James Talarico’s disappearance has become a major political talking point after the Texas Democrat was absent for about twelve days before resurfacing. No explanation was reported beyond the flu. That answer has not stopped the discussion, especially after conservative historian Victor Davis Hanson suggested Talarico is not the only Democrat running for office who has recently gone missing.
During a discussion of the California governor’s race, Hanson shifted attention to Xavier Becerra with a blunt question: “Has anyone seen California governor candidate Xavier Becerra lately?” It is not exactly the sort of question a campaign wants circulating when voters are already wondering who is running the show.
The California contest includes Steve Hilton, who is reportedly closing what had been a substantial gap. Sami Winc referenced an internal poll, and Hanson responded, “It was an internal poll, but it might be correct.” That is hardly a declaration of statistical certainty, but it explains why Becerra’s campaign is receiving more scrutiny.
Hanson also criticized Becerra over his account of his family’s background. He said Becerra had angered the Latino community by presenting his parents as immigrants, while his father was born in Sacramento and traveled back and forth between Mexico and California. Hanson declared, “Everything he said is untrue.” Those are Hanson’s claims in the discussion, and the dispute itself remains part of the political attack being aimed at Becerra.
Then came the debate controversy. Hanson said Becerra canceled the second debate even though it had been scheduled the day before. He offered a mocking account of what he believed campaign advisers had concluded after reviewing previous footage: “His advisors came to him and said, obviously, we looked at the tapes, Xavier, and you got slaughtered. You’re just a sphinx. You just sit there quiet, and then you turn to him and say, ‘Trump, Trump, Trump.’”
Hanson’s broader criticism was that Becerra had little to say about high-speed rail, the unused water bond, homelessness, fire prevention, or what he would actually do as governor. That is a more substantive complaint than simply disappearing from public view, although the two themes are now being bundled together: silence on policy and reliance on the Democratic political machine.
Hanson’s explanation of California voting was just as blunt. He said, “people in California don’t vote for the people. They just look at their little ballot and they say D, and 60 to 65% of the state, so they punch it.” He connected that voting habit to the SEIU, the teachers union, government employees, school districts, and wealthy donors who can provide financial support.
Hanson ultimately compared the Becerra and Talarico situations to Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign, saying, “It really is like Kamala Harris in 2024 all over again.” The political spectacle now features one Democrat resurfacing after twelve days and another facing questions after canceling a debate. In this telling, a ballot letter, union backing, and a minimal public explanation may be doing an awful lot of campaign work.
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