Sean Hannity’s DeSantis-Newsom Debate Might Be the Most Interesting Cable News Event of the Year
Whether your chosen metaphor is silos, bubbles, or Balkan states, it’s well accepted that the current political media ecosystem has both created and hardened partisan divisions in America. Long gone are the days of civil debates between political rivals who discuss policy differences without throwing “whatabout” grenades designed only to highlight perceived hypocrisy on the other side.
Which is why Thursday night’s Fox News debate between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom feels like something of an oasis in a desert of confirmation bias and replayed cable news talking points that make Stairway to Heaven feel like a fresh new song on your local classic rock station.
But will the 90-minute debate — organized and hosted by Sean Hannity — be a respite for viewers dying of thirst for well-informed and meaningful discussion? Or is it a mirage — a cynical ratings stunt designed to ambush the left-of-center participant? My guess is, judging from the last Hannity interview with Newsom, it will be the former. But don’t discount the possibility it will become the latter.
Hannity conceived the idea, framed it as a “Red State vs Blue State” debate, and convinced both participants to sign on. Aside from the 800-pound gorilla in Mar-a-Lago and the guy in the White House, DeSantis and Newsom are as close to leading men for their respective parties as you will find. They may not be on the ballot when the 2024 general comes around, but they will be the first names on the mouths of pundits the day after November’s election.
Hannity has gone on record that he intends to give Newsom a fair shake. Skeptics have thousands of hours of Fox News programming supporting their cynicism. But to those pessimists, I’d suggest that they revisit the two episodes of Hannity in which he aired a fascinating back-and-forth with Newsom. At the time, I called it the most compelling cable news show of the year.
Hannity deserves a ton of credit for the concept and execution here but Newsom is the real hero for willingly stepping into the lion’s den, knowing that he will likely be outnumbered.
Viewers should also know that Newsom is walking into the lion’s den well-armed. Not only does he have the wisdom of his previous experience sitting for an interview with Hannity, but he also boasts vast knowledge of Fox News talking points — picked up from his obsessive monitoring of the network. That has made him adept at dealing with conservative talking points, which DeSantis will eagerly confront him with.
In the previous showdown with Hannity, Newsom was able to swat away many of the standard arguments you hear leveled against Democrat-run states like his own on Fox News. He also gave as good as he got, and to Hannity’s credit, the host handled the tough pushback well.
For his part, DeSantis is dying for a win here, given his steady decline in presidential polling from the once and future heir to a sudden also ran. But the state that he governs — and in particular, the iron hand in which he governs — has become the gold standard in conservative circles, which is no small thing to have in your back pocket going into a debate on Fox News.
Given the apparent and unlikely bromance brewing between Hannity and Newsom, it is easy to see how DeSantis could end up in third place among these three competitive political media figures.
This will be a must-watch debate for various reasons, including Newsom’s impressive debating prowess, Hannity’s deft hosting skills, and DeSantis’s home-court advantage. For anyone who wants liberal and conservative beliefs on how to run a state put to the test, the Hannity-hosted California-Florida showdown is the place to see it.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
