Want to see an ongoing demoralization campaign in real time? Look to the California governor’s race.
Polls show Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton by double digits, and some Republicans already seem to have decided the race is over.
Friends and acquaintances keep asking me, “Dex, what do you think of the governor’s race?” My answer is simple: ignore the polls, get out and vote.
That question is rarely about the candidates themselves. They’re really asking, “Is Steve Hilton done?” The only useful response is to reject that premise and show up.
Hilton is not a full-throated MAGA supporter. Despite President Trump’s endorsement, Hilton has deliberately downplayed that support to reach undecided and moderate voters.
Given Trump’s supposed weak numbers in California, the strategy is understandable, even if it frustrates conservatives who want a more aggressive fighter. Whether that tightrope walk ultimately helps or hurts Hilton remains to be seen.
Hilton’s performance in the Sept. 30 debate with Becerra is beyond doubt. If you missed it, you can watch the full debate on YouTube. Hilton dominated.
He hit Becerra with hard facts, including his failure as HHS Secretary to account for hundreds of thousands of missing migrant children during the Biden border surge. He also reminded voters that Becerra once gave Gavin Newsom an “A” for how he handled California’s homelessness crisis.
Becerra largely stuck to the familiar script: Trump will take away abortion rights, and Trump’s policies will close clinics, and so on. He stayed on message and avoided major stumbles, which is why liberal pundits declared him the winner. But Hilton landed sharper blows and refused to play defense.
Afterward, a quiet media effort seemed to bury the debate. For a major gubernatorial matchup, it drew surprisingly little sustained discussion. Becerra has also declined a second debate and limited his public appearances: an approach that feels familiar to anyone who watched Joe Biden in 2020.
None of this changes the fundamental point. Polls and media narratives routinely suppress conservative turnout by convincing people the outcome is already decided. That is the real trap.
Hilton may not be the MAGA candidate many California Republicans prefer. However, Hilton is the first serious chance, in over a decade, to begin breaking Democratic control of the state. That is worth fighting for.
Patriotic Californians cannot afford to sit this election out. Give the finger to the narrative that your vote is worthless because the polls say Hilton cannot win.
To quote Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe’s reply to the Germans’ demand for American surrender at Bastogne: “Nuts!”
Whenever we read or hear about demoralizing poll numbers aimed at conservatives, our response should be: “Nuts!”
Americans never quit when it all seemed lost at the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. Their weapons were artillery and small arms fire.
Now, the weapons are our votes. With that said, do everything you can to defeat the enemy. Get out and vote, whether by mail or in person!
