Why/how did Pete Wilson beat Feinstein in 1990?
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  Why/how did Pete Wilson beat Feinstein in 1990?
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Author Topic: Why/how did Pete Wilson beat Feinstein in 1990?  (Read 968 times)
Bojack Horseman
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« on: October 16, 2017, 05:56:00 PM »

I know California was still a red state on the presidential level at that time, but in a good Democratic year with an outgoing two-term Republican governor, how did Pete Wilson beat fairly popular Dianne Feinstein?
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Mr.Phips
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« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2017, 06:02:33 PM »

I've kind of wondered this too.  Wilson was a two term US Senator and popular San Diego mayor who Republicans knew was their only hope of beating Feinstein.  I know that Wilson basically ran a perfect campaign, while Republicans kept tying Feinstein to controversial Assembly Speaker Willie Brown.
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Young Conservative
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« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2017, 06:16:40 PM »

I do not know either. Wilson is also very conservative. He even endorsed Ted Cruz in 2016 and has long been conservative on immigration.
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Fuzzy Stands With His Friend, Chairman Sanchez
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« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2017, 11:03:13 PM »

I do not know either. Wilson is also very conservative. He even endorsed Ted Cruz in 2016 and has long been conservative on immigration.

Wilson was right on taxes and crime.

Immigration was an issue more favorable to the GOP in the California of 1990. 

California, at the Presidential level, was a swing state in 1990.  It had recently recalled its Supreme Court Chief Justice for anti-death penalty rulings.  It had a large number of defense industry workers that were Republican-inclined and viewed the Democrats as the party of DoD cutbacks.  Its demography was NOT the majority-minority demography it is today. 
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Sir Mohamed
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« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2017, 08:26:00 AM »

Maybe that has also something to do with gender. It is still a factor for some voters today, and we're talking about 1990 right now. Crime was a big issue back then and Wilson obviously seemed more of the "law and order candidate".
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Mr. Smith
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« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2017, 09:04:14 AM »

Pete Wilson played the Gillespie card of appearing reasonable and moderate on most social issues [California was already a known liberal bastion on social issues by this point, even in the '80's], except on crime, where he was "tough".
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KingSweden
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« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2017, 11:26:38 AM »

I do not know either. Wilson is also very conservative. He even endorsed Ted Cruz in 2016 and has long been conservative on immigration.

Wilson was right on taxes and crime.

Immigration was an issue more favorable to the GOP in the California of 1990. 

California, at the Presidential level, was a swing state in 1990.  It had recently recalled its Supreme Court Chief Justice for anti-death penalty rulings.  It had a large number of defense industry workers that were Republican-inclined and viewed the Democrats as the party of DoD cutbacks.  Its demography was NOT the majority-minority demography it is today. 

^ the post-Cold War “peace dividend” hit Southern California very hard and presaged an exodus of defense contractors, especially places like San Diego and Los Angeles counties. One of the reasons my parents moved away from there, and it’s an underrated reason in CA’s turn from red to blue
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Mr. Smith
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« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2017, 11:54:12 AM »

It should also be noted that Feinstein faced a seriously divisive primary challenge from the far more liberal Attorney General, while Wilson just sailed through.



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