WILD TALE: University cancels California governor debate after accusations of bias from candidates of color

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If you’re a Democrat running for governor of California, but you’re way down on the list, only polling at 1% to 3%, and don’t meet the qualifications to participate in a debate, what do you do?

Pull out that handy-dandy “race card,” of course!

From ABC News: The University of Southern California canceled a gubernatorial debate planned for Tuesday after candidates of color who would have been excluded accused the school of discrimination.

Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, and Democrats Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell and Matt Mahan, who are all white, were slated to participate in the debate hosted by the University of Southern California’s Dornsife Center for the Political Future and KABC-TV. But four established Democratic candidates of color, Antonio Villaraigosa, Xavier Becerra, Betty Yee and Tony Thurmond, didn’t meet the criteria to participate.

ABC News explains that the university had established a formula to determine who would qualify for the debate, based on candidates’ polling and fundraising.

However, the four “candidates of color” claimed they were excluded because of their ethnicity.

Consistently, and to Democrats’ dismay, most polls show the top two candidates in the race are both Republicans: Steve Hilton (16%) and Sheriff Chad Bianco (14%).

Democrats Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Eric Swalwell each have 10% support, with the rest dragging behind at 3% each, 2% for Yee, and 1% for Thurmond.

Despite the polls, ABC News claimed, “No clear front-runner has emerged in the crowded race ahead of the June 2 primary.”

Becerra, who is only polling at 3%, celebrated on Tuesday that the debate was shut down, writing, “We fought. We won! We stood up against an unfair candidate debate set-up that prematurely chose winners and losers. Tonight USC made the right decision to cancel their March 24 gubernatorial forum…so hopefully next time it’s done right. Thank you to everyone who stood up, raised hell and demanded justice. Never give up when you’re fighting for fairness!”

Hilton, who is leading in the race, fired back, “DEMOCRATS ONLY CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES! Xavier Becerra is celebrating the cancellation of tonight’s debate because it didn’t give him and the other low-polling dems a participation trophy!

“They’d rather shut the whole thing down and deny California voters a real chance to hear the candidates than compete fairly! Pure selfishness — putting themselves ahead of the people of California every single time!”

Hilton was at the airport, about to fly to Los Angeles for the debate, when the debate was suddenly cancelled after the low-tier Democrats played their race card.

Hilton then spoke out in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

Meanwhile, Bianco declared, “USC should be embarrassed.”

Betty Yee, who is only polling at 2% in the California governor’s race, brazenly declared, “We refuse to be overlooked and pushed aside. We will fight to be heard in the California governor’s race. Voters deserve it and democracy depends on it.”

Antonio Villaraigosa, who is only polling at 3% in the race, also claimed, “USC made the right call, even if it came late and under pressure. The formula they used penalized candidates for entering the race early while rewarding a late entrant with documented ties to USC’s donor network. That approach couldn’t survive public examination.”

Tony Thurmond, polling at only 1%, also released a statement, ranting about discrimination, and cheering that the debate was cancelled.

READ MORE from ABC News.

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