The University of Southern California (USC) is under fire after canceling the California gubernatorial debate with less than 24 hours’ notice. The reason? None of the polling candidates are people of color. It was a crushingly revealing moment in a state where universities have long defied voters who demanded an end to affirmative action in admissions.
USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future and ABC/KABC Los Angeles were scheduled to co-host the debate at Bovard Auditorium on Tuesday evening. Then it was canceled on Monday.
Former Biden Health and Human Services Secretary and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra had sent a letter to President Beong-Soo Kim, alleging “election rigging” and objecting “you disqualified all of the candidates of color from participating.”
For many, USC succeeded in beclowning itself by first defending USC Professor Christian Grose’s “data-driven” selection process and then abruptly canceling the debate lineup selected through that process. If that seems incomprehensible, welcome to American higher education.
The cancellation is only the latest unexpected turn in the election, where the two top vote-getters will face each other in a runoff election.
California Democrats are in a panic as two Republicans currently top the polling: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and commentator Steve Hilton.
At the same time, the leading Democrats include controversial candidates such as Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Eric Swalwell. Porter is best known nationally for spewing profanity and abuse at staff members. Last year, Swalwell was outvoted by Rep. Raul Grijalva, who died in March 2025. However, they are still doing markedly better than Becerra with voters.
USC insisted that it “vigorously defends the independence, objectivity, and integrity of USC Professor Christian Grose, whose data-driven candidate viability formula is based on extensive research and enjoys broad academic support.”
That “data-driven system” produced a lineup of Bianco and Hilton as well as Democrats Tom Steyer, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Rep. Katie Porter, and Rep. Eric Swalwell.
Advocates then went into full rage, calling the process racist and rigged. Becerra declared:
“USC goes to great lengths to justify its exclusionary candidate formula. But you can’t escape the detestable outcome: you disqualified all of the candidates of color from participating while you invited a white candidate who has NEVER polled higher than some of the candidates of color, including me.”
However, USC noted:
“Polling percentage and fundraising were used to determine a candidate’s viability formula, according to the methodology. The polling percentage was determined by the most recent Public Policy Institute of California survey, and the fundraising component took the total amount raised divided by the number of days a candidate was in the race. Polling, though, was weighted more than fundraising because that “is a snapshot measure of actual voters’ opinions.”
Becerra has been shown at 3 percent, notably within the statistical margin of error for most polls. In other words, he could be closer to zero. (He is shown as tied with Mahan, who Becerra appears to be referencing in his letter as lacking higher polling).
The debate organizers then yielded after trying to expand the number of participants to appease objectors. USC Professor Morris Levy with Heterodox wrote:
“We recognize that concerns about the selection criteria for tomorrow’s gubernatorial debate have created a significant distraction from the issues that matter to voters. Unfortunately, USC and [debate co-sponsor] KABC have not been able to reach an agreement on expanding the number of candidates at tomorrow’s debate. As a result, USC has made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow’s debate and will look for other opportunities to educate voters on the candidates and issues.”
Becerra took a victory lap: “We fought. We won! … Thank you to everyone who stood up, raised hell and demanded justice. Never give up when you’re fighting for fairness!”
At least Becerra’s position is comprehensible. He has long defended affirmative action in California. Indeed, despite statewide votes against the practice, California universities continue to be accused of applying racial criteria in admissions. Becerra is effectively demanding such action for himself as a “candidate of color.”
USC was left stumbling in search of a place to hide. USC scholars defended the process that USC affectively scuttled:
“All of us expect and welcome critical engagement from inside and outside the academy. What Professor Grose has faced, however, is not substantive or methodological debate. Attacks and insinuations from members of the political classes include completely baseless allegations of election-rigging, inconsistency, bias and data manipulation. These are harmful character assassinations, not substantive debate. They are of a piece with other attempts to strong-arm or malign scholars that have become all too common in America.
Whatever their intent, the effect of these attacks is to diminish academic freedom and chill scholarly willingness to add their voices to the public square. It is imperative that universities defend their faculties’ integrity when it is unfairly attacked.”
