Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Deterioration

[Derec]

Keep in mind that only about 6 - 7% of the population are black women.

That's US wide. Only about 2.5% of California population are black women. 15% are Asian of either gender btw, and I do not think an Asian-American was ever in US Senate from Calfornia. Or in the SCOTUS for that matter.

Given that, statistically I would not expect to see any black females in your top 20 candidates.

Given that 1 in 40 Californians are black women, statistically it should not be expected that a black woman is among top 20 candidates even if they were equally likely to be qualified as the other 39 in 40 Californians.

Besides, after Trump didn't we learn our lesson about having rich TV stars & business tycoons running the country?

If we go by wealth, he should appoint Elon Musk. He may not be a woman, but at least he is African-American ...

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

To reiterate this with another example...

So one must wonder...what are the real criteria that are used to elect people? Why is a set of criteria that is not in use always brought up whenever someone says something like "you know we really should have more X type people?"

Marjorie Taylor Greene. She has a bachelor's in business administration, allegedly. BUT, she ran a business into the ground that she started, admitting that she didn't know what she was doing.

 

[Derec]

The number one problem in California politics today is that there are just way too many black woman senators.

Given that only 1/40 of California population is black women, why do you think that demographics should be entitled to one of two California senate seats?

We've had zero already! When does it end? What if there are two some day?

Actually if you look to US and not just California that is likely to happen in 2024 with Maryland and Delaware.

I do dislike those kinds of vague promises of color coded appointments, they play right in to the right-wing narrative and they are rude as hell to the appointee.

That narrative about Democrats being beholden to identity politics über alles is being proven true given pledges by the likes of Biden and Newsom to only consider black women for important appointments.

And it shows, more than they think it does, how racist to the core most politicians actually are.

Quotas are racist. Being against them is not.

 

[Politesse]

Given that only 1/40 of California population is black women, why do you think that demographics should be entitled to one of two California senate seats?

You believe that representation in government should reflect the demographic balance of the Californian public?

 

[Derec]

7% of 20 candidates would be 1.4 candidates. You could expect 1 or 2.

First of all, it's 2.5% for California. 7% is US wide. Since we are talking about an appointment for the Senate seat from California, California demographics should matter.
But even given the 7%, assuming even distribution of qualifications, there is still 23% chance for no black women to be among top 20 candidates. Yes it is 35% for 1 and 25% for two, 16% for two or more. With California demographics, there is 60% chance no black woman is among top 20 candidates, 31% for one, and only 8% for 2 or more. Play with a binomial distribution calculator yourself if you don't believe me.

7% of 100 is 7. So you could expect around 7 Black women, give or take, for all of the Senate.

If Senate was elected from the country at large by some form of proportional representation, maybe. But we elect Senators by state.
And no state is majority black. That means that any black candidate must appeal to more than just his or her demographics.

Raphael Warnock - GA Democrat. Note Warnock is the first African American to serve as Georgia Senator ever.

I really dislike him. Every bit the smarmy preacherman. Stacey Abrams should have run in that race in 2020 I think. She'd be better.

However, Black women are seriously under-represented at 0.

Two black women will likely be elected in 2024.

You especially neither demonstrated how much degrees ought to matter nor proved how we might expect Black women across the country to have no relevant degrees, even if they are needed.

Blacks indeed do have a lower rate of having a 4 year degree or higher.

10 US Presidents did not graduate from college, including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. And Harry Truman...even if 3/4 did graduate, did they all have law degrees to be competent?

Washington and Lincoln were truly of a very different era. Even Truman to some extent.
College has become more common in the population at large, and also in Congress.

Conservolibertarian Rand Paul has a medical degree, but doesn't hold a bachelors. He's a loon.

He did complete all his prereqs though. It's not like he flunked college, he just started med school early.

Oklahoma Senator Mullin has an Associates Degree in construction.

He is also the only US Senator currently without a 4 year degree. He is also a minority (Cherokee).

Though, by the way, it's also true that on average in Congress, it's the Democrats who have more educational attainment than the Republicans.

I know Dems are more likely to be lawyers, while Reps are more diverse educationally.

By the way, we know absolutely certainly that IF Newsom picks an African American woman, she WILL ABSOLUTELY have a degree.

