Desperate to become relevant in a Senate primary race that is quickly getting away from her, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) is taking increasingly out-of-touch positions on the issues in hopes she can gain traction against her more well-funded competitors, Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter.

During an October candidate forum, for instance, Lee called for a $50 federal minimum wage, which was met with "cheers and laughter" from some in the crowd. While Democrats and their Big Labor allies generally advocate for large minimum wage increases, the prevailing sentiment seems to be support for an increase to between $15 and $20 an hour.

More recently, however, Lee did an interview on CNN where she was asked about Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and the incendiary video she put out Friday where she labeled Joe Biden as a supporter of "genocide against the Palestinian people" and also referenced the antisemitic "from the river to the sea" chant.

Though Lee wasn't asked about the chant, she was questioned multiple times by anchor Kaitlan Collins about whether she agreed with Tlaib's statement about Biden. Though Lee did call Hamas a terrorist organization and said she supports Israel, she repeatedly refused to answer the Biden question, simply saying that the issue also needed to be looked at from the perspective of Tlaib's family history and alleged experiences:

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN: But I do also want to ask you, Congresswoman, about your Democratic colleague, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who is the only Palestinian American, in Congress. Tonight, she put out a new video, accusing President Biden, of supporting, and I'm quoting from the video now, the "genocide of the Palestinian people." Do you agree with that sentiment?

REP. BARBARA LEE: I have not seen the video. And I know Congresswoman Tlaib, her grandmother, and her family. They are in Ramallah. And I understand the personal aspects of this, and the trauma, and the fear that she has. And so, every member has their own points of views. Every member understands what is important, and what believes will lead to a path to peace.

 [...]

COLLINS: Do you think President Biden is supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people? Those are harsh words, from a Democrat, for a Democratic president. Do you support them?

LEE: First, let me say, I think the President needs to speak very clearly about a ceasefire. That's my position, with regard to the Administration.

[...]

And so, the President is trying to thread that needle. But I hope that he calls for a ceasefire within the context of supporting Israel and its security.

COLLINS: OK. But you're not going to say whether you agree with Congresswoman Tlaib's comments that he's supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people?

LEE: What I am saying is I will tell you, what I say. And Congresswoman Tlaib, once again, you've got to understand Congresswoman Tlaib's points of views, and her personal history, with her family, and her grandmother, in Ramallah.

Watch:

Democrat Rep. Barbara Lee refuses, three times in a row, to say if she agrees with fellow Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib's disturbing pro-Hamas video pic.twitter.com/kbm0DNjZ42

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 4, 2023

Wow! Speaking of threading the needle, that is Barbara Lee right now trying to thread the needle and twist herself into a pretzel with her refusal to condemn Tlaib's remarks about Biden.

Keep in mind that in doing so, she's refusing to say if she agrees with the suggestion that Israel is engaging in genocide against the people of Gaza, which is much bigger than how she does or not feel about Tlaib's accusation against Biden. Further, in supporting calls for a "ceasefire," Lee is effectively saying Israel shouldn't defend itself against Hamas' barbaric actions, even though she also paid lip service during the interview in claiming she supported their right to defend themselves.

I know California is a woker than woke state, but I have to think that Lee refusing to take a position on allegations of "genocide" against Israel isn't going to help her in her primary campaign and could come back to bite her, especially considering that both Schiff and Porter are taking hawkish stances in backing Israel's response in a sign that both believe their position won't hurt them with a majority of primary voters.

While Lee's remarks may play well with younger people in California who tend to be anti-Israel, recent studies have shown that a growing number of young voters have been distancing themselves from the Democratic party due to "disillusionment" issues. Plus the youth vote is notoriously unreliable when it comes to turnout. 

So if Lee is counting on those voters to help her in the top-two California primary in March, she may be in for a rude awakening.

Flashback: Gavin Newsom Hears From the Woke-Ness Monster as Barbara Lee Erupts Over Feinstein Situation