Obviously it happened, it's not some grand conspiracy (though I would suspect he'll be gobbling up a lot of Swalwell's corporate cash), it's just not something that happens often, especially when the candidate hasn't done something recently to gain the attention.
I'm not saying you weren't (you wouldn't be going to the matt for him if you switched two days ago). It's just weird to me that when the driving narrative of the race was that we needed to coalesce around a candidate everyone in one moment picked Becerra despite him having little support until then.
TBC Becerra is probably my #2 candidate right now but, like, this ascension is weird. You can agree this came kinda out of nowhere right?
I'd argue Betty Yee was also a very qualified candidate with statewide recognition.
Becerra was a footnote in the race polling under 5% two weeks. He's been running for a while and no one cared about him until a mediocre white man got caught committing SA.
Sense of purpose probably wasn't the right term, but he isn't someone who has done something to create some sort of inspirational inflection moment like a Bernie Sanders. Grind and work candidates don't generally surge like this and Betty Yee was just as qualified but didn't see a lick of attention.
I'm not saying that didn't happen, I'm just saying it pretty fucking wild for a candidate, especially one without, for a lack of a better term, the "sense of purpose" of Bernie Sanders.
Especially for a low polling candidate in a race where Dems getting locked out was the driving narrative.
Betty Yee robbed.
Becerra functionally eating Swalwell's entire base is fucking wild, especially if it's just"ballots are next month, maybe I'll support the guy whose polling in low/mid single digits who started sending me text messages the day the guy I was supporting dropped out".
If you asked me two weeks ago who I expected to most benefit from the Swalwell collapse it would have been Mahan since the two of them were competing for the same geographic base, had similar demographics, and donor overlap.
Becerra is absolutely not a Fetterman.
b) despite the threat of a split locking Dems out of the race people gravitated to a candidate who was not competitive until this moment.
Now I greatly preferred Becerra to Swalwell but it's odd how quickly this changed the dynamic in a race that most people weren't paying much attention to.
Swalwell jumped in not polling much better than Becerra, but it does feel odd how:
a) it seems like every Swalwell voter migrated to him despite candidate polling showing that wouldn't be the case.
Like there is no way half the state realized overnight he is running and is their guy.
My real question here is where did all of the Becerra enthusiasm come from. I haven't noticed him do anything in the race to warrant the attention and no one cared when he initially announced. Swalwell dropping shouldn't be doing this much for him. It just feels kinda astroturfed.
I lean Steyer for now but I'm overall more open to Becerra than I ever was for Swalwell (who I have disliked since he primaried Pete Stark in his first congressional run).
Swalwell was kinda occupying the "competitive corporate friendly Democrat" role in the election and my suspicion is that Becerra is inheriting that. It'll be interesting to see where his cash windfall is coming from.
Wow I actually remembered to upload something. Sundays Anime Survivor is now on YouTube!
youtu.be/6BCI_ftP_Tw
K.
Steyer leads in the aggregate.
Steyer is actually the leading Dems right now but Becerra has a lot of post-Swallwell momentum. I expect it to continue as he's the most purchasable viable candidate (a role previously held by Swallwell).
Fuck what do we even do with our InfoWario panel now.
We're live and this cast is DUMB.
Making a graphic is hard and telling you the theme is harder so I will simply do neither of those.
Hey everyone! We will be streaming Anime Survivor tonight on Twitch at 8pm.
www.twitch.tv/fifthgenisnt...
Here’s Trump bragging about making the U.S. a country that no one wants to come to and many want to leave.
We all know you gotta start wars to end wars.
Steamed Hams full transcript Well, Seymour, I made it- despite your directions. Ah. Superintendent Chalmers. Welcome. - I hope you're prepared for an unforgettable luncheon. - Yeah. Oh, egads! My roast is ruined. But what if I were to purchase fast food and disguise it as my own cooking? Delightfully devilish, Seymour. Ah- Skinner with his crazy explanations The superintendent's gonna need his medication When he hears Skinner's lame exaggerations There'll be trouble in town tonight Seymour! Superintendent, I was just- uh, just stretching my calves on the windowsill. Isometric exercise. Care to join me? Why is there smoke coming out of your oven, Seymour? Uh- Oh. That isn't smoke. It's steam. Steam from the steamed clams we're having. Mmm. Steamed clams. Whew. Superintendent, I hope you're ready for mouthwatering hamburgers. I thought we were having steamed clams. D'oh, no. I said steamed hams. That's what I call hamburgers. You call hamburgers steamed hams? Yes. It's a regional dialect. - Uh-huh. Uh, what region? - Uh, upstate New York. Really. Well, I'm from Utica, and I've never heard anyone use the phrase "steamed hams. " Oh, not in Utica. No. It's an Albany expression. I see. You know, these hamburgers are quite similar to the ones they have at Krusty Burger. Oh, no. Patented Skinner burgers. Old family recipe. - For steamed hams. - Yes. Yes. And you call them steamed hams despite the fact that they are obviously grilled. Ye- You know, the- One thing I should- - Excuse me for one second. - Of course. Well, that was wonderful. A good time was had by all. I'm pooped. Yes. I should be- Good Lord! What is happening in there? - Aurora borealis. - Uh- Aurora borealis at this time of year at this time of day in this part of the country localized entirely within your kitchen? - Yes. - May I see it? No. Seymour. ! The house is on fire. ! No, Mother. It's just the northern lights. Well, Seymour, you are an odd fellow but I must say you steam a good ham.
Today is officially the 30th anniversary of Steamed Hams. On April 14, 1996, "22 Short Films About Springfield" aired for the first time!
When I communicated with them as a fan panelist in 2024 I never talked to the same person twice nor was the person I talked to ever aware of what was going on. Fucking joke convention.
Never go into a land war in Asia. Never bet against a Sicilian when death is on the line. And never assume a Nintendo IP will not print money.
