Senate Race #5 - California

For this installment of Senate Race, we turn to California. Incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer is very liberal, and rather unpopular. California has been hit hard by the recession, and as a Democratic member of the Democratic led Congress, Senator Boxer is being hit hard in the polls. It’s actually quite remarkable that this race is even close. In most other states, a Democrat such as Boxer would be well behind in the polls. However, California is one of the most left leaning states in the union.

Why is Senator Boxer struggling so much in a state that gave her 58% of the vote just six years ago?

A little background: California’s Democratic-controlled state government and its Democrat-lite Governor Schwarzenegger (who fiscal and social conservatives would never call a Republican) have created a statewide mess. Its two powerful Democratic senators and a lot of Democratic Congressmen and Congresswomen (in the majority in Congress for nearly four years since well BEFORE the recession began) have been helpless to halt the economic disaster of California. California deserves better than Barbara Boxer, and they may be beginning to realize it.

Here’s Boxer criticizing a member of the Armed Forces because he called her “Ma’am”



Boxer is very well-known in California. Republican candidate Carly Fiorina, however, is a fresh face. She is one of only a handful of women who have risen to the level of CEO of a Fortune 500 company. However, what impresses me most about her is her commitment to life. Even in the left-leaning state of California, Fiorina is a pro-life woman who is forthright with her views, even if it costs her a few independent voters. By the end of this post, though, you may feel that Fiorina is much closer to the mainstream of Californians on the issue of abortion than Boxer.

Nonetheless, this race should also be fairly close.

Carly Fiorina v. Barbara Boxer


Polling average, from Pollster.com

BB - 47%
CF - 45%

Percentage chance of a party change
23%

Current status
Leans Democratic Seat

Election night results estimate
Boxer 48.7%
Fiorina 46.9%

Final Thoughts

I have met many folks who are new to Iowa, having left the struggling Golden State. While it is very unfortunate for such a fine state to be in trouble, our state is certainly welcoming of those who are migrating to a more economically friendly Iowa. I do believe that Senator Boxer is not helping the current situation in California, though. While Fiorina has a tough road ahead of her (she’s at a 10:1 cash disadvantage) there is a chance she will pull it off.

On a related note, George Will recently criticized Senator Boxer for her extreme position on abortion. Here's an argument on the Senate floor from several years ago, dealing with when life begins.

In the 1999 colloquy, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said: Suppose during this procedure the baby slips entirely from the mother’s birth canal. “You agree, once a child is born, is separated from the mother, that that child is protected by the Constitution and cannot be killed? Do you agree with that?” Boxer: “I think when you bring your baby home, when your baby is born … the baby belongs to your family and has all the rights.”

There's only one correct answer to the question that former Senator Santorum asked.

Question: Once a baby leaves his or her mother, does that child have a constitutional right to life?

Answer: Yes.

Anyone who does not answer as I answered above has, at best, serious moral failings...and Barbara Boxer did not answer a simple "Yes" to the question. Does this question really need more than a one word answer? Un...believable.