CBS News97%
CBS California launches interactive candidate guide ahead of gubernatorial debate 75%
4/29/2026, 12:34:50 AM
BS Summary: This video contains 37 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Authority, Negativity Bias, and Burden of Proof, with Ambiguity (Equivocation) as the most egregious example at 25.5% saturation with 265 hits. Analysis detected 2,653 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,040 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 67.5% and a BS Rank of 75% (4,298 of 16,813 videos). This video is worse (more manipulative) than 74.40% of the video peer group.
Eight candidates for California governor
face off in a debate hosted by CBS
California. CBS News polling shows a clear front runner has yet to break through the crowded fields.
California investigative correspondent
Julie Watts is co-odderating tonight's debate and shows us a new tool for voters.
>> Gas prices.
>> Gas prices.
>> Major refineries are leaving the state of California.
>> Over the past year, we've conducted more than 20 hours of accountability interviews.
>> It's these climate regulations. They're gouging us
>> with 15 top polling candidates for California governor. Highspeed rail.
>> Highspeed rail.
>> Highspeed rail. Do you support finishing it?
>> Absolutely not. It's the biggest waste of money.
>> The question here is, can we get this done? That's what the next the governor is going to have to answer that question.
>> Asking the same questions and pressing for real answers. But how do you tangibly do that?
>> Well, I think the urgency is certainly upon us.
>> More than a dozen issues suggested by viewers, policy makers, and community leaders.
What do you say to the 40% of California voters who you'll need in order to win um who voted for Trump?
Some of those moments made headlines.
>> How would I need them in order to win, man?
>> Nearly a quarter of voters say they still don't know who they want to be California's next governor.
So, CBS News California Investigates turned our accountability interview series into a sidebyside candidate guide to help you go beyond the campaign talking points and compare the candidates that you're considering on the issues that matter most to you.
most to you. Here's how it works. First, you meet the candidates. We asked each a few personal questions.
You simply click on your candidate and you can read their answers in their own words.
Then watch their one question segment.
For more insight into how they might govern, we asked what they think the current governor and legislature got right and what they would have done differently.
>> Look, I've got a long list of things that I would have done different if I was the governor.
Working with the other side is important. 25% of the state is important.
Republican, but 40% voted for Donald Trump.
>> Next, you explore the issues that matter most to you. Gas prices and environment, insurance, homelessness, and mental health.
You simply click on an issue and then you click on a candidate.
>> The state must show up with resources, but cities, counties, nonprofit providers have to be accountable for using every dollar for maximum impact.
I have some particular ideas here because one, I believe that we have to do more on the mental health and uh drug addiction side.
>> In-depth responses. They let you compare not just the positions, but how the candidates respond to our accountability focused follow-up questions.
>> that if you're polluting, you should pay for your pollution.
>> Has it increased the cost of gas for California drivers?
A ta a tax does, but the truth is we're trying to push this state to but what we're really doing is trying to end up as an electric state.
>> So where does that money come from?
>> It comes from the revenue the general fund
>> and so you would take money from what else to
>> you have to make priority choices.
That's what a budget is. It's a question.
>> What is your priority in the budget?
>> These are real answers in their own words.
>> And I am suing the state to make sure that sanctuary state is minimum amended if not done away with. helping you compare the candidates side by side on the issues that matter most to you.
And Julie Watts joins us now from Sacramento. Julie, thank you so much for being here.
So, as you mentioned in your piece, nearly a quarter of voters say they're still undecided.
They've got less than two months here until the primary. What do voters want to hear tonight? What do you think are going to be the main issues?
>> Well, you know, it's funny. Is there a difference between, I think, what the the candidates think voters want to hear.
Um, I think they all have the same research that says they want to hear them attack Donald Trump or attack Gavin Newsome.
Um, but I think what voters need to hear and what we all want to hear is what they are going to do to
hear is what they are going to do to address the issues. And so that's what we're going to focus on tonight.
You know, a fun fact, a little data point for you, we analyzed our interview series and the candidates name dropped Donald Trump over 1,000 times during our interview series and name dropped Gavin Newsome over 500 times.
So, I'm going to challenge them to try to avoid those talking points tonight and really focus on the issues.
Affordability is a huge issue. We're going to talk gas prices.
We're going to talk insurance. Um, and then, you know, in my segment anyway,
we're really going to focus on accountability and getting answers.
What are you going to do? Not who broke it,
but what are you going to do to fix it?
>> So, where what is the state of the race right now? Eric Swallow was considered to be the Democratic front runner.
Obviously, he dropped out and resigned from Congress following allegations of sexual assault.
So, where does everybody stand right now on the Democratic and Republican side?
>> Well, the biggest beneficiary there is uh Javier Bera, former attorney general for California and former HHS secretary under Biden.
Uh he was actually pulling down, I want to say below 10%. He really wasn't breaking out. In fact, he wasn't even invited to the uh ABC USC debate
that they ended up cancing because he wasn't pulling high enough. and now he is one of the top two certainly one of the top two Democrats um and depending
Analysis
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