Just taking a few notes here as I watch this thing.
Newsom gets points for appearing on Fox, kudos.
Nothing Newsom will say about his record in California will be true.
Nothing DeSantis says will change his fate in the 2024 primary.
Hannity begins by asking about people leaving blue states for red.
DeSantis begins sharply, blaming Newsom personally. This is a bogus move because the question is about policy, not personalities. He went political and I think it made him look small, left an opening for Newsom.
Newsom says he's there to compare Biden-Harris's record to DeSantis's record (which is smart, because his own record is poor). He ignores the question about people leaving blue states for red states by going straight for the cultural questions, accusing DeSantis of "banning" blah blah.
Hannity and DeSantis point out he didn't answer the question.
Newsom talks about how great California is. "California simply has no peers." He's right! But the question is about momentum, not resting on past achievements. California is heading in the wrong direction.
DeSantis gets a good shot in by noting that Newsom's in-laws moved to Florida. Newsom says more Floridians are moving to California in the last two years.
The next question is about taxes ... Newsom talks about high taxes in Florida, and DeSantis rightly points out that nobody moves from Florida to California to pay lower taxes. Newsom starts talking about "Bidenomics" and gets petty, hitting DeSantis for "smiling and smirking."
The debate meandered into regulation, COVID... I've lost track. Newsom is hitting DeSantis ... from the right? I can't follow.
The next question is about immigration. Newsom accuses DeSantis of favoring amnesty in Congress, and then "using people as pawns" in sending migrants to Martha's Vineyard (which was brilliant, IMO).
The debate's half over, and I've learned nothing, except maybe that political leaders at the top of the American pile have no idea how to talk to each other, or to the people.
Second half... we're on to questions about crime.
Hannity asks Newsom about California's high crime rate. Newsom says "we're near 50-year lows."
Next comes mass shootings.
Then book bans.
DeSantis just did something really important: he brought one of the supposedly "banned" books, "Genderqueer," to the debate. I happen to think this book is OK for older teenagers, but DeSantis is right that it's not age-appropriate for young children. That's not banning books.
Newsom accuses DeSantis of demeaning LGBTQ people. No examples. Hannity nails Newsom by asking him whether pornographic books should be in schools; he dodges.
The next question is a shouting match on abortion. Newsom tries desperately to avoid answering the question about whether he favors abortion until birth. Clearly he does.
Then we're on to a question about Biden, and whether he should step aside.
Next: gas prices, and whether there's an alternative on fossil fuels
DeSantis nails Newsom on his phony claim about gas prices being caused "price gouging" by oil companies by asking an obvious question: is California the only state where they are "gouging"? He points out California's insane EV mandates as an example of bad energy policy driving higher prices.
I actually think DeSantis is getting stronger. He's better against Democrats than against Republicans.
The last segment of the debate is about homelessness, a major problem in California (and going down in Florida). DeSantis hits the piñata. Newsom: goes for social issues, avoids the question.
DeSantis brings up the San Francisco poop reporting app!
Last question, on foreign policy: how can Israel win the way Biden is restricting it?
OK, actual last question, on China.
DeSantis says it's the #1 threat.
Newsom talks about Nikki Haley.
Hannity asks what each loves about the other's state.
"I do believe California has more natural advantages than any state in the country." - DeSantis, regretting that Californians are leaving.
Newsom doesn't say anything about Florida. Praises DeSantis's family and military service.
DeSantis wins. But I'm biased against Newsom.
I started out thinking that this was a bad idea for DeSantis. Now I think DeSantis made the case that he can debate Democrats (after struggling against Republicans). He took down the supposed "better" alternative to Biden. I'm not going to predict a DeSantis comeback, but he did very well for himself.
I should have noted in my message about the weekly Torah portion that this week is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. We are about to mourn -- but see through that pain to something better that lies beyond, on the other side.
Wishing you the best vision -- and an incredible reality to follow. It happens!
We begin the final speech of Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He relates the ups and downs of the years of wandering in the desert, before, finally, the people have the merit to enter the land itself.
This Sabbath always precedes Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Holy Temples, and a catch-all for many calamities that befell the Jewish people.
A word on Tisha B'Av. This year I am leaving for an overseas trip during the afternoon of the holiday -- in the middle of a fast day. Not idea, but there was no other choice. But my flight is in the afternoon, which is significant.
We relax some of the harsh, mournful customs of the day in the afternoon. We start to pray normally; we sit on regular chairs; we start to have hope again in the redemption that will, one day, lead us all back from exile to our home.
I'll be taking a trip to a land where an important part of ...
President Trump is in Scotland, playing golf and making big trade deals -- a major deal with the EU, in fact. Meanwhile, there is a global outcry about humanitarian aid to Palestinians (not about the Israeli hostages, mind you).
On top of that, Democrats are at their lowest polling numbers ever -- so they are trying to win control of the House by redistricting in the middle of a 10-year Census cycle. Oh, economic optimism is up, so they have a tough road.
And Tulsi Gabbard's revelations about the Russia collusion investigation make it clear that Obama's lieutenants lied to Congress. How deeply was he himself involved? The media continue to ignore the evidence, but we certainly won't.
Special guests:
Nick Gilbertson - Breitbart News White House correspondent, on EU deal
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Trump abroad and Russia
John Spencer - urban warfare expert, on humanitarian aid and war in Gaza
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the ...
