Watch parties came together across the Bay Area Thursday night to view the debate between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that aired on Fox News and was dubbed the “Great State Debate.”
In San Francisco, democrats drawn to Manny’s watch party were eager for entertainment.
“California and Florida are considered polar opposites, kind of,” said Daniel Sharaz. “It’s like the clash of a century kind of thing.”
For the most part, DeSantis took jabs at California.
“You almost have to try to mess California up,” he said during the debate. “That's what Gavin Newsom has done since he's been governor.”
While Newsom, who claims he won’t run in the next presidential election, took aim at DeSantis’ bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
“One thing we have in common,” he said, “neither of us will be the nominee for our party in 2024.”
That line stuck with Dustin Gardiner, co-author of the California Politico Playbook.
“That may already be the quote of the night, absolutely,” Gardiner said.
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Gardiner provided fact-checked corrections to some of the assertions moderator Sean Hannity made about California’s failures on crime and COVID response.
“DeSantis focused on this California takedown. It might not bode so well if you’re running for national office,” Gardiners said. “It’s interesting to me that that’s his focus versus the broader focus that Newsom seems to have.”
Throughout the 90 minute debate, DeSantis pointed to San Francisco repeatedly as an example of how he says California had lost its way.
“They’re easier on all these crimes that are leading to a collapse in the quality of life,” he said. “And if you just walk around San Francisco, you will see. And Governor Newsom was mayor of San Francisco.”
The San Francisco Republican Party Chairman, John Dennis, agreed at a separate watch party.
“Absolutely it resonates,” Dennis said. “The city is a mess. It’s a sad mess.”
Dennis sees the two governors as likely opponents — but not necessarily in the next presidential election.
“I think we’re watching previews of the 2028 presidential race,” he said.
NBC Bay Area Political Analyst Larry Gerson agreed, but he believed the debate — with its frequent shouting matches — did no one any favors, particularly viewers.
“The sad part is the clashes really prevented the comparisons from really coming out,” Gerson said. “Rather than taking in the data and the merits of the arguments, we were too busy trying to just understand the cacophony that occurred and tease out what was said.”
