California governor's race is no day at the beach

Newsom is the state's lieutenant governor, so he has an empty desk, a light workload and plenty of time to campaign. He has led in every poll, with about 21-23 percent of the vote. Yet the fact that he sat out debates has fueled the perception that he is the entitled candidate who thinks earning votes is beneath him.

The real contest -- for No. 2 -- is between Villaraigosa and the leading Republican, Illinois businessman John Cox, who has two votes for sure: his own and Newsom's. That's because, if Villaraigosa makes it into the runoff, and even a sliver of Latinos -- who make up nearly 40 percent of the state's population -- turn out in November, it could be adios to Newsom.

The bad news for Villaraigosa: He seems stuck in the high teens, which may only be good enough for third place -- behind Newsom and Cox, who has climbed to about the same level as Villaraigosa.

The good news: Most polls show a big chunk of voters -- perhaps as high as 25 percent -- are still undecided, and Villaraigosa just started going on the airwaves thanks to a huge infusion of cash from billionaire charter-school advocates. These deep-pocketed donors see Newsom as hopelessly wedded to teachers' unions that like the status quo.

Meanwhile, Cox may be a California transplant, but he learns fast. He has totally acclimated to the poisonous ways of the state Republican Party. The GOP is demonizing a widely misunderstood state law that supposedly protects illegal immigrants from arrest and deportation. This fantastical narrative would be easier to swallow if illegal immigrants weren't being arrested and deported in California every single day. The whole drama has many people in the Golden State seeking "sanctuary" from stupidity.

No wonder many Californians would rather tune out and spend their time at the beach.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.