
Tick tock, Kamala — California's getting tired of waiting
Tribune News Service
California is not a consolation prize for losing the presidency, and a Kamala Harris run for governor isn't going to inspire an electorate that is fed up with the Democratic Party's staid-and-afraid status quo. That being said, if Harris is going to run for governor of California — good God, get on with it already. The former Vice President recently set an unofficial deadline to announce by 'the end of summer' — but wasn't specific about a particular date. (What exactly is the 'end of summer,' anyway? The last 100-degree day? The last pitch of an MLB game? When they stop serving Aperol spritzes at Ella?) But these 'will she or won't she' games belong to a homecoming queen race, not a gubernatorial one.
'I could make all sorts of arguments for her and why she should and could do any number of other things,' Brian Brokaw, a Democratic political consultant who served as the manager for Harris' successful campaigns for California Attorney General and for Senate. '(But) if there's one thing I know about her, it's that she doesn't care what the rest of us think. She is going to make up her own mind.' Fair point. But I'm pretty sure running for political office means you have to care a teeny tiny bit about what other people think of you.
The most recent numbers look good for Harris, anyway: A new poll by UC Irvine's School of Social Ecology recently showed some good news for a Harris campaign, with 24% of respondents saying they'd vote for her over any other declared or rumored candidates. She fared even better when pitted against literally any potential Republican — 41% to just 29%. (Sad trombone noises. It's still California, after all.)
But there were a concerning number of respondents to that same poll, 40%, who said they're not yet sure who they'd vote for to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. That's an awful lot of votes left on the table, and Harris has not habitually fared well with undecided voters. And, the disillusionment of California voters with the Democratic Party starts with the humiliating loss last November — for which Harris is the poster child. 'There's a torrent of discontent in the (Democratic) party,' Mike Madrid, a former political director for the California Republican Party who is currently consulting for Stephen Cloobeck, a time-share billionaire and outsider Democratic candidate who is running for California governor in 2026.
'They want a different message and messenger,' Madrid said. '(California is) disaffected by the majority party ... It's materialising as low voter turnout, or being civically-engaged at all. They don't believe that the Democratic Party is doing anything to benefit them, (and) I think the elected politicians are having a hard time gaining traction.' So I see why some Republicans must be salivating at the idea of another Harris run in California. They beat her once already, though doing it again in her home state that went blue by 58% would be significantly more difficult.
Meanwhile, top Dems who have already declared their intentions — including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former state Controller Betty Yee and state schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond would likely step aside if Harris finally pulled the trigger on a run. But neither has Harris' possible inclusion totally cleared the field: Former Attorney General Xavier Becerra and former mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa have said they would stay in the race, regardless. And both former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter and former state Senate leader Toni Atkins recently announced they'd stay in, too; the latter saying in a statement that, 'while the vice president has her own path, our campaign is moving full speed ahead.'
In fact, I think some of them are actually hoping she will, so they can bow out of the race gracefully without looking like they fumbled the bag in announcing too soon. (Lookin' at you, Eleni!) If Harris was going to throw her hat in the ring, she should have done it by now to try and capitalize on some of the anger that Californians felt in the immediate aftermath of the last election. Now we're just tired and sad, and neither of those emotions is a great start for a candidate, even if 'real human beings' attentions aren't yet on the November 2026 race.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Families of Americans slain in West Bank lose hope for justice
When Sayfollah Musallet of Tampa, Florida, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank two weeks ago, he became the fourth Palestinian-American killed in the occupied territory since the war in Gaza began. No one has been arrested or charged in Musallet's slaying — and if Israel's track record on the other three deaths is any guide, it seems unlikely to happen. Yet Musallet's father and a growing number of US politicians want to flip the script. "We demand justice,' Kamel Musallet said at his 20-year-old son's funeral earlier this week. "We demand the US government do something about it.' Still, Musallet and relatives of the other Palestinian-Americans say they doubt anyone will be held accountable, either by Israel or the U.S. They believe the first word in their hyphenated identity undercuts the power of the second. And they say Israel and its law enforcement have made them feel like culprits - by imposing travel bans and, in some cases, detaining and interrogating them. The grave of Sayfollah Musallet, who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was visiting family in the West Bank town of Al Mazra as-Sharqiya, is seen. AP Although the Trump administration has stopped short of promising investigations of its own, the US embassy in Jerusalem has urged Israel to investigate the circumstances of each American's death. Writing on X on July 15, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he'd asked Israel to "aggressively investigate the murder" of Musallet and that "there must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act." Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and 28 other Democratic senators have also called for an investigation. In a letter this week to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi, they pointed to the "repeated lack of accountability" after the deaths of Musallet and other Americans killed in the West Bank. Israel's military, police and Shin Bet domestic security agency did not respond to requests for comment about the Palestinian-Americans' deaths. A memorial poster showing Sayfollah Musallet, who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers, is displayed outside of a bakery in West Bank. AP American-born teenagers Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Khdour were killed in early 2024 by Israeli fire while driving in the West Bank. In April 2025, 14-year-old Amer Rabee, a New Jersey native, was shot in the head at least nine times by Israeli forces, according to his father, as he stood among a grove of green almond trees in his family's village. In the immediate aftermath of both cases, Israeli authorities said that forces had fired on rock throwers, allegations disputed by the families and by testimony obtained by the AP. Israel pledged to investigate the cases further, but has released no new findings. The teens' families told the AP they sought independent investigations by American authorities, expressing doubts that Israel would investigate in good faith. According to the Israeli watchdog group Yesh Din, killings of Palestinians in the West Bank rarely result in investigations - and when they do, indictments are uncommon. Mourners carry the bodies of Sayfollah Musallet and Mohammed Al Shalabi during their funeral in the West Bank village of Al Mazraa a-Sharqiya. AP The US Justice Department has jurisdiction to investigate the deaths of its own citizens abroad, but does so after it gets permission from the host government and usually works with the host country's law enforcement. The US embassy in Jerusalem declined to say whether the US has launched independent probes into the killings. A spokesperson for the embassy said in a statement that investigations are "underway' in Israel over the deaths of the four Americans and that its staff is pressing the Israeli authorities to move quickly and transparently. Sen. Van Hollen said that when the U.S deals with Israel it "either doesn't pursue these cases with the vigor necessary, or we don't get any serious cooperation.' "And then instead of demanding cooperation and accountability, we sort of stop - and that's unacceptable. It's unacceptable to allow American citizens to be killed with impunity," the Maryland Democrat said. A man tidies the graves of Sayfollah Musallet, left, and Mohammed Al Shalabi, both of whom were killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Al Mazra. AP Israel says it holds soldiers and settlers to account under the bounds of the law, and that the lack of indictments does not mean a lack of effort. A prominent recent case was the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist for broadcaster Al Jazeera killed in the West Bank in 2022. An independent U.S. analysis of the circumstances of her death found that fire from an Israeli soldier was "likely responsible' for her killing but said it appeared to be an accident. Despite an Israeli military investigation with similar conclusions, no one was ever disciplined. Rather than a path toward justice, the families of Khdour, Rabee, and Abdel Jabbar say they've faced only challenges since the deaths. Khdour, born in Miami, Florida, was shot and killed in April 2024 while driving in Biddu, a West Bank town near Jerusalem where he lived since age 2. U.S. investigators visited his family after the killing, his family said. Abdel Jabbar was killed while driving down a dirt road close to Al Mazra as-Sharqiya, his village in the northern West Bank. Khdour's cousin, Malek Mansour, the sole witness, told the AP he was questioned by both Israeli and American investigators and repeated his testimony that shots came from a white pickup on Israeli territory. He believes the investigators did not push hard enough to figure out who killed his cousin. "The matter ended like many of those who were martyred (killed),' said Hanan Khdour, Khdour's mother. Two months after the death, Israeli forces raided the family's home and detained Mohammad's brother, Omar Khdour, 23, also an American citizen. Videos taken by family and shared with the AP show Omar Khdour blindfolded and handcuffed as Israeli soldiers in riot gear lead him out of the building and into a military jeep. He said he was threatened during questioning, held from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m., and warned not to pursue the case. Omar Khdour said Israeli soldiers at checkpoints have prevented him from leaving the West Bank to visit Israel or Jerusalem. Two other American fathers of Palestinian-Americans killed since Oct. 7, 2023 reported similar restrictions. Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar's father, said he and his wife were blocked from leaving the West Bank for seven months. His son, Amir Abdel Jabbar, 22, remains restricted. The father of Amer Rabee says he and his wife have also been stuck in the West Bank since their son's killing. He showed AP emails from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in which a consular official told him that Israel had imposed a travel ban on him, though it was unclear why. Israeli authorities did not respond to comment on the detentions or travel restrictions. Rabee said that in a land where violence against Palestinians goes unchecked, his family's American passports amounted to nothing more than a blue book. "We are all American citizens,' Rabee said. "But here, for us, being American means nothing." Associated Press


