. He
conceded that we need a secure border, but then attacked Hilton for only
wanting white immigrants while seeking to deport non-whites like himself: The
race card, the last refuge of a desperate Democratic scoundrel.
Hilton rebuked him for that crass attack, then stated that
he would work with the loopholes in the state’s sanctuary state law to deport
the serious criminals in the state. I wish Hilton would get rid of all the
illegals, but I suppose he’s picking his fights now to get the job done once in
office.
In one of his strongest hits, Hilton slams Becerra for losing
400k migrant children into the hands of traffickers because he refused to
control the border. New
York Times reported on this massive failure, and Becerra was at a loss.
Other questions touched on the “climate crisis” (leading
question), election integrity, vaccines, and healthcare. Becerra tried to turn
the healthcare question into an abortion issue, but to her credit, Dana Bash
stopped Becerra from talking about abortion and told him to focus on
healthcare. CNN admits that abortion is not healthcare. WOW!
CNN then asked about homelessness, a particularly sticky
issue for California. Tapper and Bash reported on homelessness across the
country during Becerra’s tenure as HHS Secretary!
He also gave Newsom an A for handling homelessness. Oh
brother!
At the end of the
debate, Becerra earned an F, and Hilton was the clear winner. No guarantees
that scoring a media victory will translate into a Hilton victory come
November. Democratic voters in California have remained committed because of
“Orange Man Bad,” and they probably won’t abandon their national obsession to
improve their state.
