This Golden State with Randy Shandobil

They've all but vanished! Voters see almost no presidential bumper stickers or lawn signs this year. That may sound trivial, but the reasons behind it say a lot about how campaigns are changing and more importantly, it says a lot about the dark, angry mood of the country this election year. This Golden State’s Randy Shandobil talks to the family owned company that invented the bumper sticker, Democratic political consultant Paul Maslin and fearful voters.

California voters face a stark choice: abolish the death penalty or double down on it. Proposition 62 would end California’s death penalty. Prop 66 would put a time limit on appeals so that executions would happen more frequently. This Golden State’s Randy Shandobil talks to Ron Briggs, one of the original writers and sponsors of California’s death penalty. He is now fighting to end it. Also, Sacramento County DA Anne Marie Schubert talks about why she wants to speed up the process.

As her 34 year Congressional career nears its final day, Senator Barbara Boxer looks back and looks forward: she talks about sexism and Donald Trump, about what it was like (thru marriage) to be part of the Clinton family and about what is going through her mind as her final day in office approaches.

Listen to the questions that weren't asked in the 1st presidential debate. This Golden State’s Randy Shandobil asks some of California’s best political journalists what their first question would be if they were the moderator of one of the presidential debates. Mark Barabak and John Myers from the LA Times, Debra Saunders of the SF Chronicle, Politico’s Carla Marinucci, the Sacramento Bee’s Dan Morain, Marc Sandalow, political analyst for Hearst Television, Doug Sovern of KCBS Radio, former KCRA political reporter Kevin Riggs, and Hank Plante with the Desert Sun all play hardball.

San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer is the new campaign money king. Published reports say he’s given twice as much political money as the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and George Soros combined. But Steyer's money is a double edged sword. The more the environmentalist gives, the more people wonder about his true motives. This Golden State’s Randy Shandobil asks Steyer about his political ambitions, about potentially running for Governor against Gavin Newsom, about Newsom’s record on climate change and about lessons learned from the long list of wealthy, self-funded candidates who’ve run for higher office in California and lost. Is Steyer worried about political consultants becoming yes-men because he pays so well?

It’s now been more than 270 days since Hillary Clinton has held a press conference and the pressure on her to hold her first this election year is intensifying. “This Golden State’s” Randy Shandobil interviews Mark Barabak, who covers presidential politics for the Los Angeles Times and Carla Marinucci, who writes Politico’s California Playbook. Why are countless interviews with local television reporters enticing to Clinton while press conferences seem to spook her? Will it cost her? The 2016 press conference tally so far: Trump 17, Clinton zero.

Democrats #1 Target: Catharine Baker is the only Republican lawmaker in all of the liberal Bay Area and so the Contra Costa County Assemblywoman has a bulls-eye on her back. State Democrats, hoping to win back their super-majority have made her district priority number one. In an interview with Randy Shandobil, Catharine Baker talks about surviving as a Republican in a Democrat leaning district and about getting ready to face an onslaught.

With the conventions completed, it's sinking in: President Obama will soon leave the White House. Many Americans are already feeling nostalgic for Obama. How will history treat Barack Obama? We interview Stanford's Bruce Cain and USC's Dan Schnur, the former Communications Director for John McCain's 2000 Presidential campaign.

A special pre-convention podcast: “Red States on This Golden State” A tour through the traditionally red states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas finds Americans in an incredibly dark mood. More than 90% of the people Randy Shandobil talked to in a four-state, ten day tour say the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is profoundly depressing. The vast majority say they are scared. Some in the so-called bible belt, say the two candidates are so loathsome, that end times may be near. By the no means does the podcast reflect any scientific polling, but the voices are remarkably revealing.

"This Golden State" Oakland Police Chief Blues: It's a warp speed game of Police Chief musical chairs. Randy Shandobil interviews former SF Police Chief Tony Ribera who talks about why Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf might have real trouble attracting a new full-time chief, a police morale problem and how the mayor's tough words could do more damage than good. OPD: Three chiefs in eight days and now no real chief at all, in large part because of a growing sex scandal and officers exchanging racist texts.

"This Golden State: Historic Fundraising Gender Gap” and it’s not just because Hillary Clinton is the first presumptive nominee for president for a major party. Host Randy Shandobil talks with a major Democratic Party bundler and the Executive Director of the crowdfunding website WomenCount.org. What does it mean to the political process that for the first time, women are giving more money to a presidential candidate than men?

How could the Bay Area, one of the most liberal places in the country, and one of the most racially integrated places in the world, be home to so many police killings of people of color? Do protests on the streets make a difference? Randy Shandobil interviews one of the most polarizing attorneys in the country, civil rights attorney John Burris. Some of his clients include Rodney King, Tupac Shakur, Barry Bonds, and the families of Mario Woods and Oscar Grant.

In "The 2nd Idiot Theory" Randy Shandobil confesses to an embarassing episode in his journalistic career. What prompted it? Donald Trump's announcements linking Ted Cruz' father to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Trump's source: The National Enquirer. "The 2nd Idiot Theory" reveals how Enquirer reporters get some of their bizarre stories, including stories on the death of Elvis.

Conventional Wisdom about the 2016 campaign: “We’re All Bozos on the Bus” examines how & why everyone: political journalists, pollsters, consultants, wealthy donors & pundits got it so wrong this year. We talk to Bernie Sanders’ pollster Ben Tulchin, California Republican Chair Jim Brulte, consultant Rob Stutzman who led California’s stop Donald Trump movement, Sherry Bebitch Jeffe and KCBS’ Doug Sovern.

What is it about journalists that Republican presidential candidates, especially Donald Trump hate so much? Trump repeatedly calls reporters morons, idiots and dishonest and his crowds cheer. We talk to political reporters and analysts Carla Marinucci, Scott Shafer, Sherry Bebitch Jeffe and Doug Sovern to get their reaction to being the butt of presidential candidate attacks.