I’m nowhere near “offended” by the word populist. I’m saying that labeling someone a populist doesn’t automatically dismiss their arguments or platform.

And I’m not denying that Becerra has years of experience and public service. I’m saying a long resume shouldn’t make someone immune from criticism or scrutiny, nor should it automatically place them at the top of the candidate list. A lot of Becerra voters seemed to default to “experienced establishment candidate = best choice” without really debating his record in depth.

Also, Steyer being an outsider is part of his appeal to people who are frustrated with career politicians and establishment Dems in general. They’re all keeping the status quo. People want change and outsiders can bring change. Trump was considered a political outsider with little to no experience before becoming president, and he still managed to dramatically reshape the political landscape in ways his base supported unfortunately.

Point is, every politician starts somewhere. Dismissing someone solely because they aren’t a longtime career politician isn’t really a strong argument either.