That is a powerful statement if one does not then consider that the university caved, cancelled the debate, and meekly said that it will “look for other opportunities to educate voters on the candidates and issues.” The “strong-arming” succeeded.
What is particularly disappointing is that I just spoke at USC and was impressed with the members of the USC community seeking to restore a diversity of viewpoints. The event was sponsored by The Center for the Political Future, which was the sponsor of the debate. It was also organized by the USC Open Dialogue Project and the USC chapter of the Heterodox Academy. Both have written in defense of this process.
So Heterodox, The Center for the Political Future, and ABC7 issued statements indicating that they were prepared to go forward and also defended the process of selection. That left only USC.
In this controversy, USC succeeded in finding the least defensible ground to make its stand. It denounced the cancel campaign but then effectively yielded to it.
The alternative is to stand by your race-blind, data-driven process and hold the debate for all invited candidates willing to attend.
Where USC was criticized recently for its fake punt in the game with Northwestern, it actually punted in this play and left the field.
Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”
N.B: This column was altered to change the attribution of a quote to Mr. Levy.
Beccera should climb out of his skin and climb into common sense. What he and the rest of his ilk have been advocating for years is the reason why he fails.
I suspect the Democrats will do what they’ve done a lot lately: payoff the least-electable deviants to drop out. Swalwell will get another date with Fang-Fang; Porter will get etiquette lessons. Free mansions for every socialist kingpin, and California voters will vote for it–at least the dead ones. Democracy dies in darkness and then rises from the dead to vote, again.
The dog f#$ker moans at the circle jerk ^^.
Mr Dio,
I have no dog in this fight (not being from CA, and being currently in New England), but from what I’ve seen about this the last couple days, Swalwell will be their best bet. He already has a public name, tarnished as it is, and is already in the “in” crowd.
Then again, their entire grift is based on constantly one-upping each other in the Oppression Olympics, so who knows? Maybe they’ll all ‘have a change of heart’ and rally around the squeaky-wheel Becerra.
Whatever they decide, it will be a backroom deal as usual. So much for democracy 🙁
They will give “gifts” to everyone but Swalwell and Porter because they are the it girls in CA politics. Of course that neglects the fact they are both just horrible people.
The Dems never really want to debate because they are on the losing side of 80-20 issues. You see Republicans go on NBC. ABC anf CBS every Sunday and yet you never see Dems go on Fox. Repubs get the dreaded follow up question along with the nasty sneer while Dems get the easy lay up with the friendly smile.
The Dems didn’t want this debate, even with three friendly moderators, because they might accidentally get asked about the poor girl killed by an illegal in Chicago the day before or what they would do about Iran or what they think about men in woman’s sports. They might get asked about deporting illegals or if funds should be cut off from them for health care, housing, food assistance, schooling, phones and attorney fees. They might get asked if they remember saying Biden was sharp as a tack.
Eric Swalwell was on the debate in his run for president and he dropped out shortly after. We have all seen how well Katie Porter does when relating to people, ha. They don’t want people to see UNSCRIPTED Swalwell and Porter, they only want the voters to only see them in ads and on friendly podcasts.
“never really want to debate …” Now if that isn’t the stupidest thing you ever written.
Where the f do you come up with such nonsense?
HAve you seen Katie Porter when asked a FRIENDLY question? Have you ever seen Swalwell go on Fox and even if he did they would be kind to him, unlike the nasty shrews on ABC, CBS and NBC.
Ever see aa conservative speaker on a college campus? Why not? Because they can’t debate the issues. Ever see a liberal banned from a campus? Why not? Because we can debate the issues.
Now go back to being a parasitic juvenile.
See Porter and so what. She’s a politician. That’s what they do.
You, what is your claim to fame? Screaming hate and vile insults at everyone yo dare criticize you.
You are the incarnation of hate.
By watching Democrats. He’s right, you know.
