Tim Cavanaugh on Antonio Villaraigosa's Disastrous National Debut
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bumbling chairmanship of the Democratic National Convention revealed his untrustworthiness, emotional neediness and severe intellectual limits, writes Tim Cavanaugh. But it also showed how shallow the Democrats' bench is in California. With Wisconsin, New Jersey and even Massachusetts generating high-profile Republicans, the Golden State is the closest thing to a heartland the Democrats have left. Yet the state's antique senators, less-than-fresh House members and Putinesque term-limit rotations make it a poor breeding ground for politicians. There's just not a lot to choose from.