The first step for the candidates running in next year’s California Senate race is to quietly try to spook newly appointed Sen. Laphonza Butler into not running at all.
The first step for the candidates running in next year’s California Senate race is to quietly try to spook newly appointed Sen. Laphonza Butler into not running at all.
She checks many of the boxes on the identity politics ‘Bingo’ card that attract white college-educated liberal voters. She’ll also draw black votes, again, if she runs for a full term. The first constituency is more highly correlated with Porter, the latter more with Lee (who a recent LA Times poll shows at 7% versus 20% for Schiff and 17% for Porter).
Does any of that identity politics really matter in California? I'm not well versed in the Californian Republican party but is there a Republican who could beat any of the Democrats you mentioned? This could be as simple as newsom knows her and likes her or knows them and doesn't like them. I'm not sure. Something is odd about this appointment but my gut says it isn't purely identity politics
The initial reason Newsom chose Butler is that she wasn't running for the seat.
See, when Harris became the VP, Newsom appointed a white mane to replace her. This pissed off a lot of people who are really interested in identify politics.
So Newsom made a promise to appoint a black woman if he had the opportunity. (Which seemed likely)
So the obvious candidate would have been Lee. A black woman who is part of the Progressive Caucus.
There are two problems that came up. First is that Nancy Peloci. Wanted to give the seat to Adam Shift.
This is an issue that can mostly be ignored, but she put the weight of the party finances behind his campaign.
The second issue is that Lee was running for the seat, but trailing in the polls.
Put those together and you have a situation where if Newsom had appointed Lee, he would have been accused of putting his thumb on the scales of the election. So he appointed Butler, likely under the impression that she would serve out the end of the term and step aside.
That she is not, is kind of scummy.
Well summarized.
Not to mention she helped Newsom bail out PG&E, advised Uber when California was trying to force gig companies to treat their employees fairly, and she worksled for the lobbying entity, Emily's List - an organization meant to help women in races, but gave Biden heaps of money.
She's none of the things important to progressive agendas. She's a sham appointed by a shit bag.
I am tired of thinking the "left" in this country will do right by us. I realize we're all in this alone.