Dianne Feinstein is just too right-wing for the now-socialist Democratic Party

It was no secret that hardcore progressives – who now view lifelong leftist Dianne Feinstein as some kind of right-wing overlord – were going to attempt to stomp California deeper into the left-wing Democrat mire by denying Feinstein their party’s endorsement. Still, it was supposed to be a close vote. No one expected the landslide defeat that Feinstein suffered this weekend.

Ballots cast by 333 executive board members awarded the California Democratic Party endorsement to Feinstein’s challenger, state Sen. Kevin de León, by a whopping 65% to 7% margin. You can view the breakdown, including a sizeable “no endorsement” contingent, below: De León issued a statement, saying in part “The nation’s most accomplished Democratic Party is leading the call for a new generation of leadership who will fight to advance a bold agenda. We have presented Californians with the first real alternative to the worn-out Washington playbook in a quarter-century.” If you read between the lines, de León is attacking both Feinstein’s age and the fact that she’s no longer considered progressive enough for the Democrats’ now-socialist base. It’s that second point that represents the real problem for Dems. If Feinstein was out there beating the anti-capitalist, open borders, drum a little harder, they’d presumably ignore the age issue. The simple fact of the matter is that the modern Democratic Party has now drifted so far over the radical left-wing cliff that people like Feinstein are no longer acceptable. As we saw in New York, they’re eating their own in a race to find the most extreme candidates possible.

VOTING RESULTS — U.S. Senate:

Feinstein — 22 (7%)
de León — 217 (65%)
No Endorsement — 94 (28%) pic.twitter.com/BoxkNIk4sM

— California Democratic Party (@CA_Dem) July 15, 2018

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…And some of them are willing to admit it. Via The Intercept:

“It shows that California Democrats expect our legislators to stand up for progressive values on issues from climate change to immigration to judicial nominees,” said David Atkins, a writer and regional director for Santa Barbara County. “We know that de León will do the right thing and be a leader on the issues that matter to Californians.” Added Los Angeles delegate Dorothy Reik, “A brand new country was born tonight.” “Kevin de León has shown vision, courage, and tenacity,” said RL Miller, environmental caucus chair of the party. “He’s an extraordinary leader for extraordinary times.”

Extraordinary times, indeed. How else would you describe a situation in which a major political party is attempting to push out successful lifers in favor of figureheads who will have zero appeal to voters not living in New York or California?