Likely. Even if it's just loony Maxine Waters with her bachelor's in sociology.

 

[Derec]

You believe that representation in government should reflect the demographic balance of the Californian public?

I am saying that you cannot claim "underrepresentation" when demanding one of two seats should go to the demographic that is 1/40 of the population.
On what basis do you think a Senator from California should be a black woman?

 

[Politesse]

You believe that representation in government should reflect the demographic balance of the Californian public?

I am saying that you cannot claim "underrepresentation" when demanding one of two seats should go to the demographic that is 1/40 of the population.
On what basis do you think a Senator from California should be a black woman?

I do not believe that there is any reason a Senator from California should not be a black woman. There's a difference.

 

[lpetrich]

Senator Dianne Feinstein has now done some super deterioration. Dianne Feinstein, senator from California, dies at age 90 | AP News

Feinstein died on Thursday night at her home in Washington, D.C., her office said on Friday. Tributes poured in all day. Opening the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that “we lost a giant in the Senate.”

“As the nation mourns this tremendous loss, we know how many lives she impacted and how many glass ceilings she shattered along the way,” Schumer said, his voice cracking.

President Joe Biden, who served with Feinstein for years in the Senate, called her “a pioneering American,” a “true trailblazer” and a “cherished friend.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint a temporary replacement, and there is sure to be a spirited battle to succeed her.

Earlier this year, she suffered from shingles, something that kept her out of action for two months. "When she returned to the Senate in May, she was frail and using a wheelchair, voting only occasionally."

On Friday, her Senate desk was draped in black and topped with a vase of white roses. Senators gave tearful tributes as members of the California House delegation stood in the back of the chamber and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat in the gallery with Feinstein’s daughter, Katherine.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was one of several Republicans who gave tributes to the Democratic icon, calling her his friend.

I've been seeing oodles of tributes to her online.

 

[Derec]

Apparently Gavin has said he is going to appoint a black woman to finish out her term. What is the deal with appointing black women to high positions these days?

It has become a favorite pastime of Democrats.

Biden did the same thing for the VP and Supreme Court spots

Yes, the corrupt bargain to win the SC primary. The Veep selection was additionally motivated by the national madness in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.

(and his press secretary too, KJP, but I'm not sure if he declared he was actively seeking a black woman for that).

Probably did. She is not very good at her job, but ranks even higher than KH and KBJ given that she is also a lesbian.

Are black women at the top of the progressive stack now, and if so, how did they get there?

Race and gender bifecta. Add lesbianism or the politically correct religion (i.e. Islam, esp. if wearing a hijab) and you have a trifecta of progressive stacking. See Omar, Ilhan.

Why focus on another black woman, as opposed to say an Asian woman (or man) or maybe a Hispanic gay guy.

Newsom already appointed a Hispanic in 2020. I wonder why Asians are so neglected. Blacks on SCOTUS are now overrepresented (22% of the Court, at 14% in the population) and there has been uninterrupted black presence on the Court since 1967, but there has never been anybody Asian.
California is also 15% Asian and 5% black. It is curious.

Or <danger...crazy talk ahead> appoint someone qualified for the job without regard to their race, gender or sexual orientation. Like that MLK guy used to say.

That would be ideal. But can't have that in today's climate.

 

[lpetrich]

What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for control of Senate | AP News

HOW DOES IT IMPACT CONTROL OF THE SENATE?

Before Feinstein’s death, Democrats held a 51-49 majority. They had control of 48 seats, plus three independent members who generally vote with Democrats. Until her seat is filled, Democrats will still count on a narrow majority as they try to advance their priorities. There are no major votes looming in the Senate that are expected to fall totally along party lines.

Gavin Newsom will pick Dianne Feinstein’s replacement | AP News

The Democratic governor had promised to appoint a Black woman in 2021 as concerns grew about Feinstein’s declining health. He also has said he would avoid the field of candidates already campaigning for the post, which will be on the ballot next year and includes Rep. Barbara Lee, one of the state’s most prominent Black women currently serving in elected office.

So he'll be appointing someone other than Barbara Lee. I have a good candidate, though she is a honky: retired US Senator Barbara Boxer. She could come out of retirement for one more stint in the Senate, then go back to retirement.

