Bass vs. Raman: Here is who received the L.A. mayoral debate

Karen Bass and Nithya Raman confronted off Tuesday night time in a debate hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo52 in Universal City. It was the L.A. mayoral candidates’ last head-to-head earlier than the Nov. 3 election.

Times columnists Lorraine Ali, Gustavo Arellano and Steve Lopez weigh in on the highlights and lowlights.

Arellano: Raman had the road of the night time on the very starting, channeling — of all politicians — Ronald Reagan, one of many final folks you’d consider as an Angeleno, though he completely was.

“Are you higher off than you have been 4 years in the past?” she requested whereas trying straight into the digital camera.

For the overwhelming majority of L.A. residents, the reply is a powerful no.

Up till tonight, Raman has performed a very good job of speaking a message of hope and alter, whereas Bass, because the incumbent, has repeatedly tripped on her file over the biblically unhealthy 4 years of her first time period.

But I didn’t hear that Raman tonight — partly as a result of Bass made her play protection, from her first reply to her closing assertion.

The mayor received the controversy, if we’re judging by forensics. She hardly ever appeared down at her notepad, not like Raman. It’s one thing I’ve by no means seen about Raman earlier than — both a brand new nervous tic, or a sign that the City Council member can’t appear to talk with conviction, which has been a frequent critique towards her.

Bass’ barrages acquired to Raman various instances, main her to speak over the NBC and Telemundo moderators and even shush them. A whining Raman shouldn’t be a very good Raman, which her advisors have to drill into her sooner quite than later.

But Raman’s solutions by no means meandered and weren’t too elliptical, even when she was pressed by the ready moderators. Since she’s forward in most respected polls, Raman’s job for the night time was not failing — and she or he cleared that low, low hurdle.

Bass, in the meantime, wanted to ship a knockout punch. Instead, as a politico good friend who cares for neither candidate texted me after the controversy, she received one spherical. There are solely so many extra rounds earlier than election day for her to catch up — and Bass can’t depend on simply successful on factors anymore, particularly with an opponent who’s now operating like she’s forward.

During closing remarks, Raman hearkened again to her Reagan shout-out, stating, “We can not afford one other 4 years of decline, of mismanagement, of excuses.” She then pivoted to her positivity message, smiling whereas proclaiming, “We might be joyful and impressive once more.” The extra she sticks to that upbeat vibe, the higher she comes off to a voter base bored with the doom and gloom that has fallen over L.A. beneath Bass.

Bass, in the meantime, got here off as funereal, starting with, “It has been the dignity of a lifetime to serve within the metropolis that I used to be born and raised.” That’s the way you begin a retirement announcement, not one other four-year time period. Let’s see what the voters say on election day.

Lopez: After watching the controversy, I don’t assume this factor is over.

Yes, Raman has been forward in polling, and Bass is saddled with excessive negativity scores, the luggage of the Palisades hearth and the continued problem of homelessness.

But this debate might have been a knockout punch for Raman, and as an alternative, I believe Bass received the night time, not simply by touting her achievements and responding sharply to criticism however by seeming to have a greater command of the second.

My colleague Lorraine Ali made a very good level — how many individuals have been truly watching this debate? Probably not many, so it’s not like this one-hour back-and-forth suggestions the size.

But as has been famous, an enormous share of possible voters remain undecided. Maybe that’s as a result of they’re not in love with both candidate. Or perhaps they’re prepared to maneuver on from Bass however aren’t positive about who Raman actually is. If they watched tonight, in search of a solution, I’m unsure they acquired one.

Raman got here into elected workplace as a darling of the Democratic Socialists of America and was a high-profile member of that wing on the City Council. But even the council’s DSA members didn’t endorse her bid for mayor. In reality, Bass has gotten assist from 13 of the 15 council members.

So how will Raman construct a coalition in a metropolis the place mayoral energy is shared with the council, and issues like homelessness are the joint accountability of town and the county, and any progress is stymied with out sturdy mayoral relationships in Sacramento and D.C.?

It’s potential that the council will come round to her if she’s elected, as a result of simply because the mayor wants the council to get a lot performed, the council wants the mayor.

But I’d wish to know extra about who Raman is and why she’s flip-flopped a lot (on assist for the LAPD, on the mansion tax, on the Inside Safe homeless initiative, and so on., and so on.), as my colleague David Zahniser reported just the other day.

Learning and evolving generally is a good factor. But voters have to know who Raman is, what her imaginative and prescient is for town and the way she expects to guide.

I didn’t get that on this debate. Bass, whose first time period works towards her as a lot as for her, remains to be hanging on and hanging in.

It might come down as to whether older voters, who’re prone to favor Bass, prove in higher numbers than youthful voters, who’re prone to favor Raman.

But from the place I sit, it ain’t over. Except perhaps for the Dodgers.

Ali: Raman was forward within the polls headed into tonight’s mayoral debate, so her job wasn’t fairly as arduous as Bass’, who’s combating for her political life. Raman simply wanted to knock the mayor off stability — then hold her there for an hour. But that didn’t occur.

Bass got here off composed, assured and in charge of the dialog, whereas Raman appeared much less positive of herself, regularly trying all the way down to test her notes whereas defending her work on key issues corresponding to homelessness (till not too long ago, she was chair of town’s housing and homelessness committee) and attacking Bass for leaving town “leaderless” throughout crises such because the Palisades and Lineage fires.

The general tone of the controversy was much less heated than when the 2 candidates met in August to battle it out sans Spencer Pratt, the previous actuality TV persona and Republican contender who misplaced within the major.

But there have been moments Tuesday when the ladies’s historical past as colleagues — and onetime allies — knowledgeable their assaults on each other.

Bass stated that Raman was “not prepared for prime time” and that she had a “contemptuous” relationship together with her constituents. Raman regularly identified that Bass had did not treatment L.A.’s homelessness disaster, and did so from the angle of somebody who had labored carefully with the mayor.

There’s nonetheless a query round what number of of us truly watched the controversy, and if the candidates’ factors will resonate in subsequent clips or memes. Neither contender has the allure or spark of, say, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and as vapid as it could sound, charisma issues.

Three weeks out from the election and there nonetheless isn’t quite a lot of pleasure over the mayoral decisions on the poll. This debate didn’t assist that trigger, or juice the race.

Lucky for Bass, she has the presence of a frontrunner, and that gave her the sting over Raman tonight. But was anybody watching past my fellow columnists Gustavo Arellano and Steve Lopez?