California GOP Officially Dead

[Agnosticsherbet]

California GOP Officially Dead
At one time in its history, The Golden State was a red state. It is the state from which the tax revolt, popularized by Governor and then President Ronald Reagan, was launched in the United States. Recently, however, the Republican Party in California has been slowly dying.

As reported by The Sacramento Business Journal, Republican registration in the state has dropped seven points over the last decade. This new data from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that 43.9 percent of the registered population are Democrats, but Republican registration has declined to 28.9 percent. In addition, independent voters are more likely to lean Democratic. Four out of 10 independents lean Democratic, versus three out of 10 who lean Republican.

It is now virtually impossible for a Republican to hold statewide office positions such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Senator.

One could argue that the California GOP was officially dead since last years election, when the Democrats gained a super majority in both houses, and a Democratic governor and lieutenant governor. Pure Democratic legislation can now be passed in the state with no attention paid to the Republican representatives.

California has a reputation as a bellweather state, and where it goes, so goes the nation.

Once can only hope that a suitable and subtle ceremony can be arranged.

[gopiscrap]

1. good that's 55 electoral votes each presidential election

one fifth of the way to victory

[dgibby]

2. I hope it starts a nationwide trend. n/t

[KamaAina]

3. ...

[Happyhippychick]

4. Even more delicious: it's the birthplace of freeper masturbatory icon RAYGUN.

[freshwest]

8. +1. What he did to CA was criminal. When he was elected POTUS, I nearly vomited. Never got over it.

[Jackpine Radical]

24. Nope. Illinois. Dixon, iirc.

[DinahMoeHum]

25. Uh, excuse me, he was born in Illinois. . .

. . .He just carpetbagged in Hollywood, CA

[Happyhippychick]

42. I thought he was born in Eureka? Not a raygun historian I guess

[DinahMoeHum]

43. Born in Tampico, IL, raised in Dixon, IL. . .

. . .went to Eureka College in Eureka, IL. Moved to LA in 1937. . .the rest is history.

[Auggie]

5. Thrilled to recommend

[BlueCaliDem]

6. An enthusiastic K&R! eom

[Downtown Hound]

7. And our state has only been getting better and better since their departure

Budget surplus, no more nuclear power, infrastructure investments (just got a new Oakland Bay Bridge), community colleges are bringing classes back that were slashed under Ah-nuld, and the tech market is doing well in the Bay Area again.

Fuck you Repukes! Don't you EVER COME BACK HERE!

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

11. Isn't Diablo Canyon Nuke still in operation? nt

[Agnosticsherbet]

12. Yes, but San Onofre is history and Diablo Canyon (appropriate name) is under fire.

by multiple groups. Some things take time.

[Downtown Hound]

13. Well sort of, I did forget about that one

It was the San Onofre nuclear plant that was closed down. But Diablo Canyon recently had a shut down after an "electrical disturbance" (whatever that means) so if you want my guess, it won't be around for too much longer. All the groups that closed San Onofre have turned their attention to Diablo Canyon now.

That's our last nuclear plant. When it goes, there will be none left.

[SnowCritter]

33. Smeagol said it best

[WovenGems]

9. The True Test

How much A.L.E.C legislation is passed is the test of whether California has truly shed the conservative mantle.

[freshwest]

10. Leading the way, California!

Please, vote out Issa next!

[SunSeeker]

14. Yes, and what is going on at the federal level we used to go through at the state level every year.

The GOP would hold up the state budget because there was a 2/3 vote required to pass it. When we changed that law (now it is simply a majority to pass) and put a Dem back in the governor's office, it completely changed the way government functions up in Sacto. No more hostage taking. No more rule by a right wing crazy minority. Democracy is pretty efficient at serving the interests of the people when allowed to actually work. That is why the GOP is doing everything they can to kill democracy.

[jeff47]

15. For those outside CA

Tax increases required a 3/4 majority in the legislature, thanks to the same folks who brought about St. Ronnie. As a result, it was very, very difficult to raise taxes. Republicans rejoiced.

Then their plan blew up in their faces.

The problem was the size of that supermajority. It became much easier to get it by going to the utterly and completely insane wing of the Republican party. "You think UFOs are rewiring your brain to like catfish? Ok, we'll spend $100,000 studying that if you vote with us."

So there was much relief when this insane requirement was dropped and people got back to governing by majority.

[SunSeeker]

17. Which is why we need to get rid of the filibuster at the federal level.

Or at least make the filibuster as hard as it is in Texas: Only one person can talk and they must stick to the subject of the bill, must stand without leaning, no breaks, no food and no bathroom. Any miniscule violation breaks the filibuster.

[roamer65]

27. "UFO's rewiring your brain to like catfish."

I like that one. I'm gonna borrow it to describe the flying monkey right.

[FiveGoodMen]

16. "It is now virtually impossible for a Republican to hold statewide office ... such as ... Senator"

Then it should be possible to replace DiFi with a real Democrat.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. She rose to power on the death of Harvey Milk.

Skip ahead to the 2:20 mark.

[FiveGoodMen]

23. Thanks for the link

I couldn't help noticing how shocked everyone sounds when she announces the shootings.

These days, I'd expect something along the lines of, "so it was just the two of them, then."

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. Yeah,...we're about due for another mass killing.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. It also means no GOP gerrymandering in California. nt

[Agnosticsherbet]

26. California uses a California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw district lines...

It is about as free of legislative interference as it is possible to get, both Democratic and Republican. The creation of districts by non legislators is more than a little responsible for the district map that led to Democratic majorities. I suspect that is why there are growing movements to break California into 2 or 3 states, mostly by disgruntled Republicans and Libertarians.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. Yes, and it will be a long time before Republicans get to corrupt or destroy that Commission. nt

[Leith]

20. Good. Then Will They Be Getting Rid of Issa Soon?

We can only hope. Or is his district going to be a holdout?

