Political campaigns, especially those involving ballot initiatives in California, are often like a big chess board. You need to think about not just the move you're making now, but about what moves you might have to make toward the end.
This week's California Politics Podcast starts off with a look at three potentially explosive topics that could all appear on the November 2016 statewide ballot: A $2 per pack tobacco tax, an increase in the homeowner's property tax exemption, and a long debated and closely watched effort that could ask voters to tinker with the legendary Proposition 13.
We also look at the bitter fight to define what it means to be a Democrat in the East Bay's special state Senate election. And, with Gov. Jerry Brown's revised budget coming out next week, a quick look at what we'll be watching.
As always, I'm joined by Anthony York of the Grizzly Bear Project and Marisa Lagos of KQED News.