What would Nixon and Reagan think of Kamala Harris and her California?
Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Like Nixon and Reagan, Kamala Harris puts California at the center of national politics.
- Downtown L.A. takes another hit as a familiar tenant decides to move out.
- A New York City guide for L.A. people considering a quick trip east for the NLCS.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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What would Nixon and Reagan think of Kamala Harris and her California?
Californians took a bit of pride when the presidential press corps stuffed their suitcases with casual wear and headed to the “Western White House.”
For Richard Nixon, it was a lavish spread near the beach in San Clemente. For Ronald Reagan, it was his beloved dusty horse ranch in the hills above Santa Barbara where he would escape the Beltway.
The image of Nixon strolling on the sand or Reagan chopping wood carried the symbolism that California’s political moment had arrived.
Has it come again with Kamala Harris?
We will know in a few weeks. Her rise to presidential candidate — with a key assist from San Francisco Democrat and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — marks a dramatic ascension of California to the center of national politics.
A different California
Much has been written about how California went from Nixon and Reagan country to Harris and Pelosi country (my colleague Mark Z. Barabak did an excellent series on this wider subject last year).
But gleaning parallels is difficult because our politics are so different.
Reagan and Nixon came to power in postwar Southern California, a boomtown of opportunity, suburban housing tracts and conservative politics that for at least a few decades felt like the future.
Nixon and Reagan cast themselves as warriors against the liberalism that began with the New Deal and spread to many parts of American life, from civil rights to a government safety net. They left behind a more conservative country.
It’s easy now to see the flaws in what back then seemed like such a powerful political narrative.
The suburban boom benefited many and lifted a generation economically. This prosperity did not extend to many minority groups, however, and California would pay a grave price for that inequality.
As suburbia spread, urban areas were neglected and people of color faced barriers in getting their piece of the golden dream. A car-dominated society built around cheap single-family homes brought crushing environmental problems we are still living with.
And the good times never roll forever. All that sunny prosperity was fueled in no small part by Cold War defense spending. The collapse of the Soviet Union (which Nixon and Reagan helped engineer) imploded Southern California’s growth machine. The aerospace industry shattered. Military bases closed. Cities slumped into decline.
Power shift from SoCal to NorCal
Harris is the product of a different California, but one that has also profoundly influenced the world. Her career symbolized a larger shift in clout from south to north, both in political power and economic might.
She was born in Oakland to immigrant parents and rose to the top of the Democratic establishment in San Francisco and Sacramento before arriving in Washington. Her roots are the left-of-center politics of the Bay Area — and that region’s ties to the innovation economy that in little more than a generation has produced some of the world’s most powerful tech companies.
Harris supporters say she is the generational change America needs now — a unifying figure whose liberal values are tempered by her work as a prosecutor who can bring the best of California’s success to a national stage.
Would Nixon and Reagan agree with Harris supporters?
Or would they see in Donald Trump their conservative standard-bearer?
Reagan’s son Michael has said his father would not support Trump. Recent Nixon scholarship has focused on policies that look downright progressive when compared with the current GOP plank (for example, a book published a few years ago was titled “The Last Liberal Republican.”)
Nixon and Reagan were never shy about saying what they thought was wrong with California. Yet it’s hard to imagine these two Golden State boosters co-signing the dark vision of California that Trump outlined in his speech Saturday in Coachella. We can only speculate, of course. Nixon died in 1994, Reagan in 2004.
As California historian Kevin Starr famously said: “There has always been something slightly bipolar about California. It was either utopia or dystopia, a dream or a nightmare, a hope or a broken promise — and too infrequently anything in between.”
Today’s top stories
For Harris’ L.A. neighbors, her house is a delight and an annoyance
- The vice president spends a fair amount of time at her Brentwood home, generating increased traffic and other minor headaches. Could it get worse if she becomes president?
- Meanwhile, here’s a look at promises made by Harris and Trump and whether the candidates could fulfill them if elected.
- Elon Musk hoped Trump would “sail into the sunset.” Now he works frenetically to elect him.
- Harris talked with Charlamagne Tha God as she tries to stem her erosion of support among Black men.
