Good morning. It's Thursday, Nov. 30. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
Hope for substance, brace for spectacle
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are set to meet at 6 p.m. PST for a televised 90-minute debate on Sean Hannity's Fox News show.
And there's plenty to debate — about policy, about partisanship, but especially about the debate itself.
As some have noted, the event, announced in September, is a bit weird. Newsom and DeSantis aren't running against each other in 2024, though they have obvious ambitions for higher office that could come to a head in 2028. DeSantis is running for president, but anyone who's not Trump is trailing well behind in national polls for the Republican nomination (though polls nearly a year before the election should be taken with a bag of salt).
And there's been some notable media attention, including in Los Angeles Times coverage, on California and Florida as two opposing ideological fortresses. So when the figureheads of those two fortresses meet to discuss why they feel their brand of governing is better than their rival's, it's big news — and probably good TV.
In a press release, Fox News said the debate will "examine the vastly different approaches the two governors have and offer insights into their political philosophies as well as ambitions for the nation." Newsom and DeSantis will debate without an in-studio audience, discussing a range of issues including the economy, immigration, crime and inflation.
But can the debate avoid becoming a preordained mudfest and reach a good faith discussion on the issues people in California, Florida and beyond care about?
Christina Bellantoni, a professor at USC Annenberg School of Journalism, hopes voters will "be able to hear an articulated difference in party philosophy." But expectations are low.
Bellantoni, who was previously an assistant managing editor for politics at The Times, views the debate as a clear win for Fox News' and other media outlets' ratings. It also benefits both governors' national profiles. As for viewers — the people that could vote one of these men into higher office one day — it could prove more meaningful because it hits closer to home.
"A lot of people really are invested in their state versus the party — they're California proud or they're Florida proud," she said. "There is a sense that people are deeply rooted in what they like about their state."
Bellantoni told me the debate has more potential to be substantive than what could be found among the sea of podiums in recent Republican candidate debates. The matchup also serves as a sort of proxy for a Biden-Trump debate, she noted. She hopes they'll stick to policy discussion and avoid steering into identity politics, which "can get really gross really fast."
"These are not just political talking points — it's not just a cage match," she explained. "You really are talking about how much money people are paying for taxes. Whether the roads have potholes or not. If you're allowed to have an abortion. These are big, substantive things that these governors are in charge of."
"I would hope that the substance of this conversation doesn't get lost in the spectacle," Bellantoni added.
This sort of event is also not without precedent. As my colleague Mark Z. Barabak wrote earlier this year, the matchup recalls the May 1967 debate between Ronald Reagan and Robert F. Kennedy, another opposing pair with big ambitions.
So, whether you plan to tune in for the entertainment value or a thoughtful debate on issues you care about — or maybe a little of both — The Times will be covering the debate and offering context on the back-and-forth between DeSantis and Newsom.
You can check out our California vs. Florida cheat sheet to learn more about both governors and their policies ahead of the debate.
Today's top stories
Homes on Peartree Lane in Rolling Hills Estates continue to slide downhill months after the hillside below gave way. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Today's great reads
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
California vs. Florida: Why are people moving from one state to the other? Cross-country moves between progressive California and conservative Florida have taken an outsize role in the rivalry between Govs. Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom.
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For your downtime
Ana Maria Martinez as Catrina and Daniela Mack as Frida Kahlo in Los Angeles Opera's 2023 production of "The Last Dream of Frida and Diego." (Cory Weaver / LA Opera)
Going out
Staying in
And finally ... from our archives
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Forty-one years ago, Michael Jackson released "Thriller," which became the best-selling album in the world and won a record-setting eight Grammy Awards. For the album's 26th anniversary, The Times published 25 "Thriller" facts, namely that the album's phenomenal success led to a breaking down of traditional racial barriers on FM radio at the time.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Elvia Limón, multiplatform editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Laura Blasey, assistant editor
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