Inside Golden State Politics

Out guest analyst, Jon Regardie, a respected political observer, thinks the mayoral race will get hot when the advertising takes off.  We discuss how the three of us can't and  won't predict  a winner.

We push the pause button to check out where we are as we approach the mid-term elections.  And we worry  about what appears to be election chaos and Trump's use of the United States Postal Service to determine who gets to vote.

Can Trump limit mail voting in this year's elections?   If he succeeds, many Americans could be disenfranchised.  We also check in on the race for mayor of Los Angeles.  

We dig deeper into what was gained—and not gained—from the recent debate between incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and her opponent, Councilmember Nithya Raman. 

We continue our analysis of what the primaries are telling us about the Democrats intraparty fighting.  We look at Trump's continued drop in the polls and his shaky record in primary endorsements.  

We examine the fallout from the Michigan Democratic Senate and  Congressional primaries.  We check on the status of the  Los Angeles mayor's race.

Nationally-known housing policy expert David Garcia walks us through recent national, state and local attempts at housing reform. 

We look at President Trump's defense of ICE traffic stops.  We examine the impact of age, illness and death on the midterm elections.   We discuss the seemingly invisible campaigns for California governor and Los Angeles mayor.

We discuss the impact of the left- leaning Democratic Socialists on national and local elections.  We advise candidates to do opposition research on themselves before jumping into the fray.

Democrats and Republicans fumed over  two different SCOTUS bombshell decisions: birthright citizenship and campaign finance.   Meanwhile, Democratic divisions over Israel grew more intense.

We offer our reflections on the Reflecting Pool. We pinpoint shifting attitudes toward Israel In U.S. politics. We wonder whether Trump will declare a state of emergency before the November elections.

Trump applies cage fight politics to a prime foe, California Gov. Gavin Newsom. And we apply cage fight politics to each other, arguing over California's slow vote count.

With our guest, Mike Bonin, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute For Public  Affairs and a former Los Angeles City Council member, we take on the election results and discuss what they could  mean for the future of Los Angeles.

We examine the still-unfinished California primary election.  We look at the attacks by the Trump administration on the news magazine "60 Minutes" and the rest of the mainstream news media.

We wonder how Trump's revenge-tour primary victories will impact the November elections. And Los Angeles and the rest of California await the results of heated and confusing elections for California governor and mayor of Los Angeles.

It’s time to celebrate. Inside Golden State Politics has over 50,000 podcast downloads.This week we explain how artificial intelligence is changing political communications, using the Los Angeles mayor's race as an example. President Trump scores big in the recent GOP primaries.  We worry about a U.S. invasion of Cuba.    

When is old too old to run? Should  we ditch the top two primary?  What's stoking the gubernatorial campaign and the Los Angeles mayor's race? Let's discuss.

We dig into the California gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral  debates.  The candidates  skimmed over the issues.   In the end, there were no winners.

We share our observations about the disappointing California governor's  debate. We argue about the impact of prediction markets on the American political  process. 

Longtime California Republican strategist Jon Fleischman  guides us through the messy California governor's race and offers  his views on the future of the California Republican party.

We watch the campaigns for California governor and L.A. mayor dive into mud wrestling, a sport that leaves everybody dirty.

Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley Institute Of Governmental Studies poll, shares his thoughts on the state of polling and the governor's race.  Could California elect its first Republican governor in decades?

We explore the unexpected electoral challenge  to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass by Councilmember Nithya Raman.  Are the Democratic Socialists a new force in Los Angeles politics?

We're so overwhelmed with news that we'll skip Epstein and the Iran War. We discuss the controversial  voter ID legislation.   We talk about the mayors of Los Angeles and New York and their solutions to the housing problem.  

We check in on the status of the California governor's race  and the war in Iran.

President Trump's State Of The Union speech-- little in the way of policy but lots of politics.

Did the  Trump administration's attempts to muzzle late night hosts backfire? Also, we take a look at the final field of the Los Angeles mayoral race.

UCLA Law School Professor Richard Hasen,  a renowned expert on election law, guides us through an analysis of proposed election law reforms.   

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tells ICE to get out of Los Angeles. The arrest of two reporters heightens concern over freedom of the press.

We discuss Trump's proposal to take over reconstruction of SoCal's wildfire- damaged areas. We ponder the arrival  of the tabloid Caliornia Post.

Real estate developer Rick Caruso announces his exit from California electoral politics. The world watches Trump go TACO.

H.D. Palmer, deputy director of California's Department of Finance, walks us through Gov. Gavin Newsom's 2026-27  budget proposal. He's optimistic about the plan but concedes there are uncertainties.

Journalist and author Pilar Marrero takes us on a political tour of her Venezuela homeland's stormy present and uncertain future.

Jessica Altman, executive director  of Covered Califormia, the state-based Obamacare marketplace, walks us through the current health care crisis.

We examine the rocky road toward health care reform. We discuss the concerns being raised about Trump's health.  We take a  quick glance at the continuing saga of political frenemies Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris.

We look at the Caifornia governor's race.   We discuss whether the attacks on suspected drug boats constitute war crimes.  We're appalled  by the incredible  rudeness  President Trump displays toward women reporters.

We announce our annual "Turkeys  Of The Year" Awards.   We debate whether Trump's  power has eroded  after the Epstein files vote defeat.

We make our way through the political thicket paralyzing  Washington and reflect   on California's role in it

We examine the havoc caused by the shutdown and its impact on the elections and on Trump's favorability rating.  

A look at the upcoming elections in New Jersey, Virginia, New York and  California.

We wonder whether the energy from the No Kings protest will last.  We discuss the impact of the budget shutdown on the nation. We debate the destruction of the East Wing of the White House.

Los Angeles Times political columnist Mark Barabak, our guest, guides us through America's increasingly bitter political debate.  He asks if "we've lost our humanity."  We all agree that the country's best hope is to vote.

We watch Trump trying to settle scores  as his enemies list grows.   Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel's  fan list grows.  And we asses the impact of Kamela Harris' book promotion tour.  

We talk about the difference between the murder of Charlie Kirk and the killing of  Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. We discuss whether the President should try to calm America rather than stir hatred.

We take a critical look at the Supreme Court's decision allowing the Trump administration to continue sweeping  immigration raids  in Southern California.  And we examine the status of the national redistricting war and California's Proposition 50.  

 Bruce Cain, Stanford professor and redistricting guru, walks us through the escalating redistricting  battle.  

We range  all over the political map.  We look at Trump's seat- of -the -pants diplomacy and the risky battle the president and Gov. Gavin Newsom are waging for control of Congress.  

We discuss the National Guard's recent invasions of streets, parks and stores.  Is this a distraction for a president facing the Epstein problem and rising food prices?  We also talked about Trump's role in the Olympics, the escalating war over congressional  redistricting and the 60th anniversary of the Watts riots.

We argue over  Republican plans to maintain control of Congress by gerrymandering.  Sherry is incensed.  Bill is bored.  And yet again we dig into the Epstein saga.Comments? Suggestions? Complaints? Email us at:Bill: [email protected]: [email protected]