Picture it: two of America’s most powerful governors take the debate stage. One is sporting copious amounts of hair gel. The other may, or may not, be wearing lifted boots to appear taller.

On Nov. 30 we will have another big-time political debate here in the United States, this one between California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But why?

It is not entirely clear what is going on here. This is not another in the series of GOP presidential debates for the 2024 field (the next one is scheduled for Dec. 6), nor is it some sort of proxy presidential debate. DeSantis is (still) running for the GOP nomination, but Newsom has said he is not running for president (this time around). 

One man has made cutting carbon emissions his state’s top policy priority. The other has prioritized energy production.

One made his state the most welcoming sanctuary jurisdiction for migrants from all over the world. The other signed one of the nation’s strictest anti-illegal immigration laws ever.

One oversees a state higher education system that has abandoned standardized tests and embraced mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion loyalty oaths. The other is fighting the higher education cartel and returning academic standards to classrooms.

Fox News’ Sean Hannity is billing his Thursday debate between Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis as a herculean clash between red and blue states.

It’s also a test of sorts for Hannity, with Newsom questioning whether the conservative TV host can treat him and DeSantis as equals.

In an interview with POLITICO, Hannity dismissed the Democrat’s concerns and compared DeSantis and Newsom to political combatants, lauding both for their willingness to enter the ring with him.

Fox News announced the details for a debate hosted by Sean Hannity between Florida Governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis and California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. 

The 90-minute debate, billed as “DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate,” will take place on Nov. 30 in Alpharetta, GA.

In a press release, Fox News said the debate “will examine the vastly different approaches the two governors have and offer insights into their political philosophies as well as ambitions for the nation.” 

Sean Hannity is a Republican Party operative with close ties to Donald Trump and other Republican leaders, and with the approval of the network’s executives, he explicitly uses his Fox News show as a platform to help its candidates win elections. So his Tuesday night meltdown, in which he blamed the GOP’s string of defeats that day to its unpopular opposition to abortion rights, bears careful scrutiny.

Hannity put his finger on what he considered the problem as results rolled in showing a series of Democratic victories.