Due Diligence Questions

What we imagine is far worse than what is reality, unless there is something we need to know, so let's just get it out of the way.

This post started with thoughtful responses to my questions regarding Becerra from a reader.

They are someone I respect. Their point regarding Becerra is his resume:

25 years in Congress

4 years- State AG

4 years- Secretary of Health and Human Services (SecHHS)

If there was dirt there, would it have not come out?

Well, Dana Williamson is all I have to say, but that was after his vetting for those positions.

Also, Swalwell, he was 13 years in Congress- and?

Safe congressional seats

Becerra was appointed AG by Jerry Brown (did not run for the position until already an incumbent).

Becerra was not unanimously pushed through to be Sec HHS- he was a tie and broken by the VP, so he was not without controversy. However, the hearings during the Biden Administration did not focus on character assassinations per se, rather, they were about policy differences and extremism, so if there were issues, they would not have surfaced then (unlike Pete Hegseth, or Matt Gaetz for instance).

My point is this, we had the trauma of Swalwell and his lack of vetting (publicly by the Media).

If I was a candidate, I would hold a media event and say, “ask me what you want to know. I will answer it.”

And, here is the next part, the real kicker, “for those who do not, what do you have to hide?”

Finally, I would say, “the citizens of California have been through enough. I challenge the Media to treat us fairly and ask what people need to know so they can make the best decisions without manipulation and controversy. For those afraid to stand up and face the Media, well, that speaks for itself.”

This way, there is no more innuendo, no more “sand bag” moments, no more wasted time. We have 2 weeks until ballots; 6 weeks until votes close.

Honesty is what we need, what the voters deserve, and if you are what you project, then you own your history, own your faults, own your skeletons.

If you do not, well, that says a lot about you and whether you are ready to be Governor.

To those who say being a billionaire hedge fund manager, the mayor of a city of 1 million people, or a Congresswoman of a million or so people qualifies you to be executive of a State of 40 million people, a budget exceeding whole countries, and the 4th largest economy in the world deserves some real answers to real questions. None have been subject to those kinds of questions. Even running a sprawling bureaucracy like the Attorney General’s Office in California or the Department of Health and Human Services does not compare, though it is 1/4 of the size of the California budget.

We get a debate tonight, but there will be more. It is not what you know, it is what you don’t know, and now we are trying to see through the bravado and smoke and mirrors to see who is really what, and with a very compressed timeline.

That is why I am offering the challenge.

We can all poke holes in the background, the resumes, the history, but none of us can do anything until you stand before a press conference, and fairly asked questions.

If punches are pulled, the people will know, they will understand the “kid glove” treatment is for a reason.

It would be interesting to see if anyone takes it up. Otherwise, we get to do the conjecture, we get to ask the questions with no answers, wondering what lurks behind the surface.

In politics, the goal is to make the imaginer active in the supposition of what is wrong, and honestly, the truth (other than Swalwell) is usually less scary.

Since the Media does not traffic in writing stories about rumors (per Mark Barabak), let’s bring the story to them.

Let them ask, like in the West Wing Episode with Arnie Vinick answering questions ad nauseam until there are no more questions. Take the questions head on. Answer them honestly. Give the people what they deserve.

Then we know what have going into the Primary.

Those not willing to do it will show themselves quickly and easily. Governing is tough. Being the Governor of California is tougher yet. What is the leverage people will use? We saw it with Swalwell. We got lucky for the bravery of some and the story finally getting out (whatever your thoughts on the details of the event). Let’s not repeat the error, hoping the timeline is so tight so as to keep us from getting to the heart of the story.

Put the questions to rest and help us move on to the policy questions not the popularity contest. That is my challenge to each and every candidate still standing.