USC Professor Defends Controversial Debate Format Amid Backlash
A professor at the University of Southern California, Christian Gross, has rejected allegations that his debate format was racist, following the cancellation of a high-profile campaign for California’s governor.
In an interview on CNN’s “The Story is with Erex Michaelson,” Gross stood by his contentious ranking system. This came after it was revealed that all six candidates selected for the debate were white, leading to significant anger and prompting the event’s cancellation.
The debate was supposed to occur at USC, but controversy erupted when it became apparent that the four candidates booted from the lineup were all people of color. Notably absent were figures like former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, while San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who has less than 5% approval in polls, was included.
Becerra stated, “We fought. We won! We stood up against an unfair candidate debate system that prematurely determines winners and losers,” after the event’s cancellation.
Gross, however, argued that his methodology is based on widely accepted academic practices, utilizing metrics like polling strength and fundraising amounts—criteria familiar to political science.
“I used a methodology supported by scholars at Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton,” he explained.
He pushed back against accusations that his formula favored Mahan, contending that his approach has led to more diverse outcomes in previous elections, such as that for mayor in Los Angeles.
According to Gross, “When used with other elections, this formula produces a diversity of candidates who succeed.” He denied accusations of bias and emphasized that any complaints stem from underperformance by certain candidates.
In light of the situation, there hasn’t been a debate scheduled in over a month, which Gross noted has left voters without the chance to hear from the candidates directly. He expressed disappointment, stating, “We missed the opportunity to actually hear from the candidates about the issues.”
Gross confirmed he hasn’t finalized the candidate list and clarified that decisions were USC’s, focusing on campaign performance rather than any biases. Still, he acknowledged the importance of diversity in California’s political landscape.
California Republican Steve Hilton, who leads in current polling, denounced the decision to cancel the debate, expressing frustration with the process.
Hilton stated bluntly, “I’m done with this clown.”
