MISSED YESTERDAY’S SO, DOES IT MATTER? LIVE! HERE’S WHAT WE COVERED.
If you weren’t able to join yesterday’s Substack Live, this was a big one. We went deep on polling, the governor’s race, Republican strategy mistakes, education dysfunction, and the growing AI debate.
Here’s a breakdown of the key topics.
📊 PPIC POLL: THE STORY BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Everyone focused on the early governor’s race numbers. But the more important data was buried.
• A proposed $10 billion housing bond is sitting below 50%. That’s dangerous territory for any ballot measure.
• 55% of likely voters say they prefer lower taxes and fewer services over higher taxes and more government.
• Even in the Bay Area, voters lean toward smaller government.
That’s a disconnect between Sacramento and the electorate.
🏛 THE GOVERNOR’S RACE: WHY TWO REPUBLICANS IN THE RUNOFF IS UNLIKELY
Early polling shows a fractured field. But polling isn’t the real story — money is.
Public employee unions are sitting on massive war chests. If they intervene, they can elevate one Republican to block a Republican-on-Republican general election.
I explained why I believe Steve Hilton would likely be the Democrat-preferred GOP opponent in a Trump-centric general election strategy — and why Tom Steyer shouldn’t be underestimated simply because he flamed out in a presidential race.
⚠️ REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS MAKING STRATEGIC ERRORS
We discussed Republican votes supporting:
• A resolution urging extension of federal Obamacare subsidies
• Democrat-led “gotcha” resolutions condemning President Trump
Even when Trump does something wrong, voting with Democrats on symbolic condemnations is politically unwise. Politics is about uniting your base and dividing your opponent’s — not the other way around.
And yes, I name names. LOL.
🎓 LAUSD, SEARCH WARRANTS & ONE-PARTY GOVERNANCE
The DOJ executing search warrants on LAUSD’s superintendent is another example of what happens in a state with zero accountability pressure.
When one party controls everything, oversight collapses. That’s not partisan spin — that’s structural reality.
🤖 AI, KIDS, AND CONSERVATIVE BLIND SPOTS
We closed with something bigger: AI integration into daily life.
There’s economic upside. But there are real risks — particularly involving children and AI chatbots forming manipulative, pseudo-relationships.
Reflexively opposing regulation is as misguided as reflexively overregulating. Guardrails matter.
Want to zip to a particular part? This will help!
00:00 – Opening & Substack Live Format
02:00 – PPIC Poll: Housing Bond & Tax Preferences
08:45 – Governor’s Race Polling Breakdown
11:00 – Union Spending & Top Two Strategy
17:00 – Why Steve Hilton Could Be Elevated By The Least Likely Source
18:30 – Tom Steyer: Don’t Underestimate Self-Funding
20:30 – Republican Votes In Support Of Obamacare Subsidies
26:30 – And Voting For Political Resolutions Condemning President Trump
31:30 – California Post After One Month
35:00 – LAUSD DOJ Search Warrants
38:00 – AI, Kids & The Regulation Debate
42:30 – Closing Thoughts & Viewer Engagement
If you care about California politics beyond surface headlines, watch the full replay from yesterday’s SDIM Live!
And as always — reply, share, and let me know what you think.
You can listen to this in many ways. Of course, you can play the video above. You can also play the audio below. And if you search your favorite podcasting app for So, Does It Matter, The Podcast, you can listen on the go! You can go to our Podcasting Homepage to see all of the apps we are on.
You can also watch this on YouTube here.
