Around the time of the minimally-watched CNN debate, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton created a colorful website attacking Democrat Xavier Becerra.
Most effective is the compilation of statements by Democrats who’ve actually worked with him saying he’s really not competent, though it’s buried all the way at the bottom of the website.
The website also includes a list of legitimate and disputed complaints about Becerra.
Tthe list of 16 items includes a lot of complaints about laws passed by the Legislature and blames Becerra as state attorney general for not doing anything to stop them. (As an aside, a top 16 list is very unsatisfying. Top 10 is sufficient, Top 15 is fine, Top 20 is a bit long, but 16? That’s bad planning.)
Unfortunately, the list includes some things so ridiculous it reflects really badly on Hilton.
The dumbest one, and the reason I’m writing this, is item #02 on the list, which includes the title, in big font: “Legalized sex with minors.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that if Xavier Becerra somehow, as California attorney general, legalized sex with minors, that would be a really, really, really big deal. All the logistics aside, if it came out that really happened, it’s all anyone would talk about and Hilton would be cruising on a +99 point lead.
Team Hilton then provided a helpful description: “While Becerra was AG, California passed SB 145, ending automatic sex-offender registration for adults convicted of sex acts involving minors when the age gap was no more than ten years. Becerra did nothing about it. His DOJ sent courts, prosecutors and police instructions on applying the law.”
Notice something missing from that description? The legalization of sex with minors part, which is important if you’re going to slime your opponent for legalizing sex with minors. The other complication is that bit about how Senate Bill 145 is about sex offender registration in cases of “adults convicted of sex acts involving minors.” The key word there being “convicted.”
Without going into the nitty gritty of Senate Bill 145, it basically it just gave judges discretion over whether registration is warranted in certain cases after conviction. That’s it. There is not a hidden clause in there saying “Adults may now have sex with minors, per Becerra.”
What Hilton is doing is channeling the very QAnon-ish, very conspiratorial tales about what Senate Bill 145 did from back in 2020. It’s pretty shameful that Hilton is associating himself with this kind of stuff, because he’s smarter than the sort of people who fall for such things. Which really just makes it worse, because he’s just confirming that California Republicans really aren’t serious and can’t be taken seriously.
No wonder California is a one-party state.
Sal Rodriguez can be reached at salrodriguez@scng.com