Not With A Bang, But A Whimper
Hugh Hewitt > Blog
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Many of us predict California’s demise. But what does that look like? How will we know it when it happens? The host declared California a “zombie” state this past week – maybe it is dead already and just does not know it? I thought this post about it being more of a slow erosion than a catastrophic event was quite insightful. It is experiencing, or perhaps has experienced but does not know it yet -death by a thousand cuts.
For one thing it is hemorrhaging money:
- Feds: California Owes $1B for Covering Illegal Aliens With Medicaid Dollars
- California losing over $1B to rival states for film, TV production — despite Newsom tax incentives
It is hemorrhaging people – people that really matter:
- Google Guys Say Bye to California: Sergey Brin is joining his Google co-founder, Larry Page, in reducing ties to the state where they built their fortunes.
- California’s hatred for capitalism is killing the goose that laid its golden egg
It is hemorrhaging credibility:
It may even be hemorrhaging homeless – but not in a good way:
- Newsom says California homelessness is declining. Here’s what the data shows
- Frightening reality of California’s homeless epidemic laid bare as disease outbreak could threaten LA
All of which means:
Ya think!?!?!?!?! The president said as much in his last interview with the host. (I just had a brilliant idea for a horror movie – a Newsom/Walz administration. Just the thought of it makes me shudder.)
The problem with California eroding away is that like the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water, so many Californians will stay put and suffer the consequences. At some point California’s countless woes will become the nation’s.
Meanwhile, there are a few other left over headlines
If California does not drag us into the abyss, smartphones just might It seems teens are spending 5 hours a day on their phones. (That’s almost as scary as that Newsom/Walz ticket.) Netflix wants movies written in a fashion designed to hold the attention of the home viewer who are easily diverted by their phones. The host spent a bunch of time this week discussing the abysmal state of the motion pictures these days. In my house the best way to keep me from being diverted to my phone and/or tablet is to make a good movie – I’ll put them down every time if it is worth it. Better yet – put a good movie in a theater!
Seriously, what won’t “experts” give “urgent warnings” about. If all their “urgent warnings” were right, we wouldn’t be here to read them. Speaking of, the winter storm sweeping the nation as I write is serious and some parts of the nation will struggle, but really, can we just put the stories about insulating your pipes and the dangers of space heaters back on the shelf? If I have seen them once, I have seen them thousands of times. I am not an idiot, neither are most other people.
