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.
It’s just so fucking hypocritical and denigrating that one of two Sentators for California isn’t even from the state. She’s from Maryland and knows Maryland issues - she can’t represent the issues of the state of California. She has no legislative or elected office experience whatsoever.
Hell, Newsom as much came out and said she was appointed just because she’s so close to the Democratic Party machine.
Last election, Dr. Oz was a “carpetbagger” and evil for living in NJ and running in PA - it was a core piece of the Fetterman campaign. It resonated with voters - Fetterman won.
So, Republicans do it = bad, Democrats do it = so progressive, don’t question it.
I haven’t read one thing yet that shows she’s at all familiar with California or the issues facing the state. Just how progressive and LGBTQ and Black she is.
Yeah there’s some odd things going on here. I can’t imagine that newsom couldn’t find a better appointment. I’m starting to lean towards he doesn’t like the people in the field and he wanted someone who knows how to raise money. Hopefully there’s a good investigative journalist working the story right now.
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).
This is so fucking exhausting.
Lee – who went from hoping for the appointment to, in recent weeks, making a political issue out of knocking Newsom on the assumption she wouldn’t get it – spent Monday and Tuesday reaching out to fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus to urge them to stick with her, even though there is now another Black woman in the spot. Schiff’s initial response was to trumpet the big lead he has in fundraising, which aides were hoping would get both Butler’s attention and that of reporters busy assessing her chances. California political insiders have noticed anti-Butler opposition research appearing and a new anti-Butler account on X, and have been pointing fingers over who is behind them. False rumors that Newsom offered others the appointment first have been floated, too.
Patting backs, making nonsense announcements to get media attention, oppo research… I mean, I’m not naive, this is the way things go. But we’re never going to get the best-qualified people to serve in government while campaigning requires this much machination unrelated to the actual merit of the candidates. Maybe some time around our evolution to a full Type 1 civilization we’ll have figured this out.
Nah, we won’t make it to a Type 1 civilization. We’ve found the great filter and it’s US politics
Barbara Lee has always been a self-serving narcissist, tbh
A corporate whore appointed by a peace of shit corrupt govenor
If she actually runs it’s going to be clear that this was all meant to stop Barbara Lee from winning.
Silly progressives. Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?
Why do progressives think they’re entitled to everything though?
I wish.