In a letter on Friday, the NAACP told Newsom, “Now the time has come for you to keep your promise.”

“When you openly promised to appoint an African American woman to Sen. Feinstein’s seat if given the opportunity, the entire African American community in California and around the nation celebrated,” said the letter, signed by President Derrick Johnson and Rick Callender, who heads the California-Hawaii conference.

Aimee Allison, who founded She the People, a political advocacy network for women of color, said in a statement that “there is no clearer choice for this appointment than Rep. Lee.”

“Barbara Lee is ready to lead in the Senate on day one,” she said, adding that the appointment would honor Feinstein’s legacy.

 

[lpetrich]

Following the death of Dianne Feinstein, there are now four U.S. senators over 80 years old

From the article:

1. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.), 90
2. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 82
3. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), 81
4. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), 80
5. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), 79
6. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), 79
7. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), 78
8. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), 77
9. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), 77
10. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), 76
11. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), 76
12. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), 76
13. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), 76
14. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), 76
15. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), 75

There are 68 Senators at least 60 years old, and the youngest Senator is Jon Ossoff, D-GA, at 36. The Constitution's lower limit on age is 30.

 

[lpetrich]

The race to succeed DiFi:
RealClearPolitics - Election 2024 - California Senate - Open Primary

Poll Date Schiff (D) Porter (D) Lee (D) Bradley (R) Early (R) Reese (D) Reiss (R) Liew (R) Ferreira (I) Garvey (R) Spread
PPIC 8/25 - 9/5 20 15 8 5 5 3 3 2 1 -- Schiff +5
LA Times 8/24 - 8/29 20 17 7 7 5 1 -- -- -- 7 Schiff +3
PPIC 6/7 - 6/29 16 19 13 6 7 -- 4 5 3 -- Porter +3
Emerson 6/4 - 6/7 15 14 6 4 3 -- 1 -- 1 -- Schiff +1
LA Times 5/17 - 5/22 14 17 9 -- 18 -- -- -- -- -- Early +1

 

[laughing dog]

I suspect that there 100s of eligible Californians who would make a good US Senator. Out of those 100s, there is at least one black woman.

So, this handwringing and whining from the usual suspects is fascinating.

 

[Toni]

Apparently Gavin has said he is going to appoint a black woman to finish out her term. What is the deal with appointing black women to high positions these days?

It has become a favorite pastime of Democrats.

Biden did the same thing for the VP and Supreme Court spots

Yes, the corrupt bargain to win the SC primary. The Veep selection was additionally motivated by the national madness in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.

(and his press secretary too, KJP, but I'm not sure if he declared he was actively seeking a black woman for that).

Probably did. She is not very good at her job, but ranks even higher than KH and KBJ given that she is also a lesbian.

Are black women at the top of the progressive stack now, and if so, how did they get there?

Race and gender bifecta. Add lesbianism or the politically correct religion (i.e. Islam, esp. if wearing a hijab) and you have a trifecta of progressive stacking. See Omar, Ilhan.

Why focus on another black woman, as opposed to say an Asian woman (or man) or maybe a Hispanic gay guy.

Newsom already appointed a Hispanic in 2020. I wonder why Asians are so neglected. Blacks on SCOTUS are now overrepresented (22% of the Court, at 14% in the population) and there has been uninterrupted black presence on the Court since 1967, but there has never been anybody Asian.
California is also 15% Asian and 5% black. It is curious.

Or <danger...crazy talk ahead> appoint someone qualified for the job without regard to their race, gender or sexual orientation. Like that MLK guy used to say.

That would be ideal. But can't have that in today's climate.

The thing is that persisting even at this very moment, when people ( in general) think of a leader —or a doctor or, a lawyer, and engineer, the person most often picture in their minds: white male. People tend to follow traditional paths for making choices—certain kinds of jobs should be held by people who look a certain way, who followed a certain path, who went to certain schools. When you open up those preconceived and artificial criteria, choices can be overwhelming. I understand why it is easier and more comfortable to follow the same path as has been followed for hundreds of years. But when you do so, you are cutting yourself off from other exceptionally talented and qualified individuals—including and especially those who bring a different perspective and different point of view, which can mean a different but extremely valuable way of approaching issues.