The political committee behind Proposition 36 gave $1 million to the California Republican Party
- The donation indicates the confidence that proponents have about the anti-crime measure passing. It also shows a partisan allegiance for a campaign that portrayed itself as bipartisan.
- A solid majority of likely California voters support Prop. 36, which would impose stricter penalties for retail theft and crimes involving fentanyl, according to a recent poll co-sponsored by The Times.
Downtown L.A. takes another hit as a familiar tenant decides to move out
- Financial services firm Wedbush Securities is leaving the office tower that has been its headquarters for 24 years in favor of smaller offices in Pasadena.
- The move underscores the continued struggles of the office rental market after the pandemic — and the broader vulnerabilities in commercial real estate throughout L.A. County.
A New York City guide for L.A. people (Dodgers’ version)
- From Central Park to Katz’s Delicatessen, this unserious primer covers the Big Apple basics for any Angeleno considering a quick trip east for the NLCS.
- Meanwhile, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman endured hours of therapy to play on a sprained ankle.
- Shohei Ohtani is the Dodgers’ best player, and they need him to play like it, columnist Dylan Hernández writes.
What else is going on
- Two people suspected of illegally recording a conversation between four Latino political leaders that sparked an uproar at City Hall will not face misdemeanor charges.
- A suspect in a shooting at Santa Monica College died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound amid standoff, authorities said.
- A renowned photojournalist was allegedly killed by his son near Mt. Baldy.
- The Los Angeles World Cup 2026 committee hosts an art contest to select an official poster design.
- This week’s Hunter’s moon is about to get supersized.
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Commentary and opinions
- The “Latino vote” is a myth, writes columnist Gustavo Arellano, who took a road trip through the Southwest and found a more complex story.
- Trump “loves” Black men? He has a history of calling for their executions, columnist LZ Granderson observes.
- Here’s what Ta-Nehisi Coates got right about Israel and Palestinians, columnist Jonah Goldberg writes.
- Elon Musk’s dumbest idea is to send human colonists to Mars, columnist Michael Hiltzik argues.
This morning’s must reads
Reality TV increasingly relies on franchises for success. Is it bad for business? Like the Marvel Comic Universe or scripted series with countless spinoffs, reality TV has become more reliant on proven franchises as the industry becomes more risk averse.
Other must reads
- What would you do if a mountain lion stalked your campsite and the person you’re dating went back to sleep? One woman recounts her close encounter.
- This California transplant has been a destroyer of agriculture and scourge of politicians for 50 years.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 👗 Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg joined The Times in a preview of an exhibition about her life and work at the Skirball Cultural Center.
- 💀 Here are 44 ways to celebrate Día de los Muertos in Southern California.
- 🎭 A stage version of “I, Daniel Blake” stumbled in its U.S. premiere at the Fountain.
Staying in
- 📕 So depressed about Eras ending? Taylor Swift’s new book might mend that broken heart.
- 📺 Jeremy Strong says playing Kendall Roy on “Succession” messed with his head, big time.
- 🗞️ Original “Newsies” cast members reunited for a video encouraging people to vote.
- 🥗 Here’s a recipe for chilaquiles rojos with Vallarta-style shrimp salad.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
And finally ... what’s your favorite restaurant in California?
Bill Barnes writes: “Whenever I visit my daughter and son-in-law in Atwater Village, no visit is complete until there is at least one trip to the Village Cafe and Bakery on Los Feliz Boulevard. The staff is very helpful and friendly, the food is delicious and the pastries are beyond peer. I’ve been so many times to the Village, I’m now known as one of the regulars, and I get to catch up on all the local news and gossip.”
Grace writes: “I wanted to shout out my favorite Mexican restaurant — Ray’s Tepeyac in Covina. We’ve been patrons for YEARS and even through a couple changes in owners, several of the staff have remained the same and welcome us with big smiles and open arms. The menu has updated slightly over the years but the food is still fantastic and one of our favorite eateries in the area!
“A close second is Mr. Pollo in West Covina — hole in the wall and the best Peruvian in the area. Long lines but worth the wait!”
And Erica Den Hartog writes: “Hands down, Yamashiro Hollywood!!! The view, the food — no, wait! — the food/the view — I don’t know — both spectacular.”
What’s your favorite restaurant? Feel free to email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might be included in the newsletter this week.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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