When Sen. Feinstein came in under the 50% back in the spring Field poll, most figured it was something of a fluke. But today we find out that, no, those numbers appear to be pretty accurate. Today’s Field poll show her again under 50%:
As Feinstein prepares to run for re-election next year, California voters are inclined to support her, 43 percent to 39 percent, according to the poll.
That four-point margin – the same as Feinstein posted in a Field Poll earlier this year – is her smallest ever in a pre-election year. First elected to the Senate in 1992, her margins of pre-election year support ranged from 19 percentage points to 29 percentage points before, the poll said.
Yet Feinstein’s public approval rating remains favorable, with 46 percent of voters approving of the job she is doing, according to the poll. Thirty-one percent disapprove, and 23 percent have no opinion. ()
Now, before you read too much into this, there are still a lot of questions before thinking that she’s actually vulnerable. First, no prominent Republican candidate has really emerged for the race. Second, a primary challenge under the Top-2 system is virtually impossible. Given that voters can vote for anybody, the chance that a Democrat could defeat Feinstein and not just win the right to a rematch seems pretty slim.
Perhaps it is worth to keep a bit of an eye out on this race, but until I hear of a credible candidate, this looks to be Sen. Feinstein’s race to lose.
No Democrat is going to run against her. Republicans have no credible statewide candidate. She is entirely, 100% safe. This is not a healthy situation.
Yes, she really is older than the Golden Gate Bridge. When she was born, Persia still existed, prohibition was going strong, the New Deal had yet to be announced and the idea of a nuclear chain reaction had yet to be conceived.
On Sunday, March 4th, 2012, DiFi will reach U.S. Life Expectancy.
…we should get instant runoffs, too. We should get them in any case.
EFCA.
That fact Senator Feinstein is under 50% is irrelveant. Where is her opponent?
Polling someone against themselves without an alternative creates a false premise.
Politics is the business of perception and in this case the perception is false.
At 78 age could be an issue.
Feinstein is a moderate Democrat who would hold the seat in a tough year and sledding is getting pretty bad for Democrats as the storm of 2012 seems to be on the horizon.