Dubai Eye
a day ago
- Dubai Eye
Trump arrives in Scotland for golf and bilateral talks as EU trade deal nears
US President Donald Trump, dogged by questions about his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, arrived in Scotland on Friday for some golf and bilateral talks that could yield a trade deal with the European Union. Trump told reporters upon his arrival that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland and meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a "highly respected woman". As hundreds of onlookers cheered his arrival, Trump repeated his earlier comment about a 50-50 chance of securing a deal with the EU, adding it would be his administration's biggest trade agreement thus far, if it came together. However, he said there were still "sticking points" with Brussels on "maybe 20 different things". Trump said his meeting with Starmer would be more of a celebration of the trade deal already reached than continued work on it, adding, "It's a great deal for both." Before he left Washington, Trump said his administration was working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, and Brussels was keen to make a deal. Von der Leyen said later she would meet Trump in Scotland on Sunday. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework accord with Japan reached this week and half of the 30 per cent Trump is threatening to impose by August 1. Trump has sought to reorder the global economy after imposing a 10 per cent tariff on nearly all trading partners in April and threatening sharply higher rates for many countries to kick in a week from now. Trump says the moves will reduce the US trade deficit and bring in extra revenue, but economists warn the new trade policies could drive up inflation. 'DON'T TALK ABOUT TRUMP' Trump, facing the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term, expressed frustration about ongoing questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison. "You make it a very big thing over something that's not a big thing," Trump told reporters in Scotland, urging them to focus on other prominent Americans with ties to Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton. "Talk about Clinton. Talk about the former president of Harvard. Talk about all of his friends. Talk about the hedge fund guys that were with him all the time. Don't talk about Trump," he said. "What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency." The Epstein issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, two people familiar with the matter said. DEEPEN TIES Trump will stay at his Turnberry property on Scotland's west coast this weekend, before traveling on Monday to a golf property in Aberdeen, where he will open a second 18-hole course named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. MacLeod was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the US. As he left the White House, Trump said he looked forward to meeting both Starmer and Scottish leader John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. The trip gives Trump and Starmer a chance to deepen their already warm ties, with key issues on the agenda to include ending Russia's war in Ukraine, British and US sources said. The deteriorating situation in Gaza is also likely to come up. Starmer on Thursday said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over what he called the "unspeakable and indefensible" suffering and starvation being reported there, and called on Israel to allow aid to enter the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health authorities say more than 100 people have died from starvation, most in recent weeks. Human rights groups have said mass starvation is spreading even as tons of food and other supplies sit untouched just outside the territory. Since being elected last year, Starmer has prioritised good relations with Trump, stressing the importance of Britain's defence and security alliance with the US, while working to clinch the first tariff-reduction deal with the US in May. The framework agreement reaffirmed quotas and tariff rates on British automobiles and eliminated tariffs on the UK's aerospace sector, but left steel tariffs in place. Starmer is expected to press for lower steel tariffs, but sources close to the matter said it was unclear if any breakthrough was possible during Trump's visit. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his earlier run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. Trump will return to Britain from September 17-19 for a state visit hosted by King Charles. It will make Trump the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain. The late Queen Elizabeth hosted him at Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019.


Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Cowardice
The step by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson to shut down possible discussion about the Epstein files by shutting down the House of Representatives smells of desperation. The reason suggested to allowing President Trump more time to address the matter is farcical given how long it has been a lead item in most newspapers. Epstein died, by whatever means that happened, almost six years ago and there is still no real action on releasing the files despite Trump's assurances. The files are not going to be forgotten, and hopefully not destroyed, so let them be seen. Let the truth be told. This also applies in all countries and for their governments. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia