ELDER’s ex alleges abuse — GOP DEBATE recap — FTC vs. FACEBOOK, round 2 — NEWSOM launches turnout push

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THE BUZZ Republican frontrunner Larry Elders history with women is becoming a focal point in the recall campaign.
Elders GOP rivals had already started to take aim at him before Thursday nights debate. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, in particular, blasted Elder for claiming in a decades-old essay that women know less about current events and suggesting employers should be able to press employees on whether and when they will have children. Faulconer has said those views render Elder unfit to lead California, as he looks to cut off the longtime talk show radio hosts left flank. When I saw those comments directed about women, directed about pregnancy discrimination, that’s not right, Faulconer said at the time.
Then, between Tuesdays forum and Thursday nights debate, came a bombshell from Carla. Carla had already scooped that Elders former fiancée and producer, Alexandra Datig, said a non-disclosure agreement barred her from talking about the relationship. But Datig broke that forced silence to allege Elder had brandished a gun at her and used coercive behavior while they were together, including pushing her to get a Larrys Girl tattoo. (Elder refused to comment to POLITICO but denied those accusations in tweets, saying he never brandished a gun at anyone).
Larry Elder, a Republican candidate in the recall against Gov. Gavin Newsom poses with Alexandra Datig, his former fiancée. | Courtesy of Alexandra Datig via AP
Republican debaters held off from reproaching Elder Thursday night. But Faulconer redoubled his critique before the candidate forum, saying in a statement that Elder doesnt have the judgment and character to lead this state amid reports on his personal behavior. Even Caitlyn Jenner, another recall candidate who has so far dodged the debates,got a shot in from afar,tweeting a warning about a candidate in the recall that is a violent womanizer and too far right for CA.
LONG TRAILBeyond Datigs allegations, Elder has spent decades expressing his views publicly for a living, including his core conviction that the welfare state encourages women to marry the government, and his longstanding skepticism of gender-based pay gaps and sexism generally. That creates a capacious cache of material for his opponents. And we are continuing to see it trickle out: Carlas story on Thursday morning was followed by a review by CNNs Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck and Drew Myers of his offensive remarks about women, and an exclusive by the SF Chronicles Dustin Gardiner, recounting how Elder suggested in his book that smart women just grit their teeth and bear sexist jokes and remarks.
Both Newsom and the other Republicans vying to replace him are eager to amplify those views. Faulconers decision to focus on Elders remarks about women, out of decades of controversial statements, suggests an effort to pursue the ever-critical block of centrist suburban women. But robust turnout among women could render that second question meaningless, as polling shows female likely voters are significantly more likely to oppose recalling Newsom than are men.
THE T-WORDRepublican debaters were not interested in talking about former President Donald Trump Thursday night. Asked if theyd vote for Trump 2024, none of them quite disavowed the former president, but only John Cox said he would vote for Trump redux; both Faulconer and Kevin Kiley sidestepped the question.
BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier is campaigning against the recall in the Bay Area today, along with state Sens. Josh Becker and Scott Wiener and Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Kevin Mullin. And U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is back in Berkeley, visiting her old stomping grounds to tour renewable energy sites with East Bay elected officials.
Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit cm[email protected] or [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @cmarinucci and @jeremybwhite.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: I introduced him to the evil weed. Im the one who made him what he is. I cant believe he turned his back on me, motherf—er. Elder describes his history with rapper Snoop Dogg in an earlier home video.
TWEET OF THE DAY: Republican consultant @RobStutzman on Carlas report: [email protected] has certainly created a lot of his own problems but he has also caught some really bad breaks. @larryelder aint one of them. Larry Elder early Christmas continues.
WHERES GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
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TOP TALKERS
BALLARD PENALTY Former Newsom aide sentenced to probation in domestic violence case, by the SF Chronicles Steve Rubinstein.
SYSTEM FAILURE Before a 4-year-old boys killing, authorities wavered on rescuing him, by the LA Times’ Matt Hamilton, Garrett Therolf and Daniel Lempres: An investigation by the Los Angeles Times and the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley found that errors, misjudgments and bureaucratic conflict within the child welfare system including among top supervisors blocked multiple opportunities to protect Noah. His life and tragic death offer a sobering window into how race and ethnicity, cultural sensitivity, and trust collided inside the agency.
CAMPAIGN MODE
BIG PUSH In what it claims is the largest in-person get out the vote operation in California history, the committee backing Newsom plans to deluge millions of state voters in the next weeks with an anti-recall message bolstered by an army of staffers, according to campaign documents.
The Stop the Republican Recall committee aims to target 10.3 million targeted voters and 6.1 million phones with a program that includes 600 paid field staff, according to the campaign. The goals cited by the committee in the weeks leading up to the Sept. 14 recall: 18 million or more calls and 1.5 million door knocks; 5,500 phone & walk shifts per week, and more than 25,000 shifts to knock on doors over GOTV weekend. The campaign plans to partner with more than 60 community organizations, the California Democratic Party and labor for a multilingual blitz.
ELDER ICYMI GOP frontrunner’s recall campaign strategy rankles some Republican activists, by POLITICOs Carla Marinucci: With less than one month before the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom, Elders insistence to put himself at arms length from his fellow Republicans both on the debate stage and on local stages appears to be a first by a major candidate in state politics.
RIPPLE EFFECTS Column: Could Gavin Newsom lose even if he beats the recall? by the LA Times’ Mark Z. Barabak: If Newsom prevails in less-than-impressive fashion, will that weaken him politically if, as widely assumed, he seeks a second term in 2022?
Column: If Larry Elder is elected, life will get harder for Black and Latino Californians, by the LA Times’ Jean Guerrero: If Elder becomes governor, the state that led the charge against Trumpism could plunge into an alternate universe reminiscent of the 90s, when California passed a racist three-strikes law and the anti-immigrant Proposition 187.
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CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR
California high court wont consider O.C.’s challenge to school mask mandate, by LATimes Melissa Gomez and Howard Blume: Earlier this month, board members voted 4 to 0 to pursue the legal challenge, saying they believed the mandate compounds the harm to Californias children previously caused by prior school closures and unwarranted masking requirements.
Californias housing crisis: How much difference will a zoning bill make? by CalMatters Manuela Tobias: YIMBYs and NIMBYs are battling over legislation to allow more duplexes, but some experts downplay its impact on California housing. The bill backed by Senate leader Toni Atkins made it through the Assembly Appropriations Committee today and will face a floor vote in coming weeks.
San Francisco DA sues 3 California-based ghost gun makers, by AP: The suit names Blackhawk Manufacturing Group, GS Performance and MDX Corp., three companies that are not based in San Francisco but are responsible for producing a large share of the firearms found in the city and elsewhere in the state, [District Attorney Chesa] Boudin said.
SHERIFF DEFIANT Amid Accusations of Jail Abuse and Calls for Resignation, Santa Clara County Sheriff Refuses to Step Down, by KQEDs Adhiti Bandlamudi and Alex Emslie.
BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL
Harris uses convening power to expand her political network, by POLITICOs Eugene Daniels: The vice president is building relationships with a wide array of Democratic allies, which she could leverage in the administration and a future presidential campaign.
Deadlines loom for California bullet train in its search for new funding, by the LA Times’ Ralph Vartabedian: A roughly $1-trillion bipartisan package, which has passed the Senate but faces challenges in the House, makes no mention of the states high-speed rail effort, the nations largest infrastructure project.
SILICON VALLEYLAND
FTC sues Facebook for antitrust violations again, by POLITICOs Leah Nylen: The suit seeks to force Facebook to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp, in what would be the United States first court-ordered breakup of a company on antitrust grounds since AT&T in the early 1980s.
HOLLYWOODLAND
Britney Spears faces battery investigation after housekeeper files complaint over dispute, by NBC News Diana Dasrath, Alicia Victoria Lozano and Doha Madani: The employee claims that Spears, who has been embroiled in a court battle over ending her conservatorship, confronted her when she returned to the house. Spears allegedly slapped the housekeeper’s phone out of the woman’s hands.
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MIXTAPE
Woman denied restraining order against Trevor Bauer, by ESPNs Alden Gonzalez and Tisha Thompson.
Federal judge investigating PG&E’s role in Dixie Fire orders utility worker to appear in court, by the SF Chronicles J.D. Morris.
2 Ex-Torrance Officers Charged For Vandalism Involving Swastika. 13 Current Officers Are Under Investigation, by LAists Frank Stoltze.
Pastor offers exemption letters for COVID vaccination resisters, by the LA Times’ Robin Estrin.
California imposes campfire, charcoal ban in Lake Tahoe state parks until December, by the Sac Bees Margo Rosenbaum.
Licensing by clerical error: How the states mistake decided the course of two nursing homes, by CalMatters Jocelyn Wiener.
BIRTHDAYS
Googles Lauren Epshteyn Katie Peters of the White House Adam Ginzberg
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