Will Kamala Harris become the first Californian since Richard Nixon to lead the nation?
For people who care about democracy, this has been a good week. Many of us are feeling, maybe for the first time in a while, optimistic—or at least hopeful—about our political future. This warm feeling is made possible because a bunch of civic leaders, journalists and others, working individually and together, executed a master class in statecraft.
“Statecraft,” in its broadest and driest definition, is the art of governance. In a democracy, the term can be used to describe the way our elected leaders and others involved in politics wield power. Note that the skillful execution of political power is an art and not a science—it has been likened to “listening for the footsteps of God and catching his coattails as he strides by.”
In his five decades as a public servant, Joe Biden wielded power effectively and gracefully, but, in his Covid fever last week, he may have heard those footsteps heading away. He definitely also heard from leaders of his party, and finally heard a message that he had not allowed himself to hear for at least a couple of years.
As we’ve seen, the wave of gratitude that followed the president’s courageous decision to step aside and anoint his successor immediately morphed into a storm of enthusiasm, proving the collective wisdom of the longtime friends and allies who gently but firmly pulled the levers that dislodged him.
And here we are, with Kamala Harris making a strong bid to be the first Californian since Richard Nixon to serve as president of the United States. So the word of the week: Statecraft!
Although the initiative process — proposing new laws via ballot measures — has been in California’s constitution for more than a century, its use was fairly uncommon until the 1970s.
(07/30/2024) CalMatters
The official Watch Duty incident page for the massive Park Fire burning in Butte and Tehama Counties.
(07/27/2024) Watch Duty
After years of delay, a new California regulation to protect indoor workers from extreme heat is now in effect.
(07/25/2024) CalMatters
In his 2018 campaign, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would create 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. So far, the state has registered more than 180,000 new apprenticeships. Many of them are firefighters.
(07/25/2024) CalMatters
When California emerged from its colonial beginnings nearly two centuries ago and began coalescing into a distinct society, its towns and villages tended to be located either on navigable rivers, such as Sacramento, or around the 21 missions that Spanish explorer priests had established, such as San Diego.
(07/25/2024) CalMatters
“This doesn’t build public trust. Where is the evidence?” said Jeff Wenninger, a former Los Angeles Police lieutenant who oversaw use of force investigations.
(07/25/2024) CalMatters
California Forever’s announcement July 22 that it has decided to pull a ballot measure that would have let voters decide on a controversial planned city in rural Solano County drew swift reaction from political leaders and opponents.
(07/24/2024) Local News Matters
What happens when voters take to the ballot to thumb their nose at state housing law? Courts haven’t offered a clear answer.
(07/24/2024) CalMatters
The first two human cases of West Nile virus this season were reported in Yuba and Stanislaus Counties.
(07/24/2024) The Sacramento Bee
There never was much of a chance that California Gov. Gavin Newsom would be running for president this year, even if President Joe Biden were to step aside.
(07/23/2024) CalMatters
Following a report released the previous week by Solano County citing billions of dollars in costs and a host of other issues, California Forever pulled their initiative from the November ballot.
(07/23/2024) The Mercury News
