Laphonza Butler: At 44, California's newly appointed senator is less than half Dianne Feinstein's age, but can she make close to half the impact?

  • Bias Rating

    4% Center

  • Reliability

    50% ReliableFair

  • Policy Leaning

    -6% Center

  • Politician Portrayal

    34% Negative

Bias Score Analysis

The A.I. bias rating includes policy and politician portrayal leanings based on the author’s tone found in the article using machine learning. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative, and 0% being neutral.

Sentiments

Overall Sentiment

N/A

  •   Liberal
SentenceSentimentBias
"No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Diae Feinstein, she said, but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California."
Positive
6% Conservative
"State Sen. Scott Weiner from San Francisco also praised Newsom's pick as a smart choice."
Positive
34% Conservative
"Butler hasn't publicly addressed the issue, saying only in her online post that she is honored by Newsom's trust in me to serve the people of California and this great nation."
Positive
28% Conservative
"She worked as a senior adviser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016 and advised Harris's short-lived campaign for president in 2020, before Harris became President Biden's ruing mate."
Positive
12% Conservative
"She worked as a senior adviser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016 and advised Harris's short-lived campaign for president in 2020, before Harris became President Biden's ruing mate."
Positive
12% Conservative
"She worked as a senior adviser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016 and advised Harris's short-lived campaign for president in 2020, before Harris became President Biden's ruing mate."
Positive
12% Conservative
"She worked as a senior adviser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016 and advised Harris's short-lived campaign for president in 2020, before Harris became President Biden's ruing mate."
Positive
12% Conservative
"Laphonza Butler, the former head of California's largest workers' union who leads the powerful EMILY's List and is a confidante to Vice President Kamala Harris, is being praised by supporters as a smart and savvy progressive activist and respectable choice by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the remaining term of the late U.S. Senator Diae Feinstein.Butler, 44, will become the first Black Lesbian to hold a seat in Congress."
Positive
10% Conservative
"Laphonza Butler, the former head of California's largest workers' union who leads the powerful EMILY's List and is a confidante to Vice President Kamala Harris, is being praised by supporters as a smart and savvy progressive activist and respectable choice by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the remaining term of the late U.S. Senator Diae Feinstein.Butler, 44, will become the first Black Lesbian to hold a seat in Congress."
Positive
10% Conservative
"Laphonza Butler, the former head of California's largest workers' union who leads the powerful EMILY's List and is a confidante to Vice President Kamala Harris, is being praised by supporters as a smart and savvy progressive activist and respectable choice by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the remaining term of the late U.S. Senator Diae Feinstein.Butler, 44, will become the first Black Lesbian to hold a seat in Congress."
Positive
10% Conservative
"No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Diae Feinstein, she said, but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California."
Positive
12% Conservative
"In a statement aouncing his choice, Newsom called Butler an advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people and someone who will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington, D.C.Butler was head of Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles when she first volunteered for Kamala Harris's campaign for state attorney general in 2010."
Positive
6% Conservative
"In a statement aouncing his choice, Newsom called Butler an advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people and someone who will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington, D.C.Butler was head of Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles when she first volunteered for Kamala Harris's campaign for state attorney general in 2010."
Positive
6% Conservative
"In a statement aouncing his choice, Newsom called Butler an advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people and someone who will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington, D.C.Butler was head of Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles when she first volunteered for Kamala Harris's campaign for state attorney general in 2010."
Positive
6% Conservative
"Butler was the first labor leader to support Harris, who was then San Francisco's district attorney, Mesloh said."
Positive
6% Conservative
"Her father died of a terminal illness when she was 16, leaving her mother to support her and her two siblings as a classroom aide, a security guard and bookkeeper, according to Newsom's aouncement."
Positive
4% Conservative
"Although Butler is more progressive than Feinstein and will bring a fresh approach to the role, she said, Butler, like Feinstein, will surely be a solid Democratic vote."
Positive
0% Conservative
"Although Butler is more progressive than Feinstein and will bring a fresh approach to the role, she said, Butler, like Feinstein, will surely be a solid Democratic vote."
Positive
0% Conservative
"Newsom put no restrictions on her political future, despite saying in a Meet the Press interview last month that he would appoint an interim to avoid influencing the race."
Negative
-6% Liberal
"She will be sworn in by Harris on Tuesday in Washington."
Negative
-12% Liberal
"She was named a fellow for the MIT Community Iovators Lab and a Champion for Change by President Obama."
Negative
-14% Liberal
"Despite the governor keeping his promise to appoint a Black woman, Newsom's selection is causing conflict among some Black activists, who had lobbied the governor to appoint longtime Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee, one of three congressional Democrats already ruing for Feinstein's seat in the March primary."
Negative
-52% Liberal
"Despite the governor keeping his promise to appoint a Black woman, Newsom's selection is causing conflict among some Black activists, who had lobbied the governor to appoint longtime Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee, one of three congressional Democrats already ruing for Feinstein's seat in the March primary."
Negative
-52% Liberal
"Despite the governor keeping his promise to appoint a Black woman, Newsom's selection is causing conflict among some Black activists, who had lobbied the governor to appoint longtime Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee, one of three congressional Democrats already ruing for Feinstein's seat in the March primary."
Negative
-52% Liberal
"And while Butler seems to have the background and smarts for the job, Ashley-Ward had hoped Newsom would appoint Lee instead and believes that Newsom totally disregarded how we felt."
Negative
-54% Liberal
"And while Butler seems to have the background and smarts for the job, Ashley-Ward had hoped Newsom would appoint Lee instead and believes that Newsom totally disregarded how we felt."
Negative
-54% Liberal
"And while Butler seems to have the background and smarts for the job, Ashley-Ward had hoped Newsom would appoint Lee instead and believes that Newsom totally disregarded how we felt."
Negative
-54% Liberal

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-100%
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Bias Meter

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

53% : "No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein," she said, "but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California.

*Our bias meter rating uses data science including sentiment analysis, machine learning and our proprietary algorithm for determining biases in news articles. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative, and 0% being neutral. The rating is an independent analysis and is not affiliated nor sponsored by the news source or any other organization.

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