When a Debate Becomes a Food Fight

If you missed the CNN debate on May 5 or the May 6 California governor debate on KNBC, the moderator of which opened with a request to not have a “food fight” like the previous night’s CNN debate, here it is, sort of.

The Swalwell-less field of four Democrats, two Republicans and the requisite billionaire tackled topics ranging from homelessness to high-speed rail, which isn’t available for companies leaving the state.

Democrats entered the evening with a shared fear: that California’s jungle primary system could allow Republicans, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and one-time Fox Cable host Steve Hilton to finish first and second, creating the political equivalent of accidentally locking yourself out of your own house.

The debate itself quickly devolved into a seven-way group project where nobody had listened to “food fight” warnings. And nobody asked if Sheriff Bianco brought his gun to a food fight.

Bianco opened with the solution to the high cost of housing: “Get rid of regulations,” pretty much his solution to every problem discussed, including oil production, business flight, insurance costs, everything, one-time Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra proposed “rent-to-own,” while Irvine Congresswoman Katie Porter argued for five percent down payments and cheaper construction.

Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reminded viewers that current down payments require either inherited wealth or suggesting a time machine to when he was able to afford a house.

About the spiking cost of insurance, Becerra called for freezing insurance rates. Porter objected, explaining that insurance companies would flee California entirely. Villaraigosa said the state should have implemented catastrophic modeling years ago and added that the FAIR Plan “isn’t fair,” a unique way of attacking a program through use of its own name, Hilton invoked “the California Dream” more than once in his role as a Brit explaining California to Californians.

Billionaire investor Tom Steyer suggested hardening homes against disasters, a phrase that sounded less like housing policy and more like private prisons, now ICE detention centers he’s accused of once financing.

Bianco blamed environmental regulations, which to him were responsible for fires, gas prices, insurance withdrawals and high prices for fuel. Becerra insisted we’d have no paved roads, reliable bridges and pothole avoidance without gas taxes, a solution other candidates apparently didn’t hear. Possibly because of the absence of potholes where they drive.

About the seriously delayed and ultra-costly high-speed rail, Bianco missed the reform station, arriving at arrests. “Arrest the people who stole our money,” he said, sounding less like a gubernatorial candidate and more like a sheriff arriving at a casino robbery. No suspects were named, though consultants might feel unnerved.

As to why companies are leaving California, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan offered managerial language “fix it.” Villaraigosa blamed overregulation, turning the job over to Bianco, who blamed all regulation. Porter then turned her sights on Steyer, accusing him of billionaire optimism detached from the expense accounts of voters. Steyer rejoined, “California is half the growth of the US economy, so why worry?”

Bianco denounced the “homeless industrial complex,” which he didn’t clarify, arguing the state no longer distinguishes between tents and housing. Porter argued homelessness is fundamentally caused by housing costs. Bianco rejected the term “homeless,” describing the population as drug addicts, mentally ill or alcoholics.

In the CNN debate, Porter replied that students and the low wage employed cannot afford housing and sleep in cars, neither doing drugs, drinking nor having mental episodes. Mahan proposed requiring homeless individuals to come indoors – everyone wondering where indoors would actually be located.

In the same CNN debate, Porter alleged Bianco had joined the Oath Keepers, confirmed by the sheriff that he was proud of. “Was he now a member,” asked the moderator? “No,” he answered.

Back to the more recent debate, Hilton repeatedly asked, “Who’s been in charge?” meaning the state, not the debate. In perhaps the evening’s stealthiest ambush, Hilton accused Villaraigosa of improperly using CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) in campaign activity. Becerra defended CHIRLA’s immigrant-rights work, with many viewers wondered what CHIRLA stood for.

Hilton maintained a smirk while not speaking, often interrupting; the only one who gave a speech when asked for a yes or no answer. In the CNN debate, Becerra talked about Trump being Hilton’s “daddy,” about which Hilton described his real dad.

About accepting corporate money from Chevron as alleged by Steyer, Becerra replied “that’s rich” to Steyer, who of course is rich. In the second debate, Becerra and Villaraigosa briefly shifted into Spanish during an exchange over accusations related to child protection during Becerra’s tenure as HHS secretary. Becerra denied wrongdoing, while viewers at home suddenly became aware they should have paid more attention during high school Spanish class.

Bianco called for ending sanctuary policies, arguing they did not exist before 2017. Villaraigosa fired back by referencing Bianco’s ties to the Oath Keepers, essentially accusing him of heading a MAGA-style sheriff’s department after seizing ballots from the recent Prop. 50 election.

Porter then unloaded on Bianco, referring to “crazy cowboys” to which Bianco countered, “tell that to a crazy mother who lost her child.” Porter responded she did not need lessons about motherhood from him. Bianco’s reply, “Maybe you should” engendered a Porter glare and charge “you have shouted past me and not given me a chance to respond.”

The food fight was thus joined. When Steyer escalated matters by declaring ICE “a criminal organization,” Mahan immediately pointed out that Steyer had profited from detention-related investments, producing one of the evening’s cleanest hits and one of its loudest audience reactions.