Commentary: Who won the California governor debate on CNN? Here's what our columnists say - BERITAJA

For the 3rd clip successful arsenic galore weeks, the starring candidates for California politician met connected the statement shape Tuesday night.

The latest installment was a two-hour session, hosted and carried unrecorded from Monterey Park by CNN. The statement marked the first clip the candidates appeared earlier a nationalist assemblage and came arsenic mail ballots person begun arriving in homes passim the state.

Columnists Gustavo Arellano, Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria took successful each 120 minutes, absorbed each zinger — scripted and different — and dutifully observed each parry and thrust. Here’s what they took away:

Arellano: Antonio Villaraigosa yet rises supra his gubernatorial rivals. Is it excessively late?

I wrote my thoughts about this statement while penning my adjacent columna connected ... something, stopping to salary attraction only erstwhile issues successful my bailiwick for illustration migration and the nonaccomplishment of the Democratic Party were the taxable of discussion. The remainder of the time, what the candidates said came disconnected arsenic 1 elephantine shout-fest consecutive retired of the studios of the late, awesome Wally George, pinch everyone playing existent to form.

Chad Bianco raged, Steve Hilton tried to disguise his MAGA-ness pinch his British accent. Katie Porter scolded, Tom Steyer channeled Bernie. Xavier Becerra did his champion belief of the aged Bunsen characteristic from “The Muppet Show.” Matt Mahan was conscionable ... there.

You cognize who sounded the best? Antonio Villaraigosa.

Anyone who really knows the erstwhile L.A. politician has ever seen him arsenic Chicano Prince Hal, personification who doesn’t return himself arsenic earnestly arsenic he should. His infidelities efficaciously killed his governmental profession aft his mayoral years; his consulting for the nutritional supplement institution Herbalife made Villaraigosa a stepping joke among excessively galore Latinos I know.

He has spent the past decade efficaciously embodying Marlon Brando’s celebrated quote successful “On the Waterfront”: He coulda been a contender. Even his gubernatorial run, announced measurement earlier galore of his opponents, has mostly had the aerial of a has-been — that’s 1 of the reasons why Villaraigosa has polled truthful debased done about of the title to the constituent he was excluded from galore of the early debates.

But that hangdog Villaraigosa was obscurity to beryllium seen tonight.

His wisecracks were kept to a minimum. He stayed mostly wrong his clip limits and didn’t interrupt much. He hammered Hilton complete his refusal to admit that President Trump mislaid the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination and his dismissal of forbidden immigrants.

Villaraigosa particularly went difficult connected his everlastingly frenemy Xavier Becerra connected everything from to his clip arsenic President Biden’s wellness caput to really erstwhile staffers person been charged pinch stealing millions of dollars from his run funds. (Becerra has not been accused of immoderate wrongdoing.)

When CNN co-moderator Elex Michaelson asked Villaraigosa if he would cancel California’s much-maligned high-speed obstruction project, the candidate’s emphatic “No” thundered down for illustration a Lebron James dunk. He called retired the discarded connected the multibillion-dollar project, said he revived L.A.’s subway to the sea, and said pinch a passionate gravitas that Becerra could only dream of doing.

“When I make a mistake, I’m accountable,” Villaraigosa said astatine the extremity of the debate. This sounded for illustration a campaigner who could triumph — and now he has a period to make a comeback worthy of his governmental mentor, the late, awesome Gloria Molina.

Four weeks to beryllium them wrong, Antonio.

Barabak: It was a no-hitter.

No startling breakthrough. No game-changing moment. No campaigner truthful irresistibly charming he aliases she knocked the title akimbo and stamped themselves arsenic the far-and-away front-runner successful the slow consolidating contest.

By now, the candidates are plowing well-furrowed ground.

To anyone who has watched each of the debates — and location whitethorn not beryllium a awesome galore of those viewers retired location — it was each rather familiar.

What is new, and what whitethorn person been the tie for those conscionable tuning in, is simply a consciousness the title is yet taking a coherent shape, pinch Xavier Becerra unexpectedly emerging arsenic the campaigner to beat.

A period ago, Eric Swalwell was a starring contender successful the dozy title and Becerra was an afterthought, being urged to discontinue for the liking of his dignity and the bully of the Democratic Party. (Fears of a Democratic shutout successful the June 2 superior person greatly receded.)

When Swalwell near the race, and vacated his legislature spot amid allegations of intersexual battle and different perchance forbidden misconduct, it was wide assumed overmuch of his support would move to either Steyer aliases Katie Porter, the 2 different starring Democratic contenders.

But Becerra has been the clear-cut beneficiary and his caller position was evident Tuesday nighttime arsenic he faced repeated attacks. He didn’t peculiarly dazzle, but that’s not his appeal. It’s his steadiness and seeming unflappability successful a clip of awesome upheaval and stress, and that was again evident.

With little than 4 weeks to predetermination time — and voting already underway — clip is waning for different melodramatic shake-up for illustration the 1 that took spot betwixt Swalwell’s implosion successful April and Becerra’s surge successful May.

It seems, however, arsenic though small to thing will change, pinch Becerra steadily gaining ground, Hilton consolidating GOP support and the remainder of the section looking for thing — aliases personification — to drastically shingle up the title 1 much time.

Chabria: I don’t cognize about a winner, but the statement decidedly had a biggest loser: Chad Bianco. The Riverside County sheriff, to his in installments I guess, didn’t effort for a basking 2nd to hide who he really is — a conspiracy-loving migration hardliner pinch ties to an extremist group.

Bianco sort-of said he was a personnel of the Oath Keepers, a far-right statement champion known for immoderate of its members participating successful the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol. He threw retired predetermination fraud theories, moreover suggesting authorities Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta could beryllium involved. He made it clear that undocumented folks are breaking the rule by existing successful the state.

Maybe immoderate MAGA voters will instrumentality by that shtick, but I’m guessing independents and much mean Republicans will find Steve Hilton, the Trump-endorsed Republican, moreover much appealing aft Bianco’s ragey ramblings. Hilton whitethorn good beryllium sending his force a convey you statement and a vessel of bubbly for that performance.

As for winners, a mates of the Democrats had their moments. Former Rep. Katie Porter said pinch clarity and unit connected issues including single-payer healthcare (she supports it) and resisting Trump’s migration policies successful this authorities of immigrants.

But she besides straight addressed the disapproval of her having a bad temper successful a measurement that I deliberation whitethorn haunt her.

As her antheral opponents bickered backmost and forth, taking swipes astatine each other, Porter said that fixed each the “shouting” and “disrespect” onstage, she was shocked that “anyone wants to talk about my temperament.” It’s a pushback she tried retired earlier successful the week pinch a caller that sought to make a punchline retired of the criticism.

I get her constituent and I don’t deliberation a antheral campaigner would look the aforesaid scrutiny for yelling astatine a staffer that she has, but besides — what’s much unappealing to voters than an angry woman? A complaining one. That infinitesimal of guidance against the communicative whitethorn not onshore the measurement she intends pinch voters.

I work together pinch Gustavo that Villaraigosa had a bully night, and that Steyer had Bernie power — which whitethorn beryllium good.

Steyer was the about lively and nonstop he’s been successful a debate, landing a fewer punches and making points pinch clarity (far little wonky than he’s been successful the past). He’s owning his far-left politics, and labeling himself the “change-maker.”

Steyer has been trailing Becerra successful the polls, but Becerra again had a dependable if less-than-thrilling appearance. For fed-up Democrats, Steyer whitethorn beryllium looking amended each the time.