Oh, its just you, the local idiot savant. Hey spew some Latin dude.
At least he is more well-learned than you, stultissime.
“more well”, not “better”? You must be upstate.
HullBobby,
Well said. Look at the Harris campaign. 107 days and some $1.5 billion spent and they still failed even with all the friendly MSM coverage, and even 60 Minutes having to resort to “editing” to make her word salad responses look like . . . something.
And they wonder why the public trust in these institutions are so low.
Harris shredded trump in their debate.
If Harris shredded Trump in the debate, why did she still lose?
Additional point: If Kamala was just as popular as Joe during the campaign, why did she get 75 Million votes and 266 EC, to Joe’s 81 Million and 306 EC? Whereas Trump got 74 and 77 in 2020 and 2024, respectively. Independents stayed around 2.8, so where did those 6 million go?
(sourced from The American Presidency Project website, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/2020 and /2024)
That’s why she won so many states?!?!??!?
Fumy you should mention word salad. Your comments are the epitome of a word salad.
You’re just a fool who recites FOX the news day after day.
You haven’t an original thought in your pathetic being.
You silly old man, crawl back in your hole.
Question, what have you done to prevent liberals from taking over the USA? Answer: zero, just whine like a Karen every day.
“Fumy you should mention word salad.”
“Fumy,” eh? Where did you go to college? Must be a recent Harvard grad.
I do not watch Fox news. I rarely go to their website.
Still living with mommy and daddy? They really are embarrassed by your “failure to launch.”
What have I done to prevent liberals from taking over America?
I voted for Trump.
I will vote for Republicans in 2026.
I will vote for Vance in 2028.
Too bad you weren’t there to put the R in office in Piggy Crimewave’s district last night. That loss tells you magats what’s on tap coming up. That’s why he’s amping up the voter fraud op being run from the oval.
Who cares? B-B-buy-by-bye.
Upstate, this parasitic juvenile Anonymous is just the latest activist we have to deal with here but he too will be off the site soon. George, Svelaz, Gigi, they all finally got bored of being idiots.
More likely they saw the red wave and bailed before the whole place turned against them. Allows them to maintain the pretense that the majority is solidly blue when polls say exact opposite. Even most blue states are near the edge of the red tide.
Red wave… plausible, very plausible. This guy is thinking.
Isn’t White a color ? lol
Ask gdonaldallen, he knows everything.
“…poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids!”
Turls has a point…, just hold the debate. R’s won’t win Cali.
Turls=moron.
I’m not sure if you actually know what you wrote, Slobby…, but it’s hilarious.
How did USC not see this coming? Did anyone look at their “data-driven” research look at the results and think, “Hey, if we went forward with this, we just might get some push back.”
Or did their “higher education” arrogance get the best of them?
Put all the candidates on the stage and have them debate, openly before the public. Let the public see and hear what they have to say and how the candidates respond to questions in a formal setting.
All? Why should USC do as you demand? You’re not a voter there so shut up.
Nasty parasite.
You slobering old hateful drunk.
Likely, the DNC, CA Branch, saw nothing wrong with this, because for all their harping about DEI, AA, uplifting ‘minority and oppressed’ voices, at the end of the day they are the biggest racists and bigots who want to have only one skin color at the top, because to them, it is the smartest, cleanest, best color.
It’s a jungle primary: https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-primary/governor.pdf
There are four candidates with last initial “A”, four with “B”, and that’s as far as I counted.
The problem here is a lack of good democratic candidates let alone good candidates who are non white. Perhaps the people of CA are waking up. One has to wonder why a bright young person of either left or right persuasion would want to step into CA politics. The state has been ruined and it is entirely the fault of democrats.
JT, I hope you’ll discuss the thunderbolt from New Mexico — a jury just found Meta liable for mental health problems caused in children through intentionally-designed social media addiction. This is a huge case in American law.
I’m thinking back to how 70% of adults smoked in the ’50s, and now it’s < 7%. Many civil lawsuits tried and failed to pin the health damage on the tobacco companies — but then they started winning those suits.
