18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY July 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Close-up California’s image will be a weapon if Kamala Harris faces Donald Trump this year. By Dan Walters FORUM “Alright, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” Fading movie star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) utters those words in the final scene of Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder’s 1950 film noir that exposes the dark reality that lies behind Hollywood’s glamorous image. Desmond mistakes the newsreel cameras that will record her arrest for those of a studio that will capture her starring role in a new movie. Her delusion comes to mind while contemplating how California will fare if, as now seems almost certain, Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the Democratic nominee for president this year. It’s no secret that California, by far the most populous state, is not held in high esteem by those who live elsewhere. In fact, a 2023 study found that California is the fifthmost disliked state, behind Illinois, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. Non-Californians, especially those who live in socially and politically conservative states, tend to see California as a dystopia of crime and deviant behavior, unaffordable living costs and ruinous taxation. President Joe Biden’s historic announcement that he would drop his bid for a second term and throw his endorsement to Harris changes the dynamics of what would have been, and probably still is, an unpredictable contest. Former President Donald Trump was preparing to depict Biden as a doddering old man, incapable of governing, but now he will likely face Harris, who is two decades younger. He must devise a new strategy to prevail in the half-dozen or so swing states whose voters will ultimately decide which contender secures the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the White House. One element of that strategy will be to demonize California, where Harris was born and where she climbed the political ladder from San Francisco district attorney to state attorney general, U.S. senator and finally vice president. There’s no shortage of fodder for a “California is a cesspool” campaign in those swing states. Video images of California’s squalid encampments of homeless people and smash-andgrab store robberies, its embrace of undocumented immigrants and its tight gun control laws could be potent political ammunition. Trump will almost certainly claim that electing Harris would visit those California conditions on the nation as a whole, with illegal immigration perhaps being the most powerful potential issue in those decisive states. Harris—or whoever else winds up as the Democratic candidate— will, of course, pound on Trump’s many problems, including his conviction on felony charges and other pending criminal cases. She has been the Biden administration’s point person on using abortion rights to attract swing voters in the wake of the Supreme Court’s repeal of its Roe v. Wade decision. This is going to be a mudslinging duel to the finish, and California’s image will be a major weapon. Is California ready for its closeup? Dan Walters a columnist for CalMatters, where this story first appeared. OPINION This is going to be a mudslinging duel to the finish. Thank you for joining us! We’ll see you next year! DIAMOND SPONSOR CALIFORNIA ARTICHOKE ADVISORY BOARD PLATINUM SPONSORS TAYLOR FARMS OCEAN MIST FARMS GOLD SPONSOR ALADIN PROPERTIES SILVER SPONSORS KSBW 8 CENTRAL COAST ABC ESTRELLA TV COPPER SPONSOR BIANCHI, KASAVAN & POPE LLP BRONZE SPONSORS MAG ONE MEDIA MONTAGE HEALTH SAFEWAY, INC. CARA MIA SALINAS VALLEY HEALTH MICHELI/SCHREINER TRUST RAYNE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TOTAL WINE & MORE SAPPHIRE SPONSORS COMMERCIAL TRUCK CO STURDY OIL COMPANY WESCOM ArtichokeFestival.org The Artichoke Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, using the artichoke to raise money for the surrounding communities of Castroville, CA. GEM SPONSORS GROW GLOBE NORTH PRUNEDALE CHEVRON AMERICAN AG CREDIT NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS MECHANICS BANK SUPERIOR SLEEP EXPERIENCE MEDIA SPONSORS 102.5 KDON 105.1 KOCEAN LA PRECIOSA 100.7 Y 100.9 92.7 KTOM POWER TALK CENTRAL COAST INKIND SPONSORS BIMBO BAKERIES UNITED RENTALS C&N TRACTORS COASTAL TRACTORS JM EQUIPMENT K LIFT FRIEND OF THE THISTLE BRADY WEST A SPECIAL
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