6 ms·

If she were truly a poor representative of her constituents, they would've voted her out long ago. I think she represents them perfectly.

trynewideas 6y ago
It's complicated? 538[1] (yeah, I know) did a decent dive into this back in 2018: as her electorate has moved left, she's moved right. The theories for that are pretty simple. - The Dem/GOP split swung from nearly even to 45-25 over her tenure, so there's no longer any credible Republican competition to force her back toward her original left-of-center leanings - She can outraise even the most serious Democratic challenger by more than 10-to-1 - She appeals more to pro-business, homeowner, and technocrat Democrats and independents than any other group, who in turn power that fundraising and also are responsible for Democratic plurality in the voter base So we wind up with this dichotomy of her winning every election and getting booed out of nearly every town hall. The question going forward is whether she can hang on to her seat as easily in a recession California as in a booming one, especially if her constituency shifts away from her under economic stress just as quickly as it shifted in her favor. 1: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dianne-feinsteins-moderation-behind-but-not-dianne-feinstein/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dia...
- dsfyu404ed 6y ago
  I'd be careful of trying to describe Feinsten in terms of left/right when both parties official platforms both include things that are both for and against government micromanagement of people. She has been very, very consistently pro-authoritarian her entire career. The hate for her is truly bipartisan. The reason she's still in office isn't because pro-business types like her and give her money. It's because she has so much influence over the democratic party in her state that she can make sure nobody worth voting for every gets enough funding to mount a successful primary against her.
- travisporter 6y ago
  What’s wrong with 538? Must be out of the loop

trynewideas 6y ago

It's complicated? 538[1] (yeah, I know) did a decent dive into this back in 2018: as her electorate has moved left, she's moved right. The theories for that are pretty simple. - The Dem/GOP split swung from nearly even to 45-25 over her tenure, so there's no longer any credible Republican competition to force her back toward her original left-of-center leanings - She can outraise even the most serious Democratic challenger by more than 10-to-1 - She appeals more to pro-business, homeowner, and technocrat Democrats and independents than any other group, who in turn power that fundraising and also are responsible for Democratic plurality in the voter base So we wind up with this dichotomy of her winning every election and getting booed out of nearly every town hall. The question going forward is whether she can hang on to her seat as easily in a recession California as in a booming one, especially if her constituency shifts away from her under economic stress just as quickly as it shifted in her favor. 1: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dianne-feinsteins-moderation-behind-but-not-dianne-feinstein/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dia...

dsfyu404ed 6y ago
I'd be careful of trying to describe Feinsten in terms of left/right when both parties official platforms both include things that are both for and against government micromanagement of people. She has been very, very consistently pro-authoritarian her entire career. The hate for her is truly bipartisan. The reason she's still in office isn't because pro-business types like her and give her money. It's because she has so much influence over the democratic party in her state that she can make sure nobody worth voting for every gets enough funding to mount a successful primary against her.
travisporter 6y ago
What’s wrong with 538? Must be out of the loop