Podcast: How A Pandemic Shaped California Politics

By Courtney Fong, CalMatters

October 2, 2021

Politico California’s Carla Marinucci and CalMatters’ Dan Walters join Nicole and Nigel on the final podcast episode to discuss how the pandemic shaped California politics.

“I think we have learned to live with [COVID-19], begrudgingly. Unhappily, perhaps. Although it is kind of interesting that there is this odd sort of residual resistance to the whole idea of COVID,” Walters said. “We have reports now of resignations flooding the Los Angeles Police Department by officers who are not going to comply with the vaccination mandate.

Marinucci and Walters also discussed what lies ahead for California 2022, a looming election year.

“What we see here is a very vibrant and increasingly divisive political structure here in California, and I think that’s got to be the concern as you look at the changes from the 2003 era to 2021,” Marinucci said. “I think that’s the concern of a lot of people, even Democrats, even Progressives who like the one-party rule. That somehow, California has to get back to a little bit of equilibrium when it comes to discussion, debate, and recall politics.”

The final episode of California State of Mind was released on Oct. 1, 2021.

Listen to the “California State of Mind” episode, co-hosted by Nicole Nixon and Nigel Duara, on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Follow @yourgoldenstate, @CalMatters and @CapRadioNews on Twitter to engage with our show every week and see the top California news of the day.

We want to hear from you

Want to submit a guest commentary or reaction to an article we wrote? You can find our submission guidelines here. Please contact CalMatters with any commentary questions: commentary@calmatters.org

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics. Sign up for our newsletters and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.