Finally got around to filling out my absentee ballot, and couldn't stomach the thought of casting my primary vote for Feinstein. Surely there must be a better alternative than a 79-year-old Conservadem whose signature issues are the Drug War (she's FOR it!) and banning assault rifles (which is costing us votes everywhere but CA and NY). So I started researching the alternatives and -- lo and behold -- there IS a better alternative. And not just a protest vote, either! This guy could actually win!
In California's new open primary, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will be on the ballot in November. Everyone agrees that Dianne Feinstein (D-CA, incumbent) will be one of those. The race for number two is wide-open, however. The Republican vote is split among 15 candidates, plus a Libertarian and an American Independent, with nobody scoring more than 2%.
Besides Feinstein, there are five other Democrats running, and if one of them gets the second-largest number of votes in this highly fragmented field, the November election will be between Feinstein and the other Democrat, with no Republican in sight.
So who are these other Democrats? Seneca Doane gave a good rundown in this diary; and I went and looked at all of their sites myself. All seem like good people, but only David Levitt looked like a credible alternative to DiFi as a U.S. Senator. And he looks very credible indeed!.
David Levitt's bio is given here, and you should read it. He is an engineer who made it through Yale on work-study and scholarships, then got Masters and Doctoral degrees from MIT, and has been successful in Silicon Valley. So he's clearly whip-smart, and understands science and technology. That leads me to think that he'd likely be a leader on Climate Change (though I was disappointed to see that its not listed among his positions on the issues). He's the child of an interracial marriage, grew up in a union household, and he's been active in ACORN, the ACLU and SPLC.
Here's the lead paragraph from Levitt's web page on the issues:
Polls show Americans already want Medicare for All, support marriage equality, and want out of the Afghanistan war and the Drug war. We want criminals to be charged, brought to trial and, if they're found guilty, fined and jailed - even if they're wealthy bankers. We want the accused to have a fair trial with charges and evidence - even if they're Muslims. It's not that controversial - it's basic.
Not only is he right on the issues, but he -- or someone on his campaign staff -- can present them clearly and persuasively. It won't take that many votes to get him on the ballot, and if we do, DiFi won't know what hit her in the general election. Imagine not having to vote for the lesser of two evils! Imagine having a smart, technically-savvy
Progressive in the Senate!