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🎙️ Straight Talk: Will O’Neill On California’s Energy Crisis, A New Assembly Republican Leader, The Governor’s Race, And Political Bias At The Orange County Fair
Few people understand Orange County politics—and the challenges facing California Republicans—as well as Will O’Neill.
As Chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, a former two-time mayor of Newport Beach, and a practicing attorney, Will has built a reputation for fiscal discipline, effective local government, and a willingness to challenge Sacramento’s policies directly.
I invited Will back to discuss his recent California Post column examining the connection between California’s energy policies and America’s national security.
We talked about why Californians pay substantially more for gasoline than residents of other states, how refinery closures and restrictions on domestic production have increased our dependence on foreign oil, and why importing energy from the Middle East and Asia carries consequences that extend far beyond the price at the pump.
We also discussed Assemblymember Ali Macedo’s election as the new leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus. Will offered his assessment of her leadership style, her performance during the Proposition 50 fight, and the importance of including Orange County Republicans as the caucus works to break the Democratic supermajority.
From there, we turned to the governor’s race. Will explained why he believes Xavier Becerra has little incentive to accept Steve Hilton’s challenge to a substantive debate—and why Becerra may prefer tightly controlled appearances rather than defending the Democratic record on affordability, energy, public safety, and other major issues.
Finally, we examined a controversy at the Orange County Fair. After excluding both major political parties from operating booths in the name of becoming “less political,” the taxpayer-owned fair displayed a photograph that appeared to celebrate the prospect of President Trump’s death. Will discussed the Republican Party’s response, the photograph’s eventual removal, and what the episode reveals about political conformity inside California government.
As always, Will brought strong opinions, sharp analysis, and plenty of straight talk.
Topics Covered
0:00 — Introduction and Will O’Neill’s background
3:05 — California’s energy crisis, gas prices, and national security
6:25 — Foreign oil dependence, refinery closures, and domestic production
12:50 — Ali Macedo and the future of Assembly Republican leadership
17:15 — Proposition 50 and breaking the Democratic supermajority
18:40 — Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra, and the governor’s race
23:40 — Political bias and controversy at the Orange County Fair
30:00 — Where to follow Will O’Neill
A Few Links:
Will O’Neill on X, and on Instagram.
The OC GOP website.
The column on the California Post that we discuss at the top of the show:
California’s high gas prices are Gavin Newsom’s fault — and a gift to China
And always: Jon Fleischman on X
Listen To This On Your Favorite Podcasting App! You can also listen to this post — along with my California Post column — on our podcast feed, So, Does It Matter? PODCAST. It’s available on your favorite podcasting app. You can listen directly here.
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Below the paywall, for our paid subscribers, is “One More Thing” with Will O’Neill. You don’t want to miss this!
