Commentary
The single debate this year between incumbent Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Republican challenger, state Sen. Brian Dahle of Bieber, Calif., turned out highly informative. Too bad there won’t be more of them.
Newsom did say he plans on staying on as governor for a full term. But Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas promised the same thing for his 1990 re-election—then ran for president in 1992, and won.
Major issues confronting California include: homelessness, abortion, a budget surplus possibly turning into a deficit, declining school test scores, inflation, wildfires, and climate matters. One debate for less than an hour, held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, when many voters were at church or watching NFL games, just doesn’t cut it. No wonder most voters I talk to don’t even know who Dahle is….