KQED61%
Did Anyone Break Through in The California Governor's Debate? 61%
By Scott Shafer0% Marisa Lagos91% Guy Marzorati75%
4/24/2026, 11:02:31 PM
Topics: Governors Race
BS Summary: This article contains 5 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Authority, Negativity Bias, and Framing Effect, with Recency Bias as the most egregious example at 25.8% saturation with 24 hits. Analysis detected 84 faulty-reasoning hits from 93 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 56.6% and a BS Rank of 61% (6,676 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 60.30% of the article peer group.
The leading candidates for California governor squared off this week in the first televised debate since East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell exited the race.
Broadcast statewide on Nexstar stations, the showdown featured sharp attacks on the leading Democratic candidates, former U.S.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire investor Tom Steyer.
Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze the candidates’ performances with one of the debate moderators, news anchor Nikki Laurenzo of FOX40.
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Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
6.3%PublicationCalMatters
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Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2.7%PublicationCalMatters
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
0%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
6.5%PublicationCalMatters
3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
0%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.3%PublicationCalMatters
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Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2%PublicationCalMatters
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.3%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
12.9%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
12.9%AuthorScott Shafer
30%PublicationCalMatters
6.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.2%PublicationCalMatters
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2.2%PublicationCalMatters
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
3.5%PublicationCalMatters
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
0%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.9%PublicationCalMatters
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
18.3%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
18.3%AuthorScott Shafer
22.1%PublicationCalMatters
6.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.9%PublicationCalMatters
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.3%PublicationCalMatters
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.3%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
3.8%PublicationCalMatters
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
5.3%PublicationCalMatters
2.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
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Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
25.8%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
25.8%AuthorScott Shafer
7%PublicationCalMatters
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.5%PublicationCalMatters
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
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Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.3%PublicationCalMatters
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.2%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
21.5%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
21.5%AuthorScott Shafer
7.6%PublicationCalMatters
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2.4%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.3%PublicationCalMatters
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
0%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
4.2%PublicationCalMatters
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2.5%PublicationCalMatters
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Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2.7%PublicationCalMatters
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
7.5%PublicationCalMatters
5.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2.7%PublicationCalMatters
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
0%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
3.9%PublicationCalMatters
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Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.2%PublicationCalMatters
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.2%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
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Anecdotal
0%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.7%PublicationCalMatters
3.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
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Ambiguity (Equivocation)
0%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.3%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
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Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
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Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
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Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.6%PublicationCalMatters
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Unattributed Quote
0%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.8%PublicationCalMatters
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Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2%PublicationCalMatters
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Biased Writer Voice
0%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
20.5%PublicationCalMatters
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0.7%PublicationCalMatters
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Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
8.4%PublicationCalMatters
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1%PublicationCalMatters
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Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
11.8%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
11.8%AuthorScott Shafer
8.5%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
93 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.