Victor Davis Hanson has declared that the recent absence of Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico from the campaign trail is part of a broader pattern among Democratic contenders.
The conservative analyst identified former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra, who is seeking the California governorship, as another prominent Democrat who has drastically reduced his public presence amid escalating political pressures.
Hanson noted that both candidates have become significantly less visible just as demands for accountability intensify. Talarico returned to the campaign trail on Friday after a nine-day absence, which his campaign attributed to severe illness requiring urgent care—a complication exacerbated by his Type 1 diabetes. Prior to this return, President Donald Trump’s campaign was among those publicly asking where he had gone.
Talarico’s team stated he continued fundraising and working remotely during his recovery, but the extended silence created an opportunity for opponents to capitalize.
Hanson linked Becerra’s recent actions to a similar pattern: following a notably poor performance in California’s first gubernatorial debate, the former Health and Human Services secretary withdrew from another scheduled forum. Republican candidate Steve Hilton accused Becerra of backing out of the event, though Becerra’s campaign stated he had not formally committed and his schedule did not permit attendance.
In an internal campaign poll released this week, Steve Hilton’s team reported Becerra trailing at 45.7 percent compared to Hilton’s 40.1 percent—though a September UC Berkeley poll had previously shown Becerra leading.
Hanson argued that the Democratic strategy of minimizing candidates’ exposure to direct questioning and unscripted appearances, which worked for Joe Biden in 2020, is now being recognized by voters as a liability. The shift reflects an effort to avoid hostile scrutiny while relying on campaign messaging instead.
The analyst emphasized that regardless of whether a candidate’s absence stems from illness, scheduling conflicts, or deliberate avoidance, voters must ask: Who is actually showing up?
