The reporter isn’t a troll or idiot, she’s pushing on Katie because of the possibility (not necessarily probability) that two Ds advance to the general. This has happened in statewide races in CA, and the field is crowded for governor.
Katie doesn’t want to explore this possibility and then gets super snitty and evasive when pressed even though she walked into it by saying “I don’t intend to let that (two Democrats in the general) happen.” Because in her senate run she threw a tantrum about Schiff helping to elevate an R to the general over her and called the election “rigged,” and now that shes the presumptive top D vote getter in the primary she may need to do something similar to guarantee a D-R general she can win. This is all a perfectly legitimate place to probe. Katie is upset and tells you why— “I wanted to come have a pleasant conversation.” LOL.
I WILL fully concede that the reporter sees the flailing and terrible optics and decides to needle and see where it goes. There’s not a journalist on the planet who won’t press when an interviewee for a big race seems to be on the verge of crashing out. It’s really their job, and it’s the candidate’s job to be media trained and poised and not crash out. Because at some point you’re gonna get asked to justify something that you’d rather not talk about.
All she has to do is get out a decent answer “Well Julie, what we plan is to make our case and tell the democratic voters of California how a Katie Porter governorship will benefit them, their families, and the entire state. We plan to win on values and policy and I am the candidate who reflects the Democratic electorate. And once they hear our message I’m confident that I’ll be the decisive Democratic vote-getter and move on to put away a GOP opponent easily in a general election.”
Instead she comes in hot and bothered with some word salad about being from Orange County, argues over the question wording like a too-smart lawyer, and spills blood in the water.
And yes— this is a double standard because Trump can do all this stuff and is Teflon with his voters. He also has a legit talent to be the one who makes reporters feel defensive and flustered and off-center and that works for him.