I realize that today, straight white men feel somewhat…. beleaguered and overlooked. That stings and seems unfair!

That’s exactly how every other demographic has felt for hundreds if not thousands of years.

So maybe take those hurt feelings and squished egos and consider using them to develop something called empathy for all those who are not straight white men but who have been excluded from positions of authority precisely because they are not straight white men.

Consider that other perspectives have a great deal to offer and will help us have a more fair, more just society for everyone. Not just for straight white men.

 

[bilby]

Winfrey is smart and tough enough to negotiate American society as a black woman. She got as rich as Trump claims to be. She can put together a team that gets shit done.
Those are things I value in a political leader.

The ability to get the wrong things done is the exact opposite of valuable.

 

[bilby]

Given that 1 in 40 Californians are black women, statistically it should not be expected that a black woman is among top 20 candidates even if they were equally likely to be qualified as the other 39 in 40 Californians.

Sure. But how many successful candidates for the role have there ever been? And what proportion of them were black women?

You might not expect, statistically, to see any black women in the role at any given time, but to have had zero black women ever strongly suggests that the appointment of one is seriously overdue.

 

[Bomb#20]

Given that 1 in 40 Californians are black women, statistically it should not be expected that a black woman is among top 20 candidates even if they were equally likely to be qualified as the other 39 in 40 Californians.

Sure. But how many successful candidates for the role have there ever been? And what proportion of them were black women?

You might not expect, statistically, to see any black women in the role at any given time, but to have had zero black women ever strongly suggests that the appointment of one is seriously overdue.

Which sense of "overdue" do you mean? Overdue like when you've kept a round of craps going through twenty rolls you're overdue for a 7, even though the dice have no memory? Overdue like Palm Springs is overdue for The Big One, because the San Andreas Fault does have a memory? Or overdue like a library book, overdue because it's owed and should have been delivered by now?

(But, as to your question, there have been 47 successful candidates, and 1/47 have been black women. Less than 1 in 40, but closer to 1 in 40 than 2/47 would have been. When you say "to have had zero black women ever", do you mean she wasn't really a California Senator, or she wasn't really a woman, or she wasn't really black? If you mean her partial Caucasoid ancestry disqualifies her from blackness, the vast majority of those 1 in 40 Californians who are black women have partial Caucasoid ancestry.)

 

[Bomb#20]

However, Black women are seriously under-represented at 0.

That's rather like complaining that Sarah Palins are seriously underrepresented in the Alaska governorship. There would be a black woman in the Senate if she hadn't quit.

(And, de facto, she's still in the Senate. She still has a vote, even if the Senate makes a meaningless display of not counting it except when it will affect whether a bill passes...)

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

However, Black women are seriously under-represented at 0.

That's rather like complaining that Sarah Palins are seriously underrepresented in the Alaska governorship. There would be a black woman in the Senate if she hadn't quit.

(And, de facto, she's still in the Senate. She still has a vote, even if the Senate makes a meaningless display of not counting it except when it will affect whether a bill passes...)

It it were n=1, it would still be an under representation.

 

[thebeave]

Given that 1 in 40 Californians are black women, statistically it should not be expected that a black woman is among top 20 candidates even if they were equally likely to be qualified as the other 39 in 40 Californians.

Sure. But how many successful candidates for the role have there ever been? And what proportion of them were black women?

You might not expect, statistically, to see any black women in the role at any given time, but to have had zero black women ever strongly suggests that the appointment of one is seriously overdue.

Are people forgetting about Kamala Harris? Last I checked she was black and our Senator from 2016 to 2020 and cruised to an easy win despite all the supposed anti-black women racism going on. And her opponent in the race was an Hispanic woman. Three of our 52 Representatives in Congress are black women: Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (that's 6% which is well above the 2.5% stat). We also have black women running our two biggest cities... London Breed in SF and Karen Bass in LA, both who campaigned and ran on their own. Not to mention other mayors and high ranking officials who are black women. Its actually a little paternalistic and racist IMHO to think black women need special appointments to high positions because they can't succeed on their own (because whitey is keeping them down...er something?). Perhaps that would have been appropriate decades ago, but do we need to do it now?