[Agnosticsherbet]

22. Issa and Hunter are in farily safe districts, for now. n/t

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. Tell the locals he is more interested in being a national celebrity....

That's the kind of campaign Republicans use.

Oh wait,....we're too "nice" for that. We run on ISSUES and have to give everyone a nudge for snoring.

[ffr]

21. See what activism can do?

Keep the pressure on. We don't need to hear what they have to say. It's not helpful anyways.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

32. Bill Maher wrote a great essay about how California is leading the progressive way:

It's very well written.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/bill-maher-california_b_3999675.html

[LibDemAlways]

34. Arnold is at least partly responsible for the shift.

Voters thought it would be cool to have a tough guy movie star in Sacramento, and soon discovered that he was a phony who didn't know the first thing about government. Brown is a seasoned pro, and it's good to have the adults back in charge. But, things are far from perfect here. Unemployment is still unacceptably high. A computer glitch is screwing up unemployment checks for hundreds of thousands - an off the radar story. School districts remain underfunded. Class size at the university level is ridiculous. 800 students in my daughter's calculus class at UCSB. The cost of living - particularly housing - is sky high and wages are stagnant or down. Evidence of crumbling, neglected infrastructure is everywhere. Road improvement projects drag on and on. I'll be dead before the 405 work is completed through the Sepulveda Pass and it won't matter because 10 lanes through there in each direction wouldn't solve the basic problem of too many cars and not enough public transit. I am practically a lifelong Californian and, for all its faults, it's still home. Only hope that the trend toward electing Dems continues and that the politicians in Sacramento don't forget who they work for.

[judesedit]

35. Can you help get rid of the electoral college so the creeps can't steal the next primary or general?

Also, we need help changing the means of registering and voting. The machines are too easily rigged. Thank God, Anonymous was there for us in 2012. The GOP traitors have got to go. This country has to get back on its feet asap. This bs we're going through now is for the birds. Isn't there a law that can be applied to stop it? A presidential signing statement or homeland security measure or psychiatric determination that would relieve the obstructionists of their duty as unfit to serve? They should be thrown in jail for stealing from the people and causing undue hardship. Help California....PLEASE help us come up with a solution to fix this mess.

[loudsue]

36. That is a very uplifting article, but it does not account for the rightwing inroads into purple

states that are now solid red....like my state, North Carolina. The right has been VERY tricky in positioning themselves in the churches pulpits, school rooms, county and city boards.....all the propaganda positions.....in influencing young minds, and scaring the hell out of the old folks.

The rightwing are pure evil, and they know what they're doing. Evil is really good at power.

[RoccoR5955]

37. How about they vote out Darrell Issa...

and put him in the Crowbar Hotel, where he belongs?

[ck4829]

38. 1 down, 49 to go. K&R.

[blackspade]

39. I really hope this spreads.

After 150 years it was about time for a major party die off.
Maybe this will lead ultimately to a multi party parliamentary system.

[grantcart]

40. Hasta la vista, baby.

[Myrina]

41. Thank you, Governor MoonBeam!

I've always liked Jerry Brown.

[calimary]

44. Dear God I hope so!!!

Which is how we can get the minimum wage raised and our state budget back in the black! It takes a DEMOCRAT, preferably a Jesuit-educated one! The Jesuits have always been the sharpest knives in the drawer.

I VERY MUCH like having the GOP muzzled and defanged and declawed. Just a few in number so they're prevented from doing any damage with their damn I-hate-government crap. Makes me wonder how they all were as small children - did they throw temper tantrums like this in their car seats or something? Schmucks!

Makes me feel as though we might be able to rehabilitate ourselves from having foisted fucking reagan and fucking Proposition 13 on the nation. We're all still recovering from that pair of blights even now.

[Cha]

45. "the tax revolt" didn't work out too

well, eh?

Thanks Asherbert

[Agnosticsherbet]

47. You mean the old Prop 13? It proved a disaster

in California, because its aim was to drastically cut spending on the social safety net and boost the money kept by the rich.

[PasadenaTrudy]

48. Prop 13 helped us

My dad bought a bldg. here in '64 to open his pharmacy in. My parents have passed on, my brother and I still own the property. The taxes are manageable for us with our meager earnings. My brother is a plumber hoping to retire in five yrs., and I manage the property and take a small amount of rental income to live on. I have CFS and Fibro. and can't hold down a regular job. Prop 13 has been a benefit to many elderly friends of mine too.

[Agnosticsherbet]

50. Prop 13 made it impossible to fund the government...

It's primary purpose was to support the 1% and to hamstring government so that it could not work for the people. It is good that it did some good, but it never made up for the harsh conservative benefit that attacked the working class a poor.

[Hepburn]

46. That's my State!!!

I had to endure Reagan as Gov...and all the shit he did...but we are sooooo Blue and I am sooooo proud!

[PasadenaTrudy]

49. Coming up on 50 yrs in CA

Born here and never left. I can't imagine where I'd go if I had to leave. Hawaii if I had the $$$!

[Benton D Struckcheon]

51. Suitable? Sure. Subtle? Why?

Dancing, drinks, fireworks. Til dawn.

[NBachers]

52. I piss on the Republican grave!

[Merlot]

53. As California goes, so goes the nation.

nuff said.