Tucked away at the very bottom of the latest FIELD POLL was a section testing the re-election numbers for Senator Dianne Feinstein. Needless to say, Feinstein is currently sitting on a 
commanding lead, bolstered by the fact that nearly one in four REPUBLICANS is inclined to support her re-election. Feinstein continues to enjoy a ‘perception’ out there that she is significantly more centrist than her colleague, Barbara Boxer. The reality is that their differences are must more stylistic than ideological. The two of them agree on just about everything. But I think it would be fair to characterize Boxer as being more ‘strident’ and ‘flambouyant’. Feinstein’s measured demeaner belays her extremely liberal positions on virtually all issues.
I would add that this perception of Feinstein was advanced in the last election cycle when GOP officials would go on the stump, attacking Boxer, and claiming that she is ‘far more liberal’ than Feinstein. Shame on them. A lot of good it did anyways.
A quick Google search found this quote, though out of sorrow that the person quoted is a close friend, I’ve deleted the source (to avoid shaming him), but here is what he said in the newspaper during the heart of Boxer’s reelection drive:
That said, the poll did include an extensive, twenty-page section testing Feinstein in one-on-one hypothetical match-ups against the dozens of prominent California Republicans looking to challenge her next November. What? You don’t believe that? OK… How about if I said that the very last, short paragraph of the Field Poll makes mention that there is only one potential challenger reported thus far?
Businessman Bill Mundell is the only Republican who has so far been reported as a possible candidate for his party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate. When pitted against Feinstein in a simulated general election match-up, Feinstein is preferred by a two-to-one margin, 61% to 30%. [Source – Field Poll]
Of course, the good news that we can take out of this is that this is a base vote — no one in California (with the exception of his family, friends and the employees of his company, Vidyah) knows or has heard of Bill Mundell. I’ve met with him once, and his is still a big enigma to me. Thus we know that 31% of surveyed voters will choose anyone else. We also know that this survey is notorious for over-sampling unlikely voters, skewing it a bit to the left.
Still, we have a long way to go… Passing Proposition 75 next Tuesday would be the first step on the road to making California, and the Feinstein Seat, competitive.
The entire Field Poll can be read here.