CommentsDEEGAN ON CALIFORNIA-Kevin de Leon (D-SD24) fascinates with his fast track rise to the top of state government, and his announcement a few days ago that he will challenge Senator Dianne Feinstein who just announced she would seek re-election to the U.S. Senate. Some may see the state Senate president pro tempore as a thundercloud about to burst over the head of Feinstein. There may be lightning bolts from the hard left adding to this brewing political storm. But, who’s he running against? Is he challenging the wrong opponent?
Incumbent Senator Feinstein will be a formidable opponent, which may be why de Leon shifted his announcement rhetoric to focus on the more red-meat target of Donald Trump, saying, "We now stand at the front lines of a historic struggle for the very soul of America, against a president without one."
This amplifies what David Letterman said in his May 2017 interview with GQ Magazine calling Trump “a man without a soul.” It’s good to know that a stand-up comic and a sitting legislator share that view, but it’s not an election platform.
Soul and spirit are often considered the same, although Christian theology separates them. Whatever one’s faith, de Leon could be attempting to run against someone with an obviously “mean” spirit – an opponent that is not Feinstein. That’s what’s questionable about de Leon’s approach.
Until he stakes out strong positions against the incumbent and likely favorite, de Leon will have done little to make a case for why he’s better for California than Feinstein. What he can possibly do for “We the People” of California that is better than what Feinstein has done and can continue do if re-elected, is more significant that anything he could do to overhaul the splintered Democratic party, or reach for a national leadership position to “resist” the White House. As Tip O’Neill, the legendary Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, liked to say, “all politics is local.”
As the truism goes, 24 hours is a long time in politics. The primary election in which de Leon would face Feinstein is on June 5, 2018 -- more than 250 24-hour cycles from now. That’s a lot of time for de Leon’s presidential target to improve his standing with some legislative victories. This could help justify Feinstein’s speculation that seemed to make her vulnerable: "I think we have to have some patience, I do. It's eight months into the tenure of the presidency…We'll have to see if he can forget himself and his feelings about himself enough to be able to have the empathy and direction that this country needs...I just hope he has the ability to learn and change. If he does, he can be a good President.”
Most everyone who pays attention to politics and votes knows about Feinstein’s record and her leadership roles in the Senate, especially on the Intelligence and Judiciary committees where she’s a ranking member and, at Intelligence, a former chair. Not the sort of positions that come easily to newcomers. It’s hard to imagine a neophyte senator being given comparable assignments and the megaphone that comes with the territory. De Leon would just be one of a hundred senators with an equal voice and vote.
The Los Angeles-based Kevin de Leon, originally an educator and community organizer, has spent most of his political career in Sacramento representing areas of Los Angeles. He began as a state assemblyman representing the 45th Assembly District and, for the past eight years as state senator representing the 24th Senate District. He was State Senate Majority Leader before becoming State Senate President.
To move to the U.S. Senate and represent all Californians, Kevin de Leon must thread the eye of the needle against Feinstein by identifying exactly what makes him a better choice for California. Tapping into voter angst about the President may not be enough. And his narrower fundraising capabilities, as compared to Feinstein’s, could also be a liability.
Adding to his challenges, de Leon’s and Feinstein’s hats are not the only ones that may wind up in the ring. Well-established political leaders like the popular, donor-magnet Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti may add a senate run to his menu of political ambitions (along with governor, vice president, president). Former U.S. Representative Loretta L. Sánchez is another possibility. After a decade in Congress, she ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2016 against Kamala Harris, but gained valuable experience in how to mount a statewide political campaign.
And, this being California, you can expect the totally unexpected!
(Tim Deegan is a long-time resident and community leader in the Miracle Mile, who has served as board chair at the Mid City West Community Council and on the board of the Miracle Mile Civic Coalition. Tim can be reached at [email protected].) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
-cw