Again today, we are celebrating America the self-correcting system, with its civil law system that puts power in the hands of ordinary people to challenge the most powerful forces arrayed against them.
@pbinca
I saw that. Given all that is permitted in NM, it feels awfully pyrrhic, which makes me question the motivation; My family has been in that region for over 100 years, NM doesn’t self-correct a whole heckuva lot. It isn’t much better than any other mad and corrupt blue place in nearly every other regard.
Yes, huge win for humanity. Destroy Meta, tar & feather Zuckerberg.
@Anonymous
No, as stated, NM is corrupt as hell. This is also happening and has been in the works for a while. Lujan is a snake:
https://sourcenm.com/2025/06/12/nm-gov-touts-1b-partnership-on-new-geothermal-plant-for-metas-data-center-power-needs/
This is the system that gets totally unqualified people appointed to California’s department heads, so that when expertise is needed it is not there. The LA fires come to mind. As does education.
However, they did a good job strangling the oil industry as if cars and trucks are going to run on free dream vapor.
Amish Warrior,
Thank you for pointing those examples out.
Speaking of failed CA education, California Schools Try Rap While Scores Keep Falling
https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2026/03/23/california-schools-try-rap-while-scores-keep-falling-n4950986#google_vignette
And what exactly does that prove? Heck you never made it thru grammar school.
“unqualified people appointed”. How would yo know that to be a fact, from FOX news etc. Or you’re a qualified HR big mouth?
Paper qualifications vs competency of actions, you troll. Yes, they likely have lots of prestigious gold-filigree’d papers from prestigious academies and universities, but they are wholly unqualified to actually perform the actions of their appointed stations. Like the fire chief in LA who wouldn’t pull a man out of a burning building. I would guess, based on her proportions, she wouldn’t even be able to drag a pressurized hose across a flat parking lot.
Conversely, we can look at a bit of history of today. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, on this day, 25 March 1993, got his GED at 60, after excelling his business to the top while being a high-school dropout. He had no papers for being smart, business-like, or accomplished. But he did the work, put in the time, and succeeded anyways, and earned those accolades.
TLDR; just because you have a paper doesn’t mean you can actually do a job. And, just because you don’t have a paper, doesn’t mean you can’t learn.
That is actually a good observation.
Our society automatically assumes someone with a “paper” is immediately intelligent or of having some kind of value to society.
However, I have known a number of people who might have a “paper” who cannot lead their way out of a paper bag, change a tire, raise simple small livestock.
Dave Thomas, an excellent example of a self made man. Thank you for pointing that out.
Why should anyone be siurprised? I mean, it’s California, home of the crazy and WOKE.
Jonathan, did you not read the entire USC statement, that they and the TV station could not come to agreement? Don’t let your disdain for DEI mess up your IQ
But that wouldn’t fit his narrative and sell his books. Turdley is a partisan hack. That’s the whole schtick. It’s honestly so tiresome. His blog is just a way to shill his books….
and yet you keep coming here to inform the public that Turley is a bad man?
Re: “and yet you keep coming here to inform the public that Turley is a bad man?” Still can’t persuade ya’ll to cease entertaining these fools and their inane comments. There’d be less to scroll down to find worthwhile conversation.
What agreement? There was a threatened boycott, the left’s heckler veto, if there weren’t CofC invited and they weren’t able to change the format to allow 6 more fools on the stage.
Public service announcement: Can anybody translate that into something coherent?
Me thinks he’s drunk again.
Come On Man! Couldn’t Cali find at least ONE candidate that “identifies” as a person of color? How about who “identifies” as a Satanist or as Trisexual or some other as some other fringe element of Planet Earth? Gotta be a few freaks out there who want to be Governor of Californication!! The Freak University demands DIE candidates! Haha!!!!
Color? Does a clown costume count? That’s at the least colorful right?
I guess there was some sort of logic there at USC, in making this decision. It’s sort of like I voted for the Bill ( in congress) before I was against it.
