Inside Golden State Politics - podcast cover

Inside Golden State Politics

Bill Boyarsky & Sherry Jeffewww.buzzsprout.com

Bill Boyarsky and Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, two experienced California political experts, argue about politics from Los Angeles to Sacramento to Washington.


Bill Boyarsky is former city editor of the Los Angeles Times and was also a columnist, bureau chief and political reporter for the newspaper. Previously, he reported on politics for the Associated Press in Sacramento.

He is the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes for team reporting.


Bill is the author of two biographies of Ronald Reagan, a biography of Jesse M. Unruh; Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times, and, with co-author Nancy Boyarsky, Backroom Politics.


Sherry Bebitch Jeffe is a retired  professor of the practice of public policy communication at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California.


Sherry has been political analyst for KCAL-TV, NBC4 Los Angeles NBC's "Today" show and the BBC, where she was an analyst on American politics for programs in London, Scotland and Wales. In 2006, she was a nominee for the Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for NBC4’s news feature, “Decision 2005: A Voter’s Guide.


She has also appeared on MSNBC, CNN, Spectrum News 1 and Al Jazeera English and on radio shows in the United States and internationally. 


Sherry has a Ph.D in government from Claremont Graduate University and a master's in political science from Rutgers, where she was a fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics.

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Episodes

Guns. Again.

Bill says Biden ought to fight for gun control one step at a time. Sherry questions whether even that can be accomplished in today's political environment.

Mar 30, 202333 min

Big Tests: Trump, Bass and L.A. Schools

We look at how former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the news media and Republican politics. We examine Mayor Karen Bass' first 100 days. And we take a look at the Los Angeles school strike and the mayor's possible efforts to end it.

Mar 23, 202332 min

Freedom Of Speech: Gridiron And Dominion

With our guest, longtime Gridiron Club member and political journalist Cragg Hines, we go behind the scenes of Mike's Pence's rebellion at the fabled organization's recent dinner. We also discuss the impact on freedom of speech of the Fox News-Dominion lawsuit.

Mar 15, 202332 min

Potpourri: Freedom Of Speech, Cancel Culture, Dilbert And Judy Chu

We examine whether free speech should be limited in this era of unrestrained, often violent, political debate. Should the Dilbert comic strip be axed? And what about the xenophobic attacks on Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu of California by her Texas Republican colleague?

Mar 02, 202331 min

The Days Of Bass And Biden

With our guest, broadcast journalist Dave Bryan, we discuss how two major political leaders are confronting big problems. New Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces homelessness and police reform. President Biden sees the peace of Europe on his shoulders.

Feb 23, 202331 min

The Week Of The Women: Feinstein And Haley

We say farewell to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is not running for another term . And we welcome Nikki Haley into the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Feb 16, 202332 min

SOTU: "Annual National Root Canal"

That' s what some called Bill Clinton's interminable State Of The Union speeches. Biden spoke a long time, too, but he had comic relief from the Republicans.

Feb 09, 202328 min

The Mayor, The Chief, And More On The Classified Documents

We agree with Mayor Karen Bass' support of another term for Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore. We discuss the silly federal government classification system for so-called "secret" documents. And we wonder whatever happened to Donald Trump.

Feb 02, 202330 min

Monterey Park: An Insider's Perspective

Our guest, newly elected Monterey Park City Councilmember Thomas Wong , shares his thoughts on the recent mass shooting in his city and its impact on the fierce debate over gun control.

Jan 25, 202330 min

Classified Documents! Debt Limit! California Senate Race!

We try to untangle the controversy over President Biden's classified documents. We attempt to make sense of the debt limit. Then we speculate on the California Senate race with or without Senator Dianne Feinstein. The episode was produced and directed by Nancy Boyarsky.

Jan 19, 202333 min

The Governor. The Mayor. The Congress. And The Cop.

With our guest, political analyst Dave Bryan, we take a look at the crises facing California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. We also discuss the Republican- controlled House and its plans to shred the safety net.

Jan 12, 202335 min

The "Groundhog Day" Games

Like most people, we can only watch the House speakership fight on television. Here's our report from the virtual battlefield.

Jan 06, 202331 min

2023: "Follow The Yellow Brick Road"

Our guest, well-known television and radio journalist Warren Olney, walks us through Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' first few days in office amid a racist explosion on the city council. And we take a look at the media's performance during a critical political period.

Dec 15, 202229 min

New Realities And Old Problems

We chew over the future of Los Angeles under new political leadership. And we wonder whether the prospective speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy, has the smarts of Nancy Pelosi.

Nov 24, 202233 min

The Next Los Angeles

We get a view of Los Angeles' new mayor Karen Bass through the eyes of her Community Coalition colleague, now city council member, Marqueece Harris-Dawson. He also gives us an inside look at the controversy over the leaked audio of racist remarks by three of his Los Angeles City Council colleagues.

Nov 17, 202230 min

The Post-Game Show

Sherry and Bill offer fresh perspectives on the midterms, including an analysis of women's gains and the impact of abortion. We also discuss whether the election is shifting Los Angeles city government to the left.

Nov 11, 202228 min

Democracy On The Ballot?

We discuss whether people will believe the election results. We consider the emergence of Elon Musk as an influencer in the political dialogue. And we take another look at the race for mayor of Los Angeles.

Nov 03, 202230 min

Pre-election Punditry: Part Two

Although the media seems to have downgraded abortion as an issue, we think it could prove decisive in some Senate and House races. We also examine the role of women in next Tuesday's election. And we pay tribute to the late Mike Davis, a voice of Los Angeles.

Oct 27, 202229 min

Pre-election Punditry

Our guest, political analyst Bill Schneider, says if President Biden doesn't run, Vice President Kamala Harris will be a cinch to win the Democratic presidential nomination. And he says former President Trump may not be the Republican presidential nominee. This is the 101st episode of Inside Golden State Politics. Thank you.

Oct 20, 202229 min

L.A.'s October Surprise

With our guest, Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, we ponder the future of Los Angeles after the disclosure of a racist dialogue among three city council members. Can the wounds ever be healed?

Oct 13, 202240 min

Si, Se Puede: Will Latino Voters Decide The 2022 Elections?

Our guest, journalist and political expert Pilar Marrero, tells us the Bass campaign is falling short in winning Latino voters. And we also examine the battle for Latino voters between Sheriff Alex Villanueva and his challenger, Robert Luna.

Sep 29, 202231 min

Big L.A. Debates: Winners And Losers

We discuss the recent debates between the candidates for mayor of Los Angeles and between the candidates for Los Angeles County sheriff. Who won? Listen to our podcast.

Sep 22, 202229 min

Fight On For LA Mayor

Our guest political columnist Jon Regardie talks about how the race for L.A, mayor is now a real slugfest. Will it be corruption versus abortion ? And we explain the importance of the University of Southern California in the election campaign.

Sep 15, 202229 min

"Politics And Poker": Bass, Caruso, Newsom

With our guest, veteran television political reporter Dave Bryan, we unpack the Bass and Caruso homeless plans. And we wonder whether Gov. Gavin Newsom has the right stuff to be president.

Sep 08, 202229 min

Mike Bonin: A Frank Farewell To City Hall

Bill and Sherry have an open discussion with retiring Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin about the frustrations and satisfactions of L.A. politics and the difficult policy questions he's had to face.

Aug 18, 202233 min
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