KQED61%
Governor's Race Enters the Final Stretch and Down-Ballot Races to Watch 60%
By Scott Shafer0% Marisa Lagos91% Guy Marzorati75%
5/29/2026, 11:30:50 PM
Topics: Elections, California Politics
BS Summary: This article contains 8 faulty reasoning types, including Confirmation Bias, Availability Heuristic, and Representativeness Heuristic, with Framing Effect as the most egregious example at 72.7% saturation with 56 hits. Analysis detected 188 faulty-reasoning hits from 77 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 56.2% and a BS Rank of 60% (6,787 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 59.60% of the article peer group.
California’s unpredictable race for governor is in the final stretch.
Scott, Marisa and Guy dissect the final polls as an unusually high number of Democratic voters have yet to return their ballots.
Plus, they spotlight a few other down-ballot races worth watching before voting ends.
For election information including our voter guide, go to kqed.org/voterguide.
Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
Confirmation Bias
28.6%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
28.6%AuthorScott Shafer
6.3%PublicationCalMatters
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
28.6%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
28.6%AuthorScott Shafer
6.5%PublicationCalMatters
3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
28.6%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
28.6%AuthorScott Shafer
1.3%PublicationCalMatters
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
72.7%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
72.7%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
13%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
13%AuthorScott Shafer
0.9%PublicationCalMatters
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
0%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
0%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
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
7%PublicationCalMatters
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
16.9%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
16.9%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
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
0%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
0%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
28.6%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
28.6%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
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
0%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
0%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
1.8%PublicationCalMatters
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorScott Shafer
2%PublicationCalMatters
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
1.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
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
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
27.3%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
27.3%AuthorScott Shafer
8.5%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
77 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.