The first and (likely) only California Governor debate was held last night in Burbank. It was the first chance in months Californians have had to see Democrat candidate Xavier Becerra in action. His strategy for this election has been to simply hide, let people forget about him and just ride the ‘Democrat autopilot’ vote to victory.
Hilton has been extremely active, campaigning publicly every day since the primaries last June. However, the televised debate offered the opportunity for voters who aren’t following this election closely (which is most of them) to see Hilton as a personal representation rather than just a dark, grainy figure in a Becerra ‘TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP’ ad.
The strategies were clear and divided along the very lines that divide our current political state. Becerra’s strategy was just like his campaign ad strategy…TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! The former HHS Secretary tied every inquiry back to the President, often accusing Hilton of being a “Trump puppet.” Becerra mentioned Trump over 40 times during the debate. At one (hilarious) point, Hilton asked his opponent about Susan Rice’s description of him (Becerra) as a certified idiot, to which Becerra responded, “I’m not going to worry about what other politicians say about me. I’m running for Californians.” It was an amusing response considering his only argument all night was TRUMP.
Hilton’s strategy was simple and the same one he’s been using throughout his entire campaign - California needs change. He largely ignored the Trump obsession, laughing it off occasionally and pointing out its absurdity as California continues to sink in every measurable metric. I would have liked to have seen a more aggressive response to Becerra’s nonstop Trump-ing, but I suspect Hilton was just steering clear of anything that might get him engaged in a back and forth about Trump.
Perhaps the most infuriating moment came when Hilton pointed out Becerra’s shocking record as HHS Secretary - hundreds of thousands of migrant children lost, unaccounted for or turned over to cartel and human trafficking entities. While Hilton laid out the facts and figures, the Democrat candidate picked up his coffee cup and began casually sipping, a smirk on his face as Hilton described the horrific suffering of migrant children being sold into sex slavery under Becerra’s watch.
It perfectly encapsulated the choice - Democrats who are perfectly fine with business as usual versus everyone else who just wants answers.
It was a smart strategy employed by both men. Both men had a path and they did not stray.
Becerra’s path was to invoke Trump at every turn. He was playing to the low-information voter base, the people who care about nothing but Trump. He has no viable record and he is attached to the worst performing Democrat Party of all time. He’s been hiding in a basement for months and he has neither the intelligence nor the record to respond to Hilton’s attacks. His only hope was to constantly and consistently draw a direct line from Trump to California. He did that.
Hilton’s path was to remind voters who has been in charge for the last 16 years. His message was simple and really the only one Republican candidates in California can and should give these days - we need change, I am that change. Forget about left or right, Republican or Democrat, we need change because we cannot continue like this. Becerra is more of the same. Hilton took every opportunity to make that connection.
Both men were successful in their strategies. Becerra mentioned Trump over 40 times. Hilton had an endless quiver of stats and stories to make his point that Democrat one-party rule has destroyed California.
If you love information and want something different, you definitely saw Hilton win that debate.
If you hate Trump, you probably think Becerra won.
Becerra did not win (if you can ‘win’ one of these things at all), but the bar is so low for Democrats all he had to do was not pass out, vomit, or trip over his own feet. He did accomplish that, so I guess he didn’t lose.
Obviously, the difference is stark. 70% of voters polled in California say they believe our state is on the wrong track. That’s a huge number when it comes to electoral politics.
Hilton’s battle isn’t against Democrat arguments. It is against visibility. Where he is seen, he is convincing. Where Becerra is seen, he is ridiculed.
And thus their opposing strategies:
Hilton- get in front of as many Californians as possible and don’t stop until election day
Becerra - be seen and heard by as few Californians as possible and don’t come out until election day.
The debate last night was a distillation of those competing strategies.
One thing is for sure - you can’t walk away from observing a guy like Steve Hilton debating a guy like Xavier Becerra and not be impressed with Hilton. He is authoritative, knowledgeable and a skilled communicator.
But we also cannot escape the stark reality of California’s broken and corrupt election system. Hilton is the best candidate for the job and he will change California for the better, should he win.
The real question is - can he get in front of enough people to make his case before November and can he make his victory ‘too big to rig?’
I am sick of it
I took a trip to Louisville, KY this past weekend. It was my annual ‘friends trip.’ We meet in a different random city each year for the first weekend of football. It isn’t a tourist trip or an adventure trip. It’s a trip to sit in bars and watch football all weekend. We’re pretty good at it by now.
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Thank you for watching the debate and outlining what happened.
You said Baccaria didn't vomit... could be we be 100% sure he didn't, just a tiny bit, into his coffee cup?
Just the fact that Becerra is running for governor and not behind bars proves that there is no accountability for criminal politicians in America. They can get away with anything. He is a massive child sex smuggler in business with the billionaire Mexican drug cartels.