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[Sympthsical]

18. I asked friends in California politics about this one

Because it actually was a little bit of a surprise the younger Pelosi isn't running for the seat. The long understanding was the Speaker would stay long enough to smooth the path for her daughter.

But there was one surprise this year. Scott Wiener went full insubordination and announced his run before Pelosi announced retirement. That was something that is just not done. Yes, fringe candidates have always run, but an actual Democrat of weight and substance who is charismatic and popular?

So that was considered a little bit of a shove, and Wiener seems to think he had support enough to challenge Pelosi's machine.

And then the calculations changed.

Through the grapevine (and my friends are higher campaign people in Bay Area politics who work on S.F. and Oakland mayoral and state legislature races), is that there was push back against Christine and the idea dynasty politics would go against a popular - and gay - progressive in San Francisco. The LGBT community is itching for some representation in one of the most LGBT districts in the nation, and the claws would've come out on this one.

Which kind of would've been academically interesting. A big gay civil war, lol.

There was just no taste for this fight once it was known Wiener was not going to bow before dynastic politics. The expectation was Pelosi would retire and knees would be bent for Christine. That didn't happen.

So, maybe Governor in ten years? Or maybe she doesn't want it. Who knows. But Wiener upended the apple cart on this one. God love him for it. And this does open a door, because others might see more of an opportunity now that the Pelosis are out. And it will be interesting to see if they endorse Wiener in the primary, because again, he kind of shoved them.