The Newsom-DeSantis Debate, A Portrait of Modern Political Discourse
On November 30 in Alpharetta, Georgia, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis (R) clashed in what Fox News billed as the “Great Red vs. Blue State Debate.” Both Newsom and DeSantis, prominent figures in their respective parties, engaged in a 90-minute debate, which ended up being more of a shouting battle than a substantive discussion. The debate gave each governor a platform to defend their policies and the present condition of their states. DeSantis – who is in the middle of a lucrative 2024 presidential campaign in desperate need of a boost – saw this as an opportunity to put his face on the national stage and bolster his reputation within the Republican party. At the time of the debate, DeSantis lagged more than 40 points behind Donald Trump in Republican primary polls (Numbers which haven’t improved since. As of December 20, 2023, DeSantis stands at 11.9% to Trump’s 62%). Newsom acted as a representative for the Democratic party and, throughout the debate – despite accusations of running a “shadow campaign” – declared his support for President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign.
From the beginning, Newsom was at a disadvantage as the debate played out more like a two-versus-one. Not only did Newsom take on DeSantis but also the debate’s conservative moderator, Sean Hannity. Despite Hannity’s promises to serve as an “impartial” moderator, he repeatedly asked angled questions that tried to frame California and Newsom in a bad light. In addition to skewed infographics about gun violence, murder rates, and population movement from blue to red states that played into Fox News’ usual talking points, Newsom was fighting an uphill battle.
The two governors would touch on issues of the pandemic, abortion, the economy, immigration, gun violence, and cultural purges.
On the pandemic, DeSantis criticized Newsom for being a “lockdown governor” and shutting down schools and public spaces in response to the Coronavirus. Newsome responded that he had “followed science” and the advice of Former Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci. Additionally, Newsom pointed out that DeSantis declared a state of emergency before California and closed down Florida restaurants and beaches.
On abortion, the two demonstrated their starkly different positions. DeSantis, who recently approved a bill that banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy in Florida, of course, advocated for his pro-life position and his belief in a “culture of life.” However, he never explicitly advocated for a national ban, despite questioning from Newsom. Newsom supported his pro-choice position and when asked about late-term abortions, said that they are “extremely rare” and at that point, “it should be up to the mother and the doctor and her conscience.”
The debate, at times, became acutely personal and both parties resorted to personal attacks. Early on in the debate, DeSantis cited Newsom’s father-in-law as a person he talked to about poor conditions in California which made him subsequently move to Florida. Newsom later called DeSantis “weak, pathetic, and small.”
This culminated in the end of the debate when Newsom said to DeSantis, “You’re nothing but a bully.” DeSantis responded, “You’re a bully.”
Bringing up Newsom’s father-in-law was one of many of DeSantis’ anecdotes and antics during the debate. DeSantis repeatedly cited people he talked to on the streets of Florida and California as evidence of problems of immigration, high taxes, and high crime rates in California. At one point, DeSantis pulled out a map of Newsome’s native city, San Francisco. In contrast, Newsom relied on more empirical evidence to back up his claims and would use data to refute Hannity’s and DeSantis’ many attacks.
At the end of the debate, I was left wondering. What was the point? Hannity’s pleas for the two governors to cooperate failed as DeSantis and Newsom spent the majority of the debate’s runtime accusing each other of lying, talking over each other, hurling insults, and putting on forced smiles. I believe that this kind of political theater, while it may bring in viewers (4.7 million viewers for Fox to be exact), is ultimately unproductive and all too representative of the increasing polarization within our country. Also, notably, large issues like health care and America’s housing crisis were not even discussed. While there may be merit in Newsom’s aggressiveness and willingness to appear on Fox News knowing the odds were stacked against him, I doubt he shifted any perceptions of himself to Fox’s conservative base.