Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has changed her position on capital punishment as part of a larger move towards the left as she seeks a fifth term, The Los Angeles Times reports.
The senator made headlines in 1990, when during her first campaign for statewide office she defied the California Democratic Party by openly supporting the death penalty. At the time she used footage of her being booed by party delegates in campaign ads to appeal to moderates and Republicans, portraying herself as strong, tough, and centrist.
But as California has moved towards the left, becoming a solidly blue state, so has Feinstein, though she still gets booed by progressives for holding certain positions. Last year, she was booed at two separate events after refusing to back a government-run healthcare system and for suggesting that Democrats could work with President Donald Trump.
"It was like the 13th stroke of a clock, it just caught everybody's attention," said Garry South, California Democratic political strategist. "The political ground has just really shifted to the left right under her feet, and I'm just not sure she gets it."
Earlier this month, the senator changed course and came out in support of marijuana legalization after decades of opposition. She now claims to have reversed her position on the death penalty "several years ago," telling the Times that "It became crystal clear to me that the risk of unequal application is high and its effect on deterrence is low."
Democratic strategist Rose Kapolczynski told the newspaper that "Dianne Feinstein's core values are the same. Is she more liberal on some things than she used to be? Sure, but so is the state."
Feinstein’s "skill is in bringing people together, trying to hammer out solutions and getting things done," Kapolczynski added. "Her superpower isn't storming the ramparts."
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