I am going to have to think long and hard about this decision making loop before rendering a verdict)
Pause:
After deep thought for about 15 seconds I have concluded that these people are insane, maybe terminally.
Some sort of logic? Really? What a keen intellect you are, but you couldn’t identify that “some sort of logic”‘
Anon leave him alone, or he’ll start crying.
GEB has more logic and common sense than anything you have ever had.
Your parents agree with him and me.
One can clearly see the male attraction between you two… dumb and dumber.
You definitely hurt anon’s feeling with that one. At least he has parents. You?
Me? Yep. And they are dang proud of all I have accomplished.
Annony’s parents? Oh, they are ashamed of their “failure to launch” jellyfish of a man-child. Nearly 30 year old Gen Z, still living with them, totally dependent on them for everything. Cannot get a job, a place of his own, a girlfriend. They even asked GEB for a referral for a psych evaluation to get jellyfish off the couch and into a mental health program.
Heard you kids finally made into kindergarten after 30 years of trying.
And you, ever graduate from kindergarten?
And, saw your chubber wife hanging around dunkin donuts.
With a mouthful of something.
Seeing as how I was in the Marine Corps, it is obvious I graduated high school.
The Army just upped the max age for enlistment to 42. Your parents wanted me to tell you in hopes you can still make something of yourself and quit being a burden on them.
This is how closet racists and bigots practice self-immolation. Dare the stooges realize it?
“This is how closet racists and bigots practice self-immolation.”
Speaking of self-immolation, wasn’t it the woke Democrats in California who pushed for and achieved a “first past the post” election system? I’m thrilled to see that those individuals appear to be caught in their own trap, as the two candidates currently leading in the gubernatorial race are both Republicans who lean conservative (at least in the context of California politics). I’m laughing my A off at them. Be cautious about what you wish for, folks. If the current polling trend persists, how long do you think it will take before a Democratic candidate or coalition files a lawsuit to halt the very practice they so passionately supported? 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…
Two Republicans Currently Lead California Governor’s Race And Could Lock Out Dems In General Election
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/two-republicans-currently-lead-california-governors-race-and-could-lock-out-dems-general
“Two Republicans currently lead in the California governor’s race according to recent polls, making a Democrat lockout in the November general election a distinct possibility.”
The Democrat’s insane liberal. crooked, DEI policies have finally come back to bite them! Delicious!
Some of you may see the answer to this. Why, exactly, did USC, abandon its confidence in its methodology? Apparently polling and funding are the determinants. One candidate in the polling margin of error got in, the “candidate of color” whatever that means, did not. Funding is not discussed, yea or nay. Why?
Funding? Soros wasn’t available?
Closet etc? They did in the wide open. Otherwise we wouldn’t learned about it.
Finally we have some competent, likable Repub candidates leading the charge. USC — what a disgrace! They fell for race-baiting, couldn’t stand up for the principle of post-racial political competition. Whoever chickened out, resign!
Don’t care! It’s California! Watch the movie IDIOCRACY for further details.
You don’t sense the change coming?
In the fecal stream of academia, it is known that the lumps rise to the top. Yet, covering that is an impenetrable layer of fecklessness.
You’re retired prof. (as you claim, but doubtful) right? So you sure know fecal steam, you even practice it here.
That’s the result of Unionization and tenured protections. You can’t fire them for being incompetent or insubordinate and as a Department head or Manager your options for a quick remedy are limited. You find that you have to promote them to rid yourself of them. We used the Sh!t floats to the top analogy.
Typical DEI garbage. Dumb and Extrememly Ignorant. But very typical amongst the racists in the Democrat party, like Becerra. Demand special accomodations if you can’t win in an objective race. Shut down debate if you are not invited. Throw a temper tantrum.
They are pathetic. Not that I’m proud of Stanford these days but we used to call them the University of Second Choice.
Dumber every day.
Dumb… naaaaa. Yet it exists and getting more state funding this yeare. So they must be doing something right.