Front Page  »  

GOP fading rapidly in state

November 12, 2012

Eventual fate of the national Republican Party may be mirrored by what has been happening in California. (San Francisco Chronicle)

The state’s GOP is shrinking like cheap cotton in hot water, as Democrats have put a lock on almost every high office.

A state long derided by conservatives as “the Left Coast” and “La-la Land,” California stacked its governing roles with Democrats as populations of Latino, Asian-Americans, and young people expanded, and the trend of minority growth is tending nationwide.

“They can denigrate this state all they want,” Democratic consultant Garry South told The Chronicle. “But the future of America is what you’re seeing right now, laid out in California.”

Registration of California GOP voters dropped below 30 percent in this election cycle.

California Democrats hold every major statewide office, including governor, both U.S. Senate seats, nearly three-fourths of the congressional delegation, and the possibility of achieving a super-majority in both houses of the Legislature.

According to California GOP strategist Tony Quinn, “The good news for the California GOP is that they are not a dying party,” Quinn wrote in his blog last week. “The bad news is that they are dead. There is no state Republican Party left and its numbers in the legislature make it irrelevant.”


Loading...
Subjects:             
Related:


59 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Psychotic self interest on both sides of the aisle.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/13/us-bernardino-bankrupt-idUSBRE8AC0HP20121113


A party of fiscal responibilty and social inclusion doesn’t exist, so we vote our own narrow self interest knowing full well destruction awaits.


Oh how the children laughed.


0

Lot of passionate talk here, mine included. I see over 20 petitions to secede from the union have appeared since the election, none have met the threshold of credibility yet but the movement is telling (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57548572/states-petition-to-secede-from-union/. Of course they are all from the former slave (currently red) states, and frankly I would be thrilled to see them go. Our blue state, and others like it, hold most of the juice of the nation. This is a telling comment for the subject at hand. Millions of Cal voters have chosen democratic representatives to make decisions for them, the angry and sometimes dysfunctional comments here are a bunch of sour grapes.


Yet still there is hope for many of us to get along and improve our creaking system. I think most of us want the same thing- good health, safe cars, honest representatives who act in our best interests. None of us approve of fraud, waste or enabling ‘loafers’. The most conservative members of our society would give extra help to a friend or family member who is disabled, in need assistance or just plain lacking in the sense or ability many of us are blessed with to make it on our own. Given all that we should extend the same consideration to those we don’t know. We are a nation of immigrants (who raped and pillaged the natives to take their land), why are we so angry at current day immigrants? Why wouldn’t we want to impose regulation on industries that mine our land and oceans, build our cars and other machines to make sure the health of those resources and our own is protected? Why wouldn’t we want to protect our children and theirs?


We have much to be thankful for in this bountiful land, but we are charged with the importance of being good stewards of the land, waters and air so that we, and subsequent generations will enjoy the same benefits. Some of us have taken unfair advantage, that is not right. That is why we impose rules to maintain some order and fairness. Imagine a life with no stop lights, no cops, no rules. So you see it is only a matter of degree, everything is just a matter of degree. Every civilization has rules, conventions and processes to accomplish its goals- and every time we make a decision some are glad, some are not.


Many of the former heroes of the right (Nixon, Reagan etc) could not get to first base in the current republican party, they would be thrown out on sight since the party has veered off the right wing cliff the last few years. You angry folks should read what your leaders are saying about your (their) own party-that it is out of date (and out of touch), has ignored modern demographics, that it has catered to the tea party freaks (Akin, Mourdoch etc). Read what YOUR people are saying about YOUR party. The repo war on women and others is indicative of radicals the majority of Americans do not agree with.


Did any of you see the victory party for Romney? A sea of white faces. The party for the Dems was a rainbow of colors- a cross section of our country, not just a bunch of enabled, entitled ignorant whites.


0

Leave it to a angry liberal to make such a racist statement–that the GOP is a “bunch of enabled, entitled ignorant whites”. What a race-baiter. I’m sure Condoleeza Rice, Marco Rubio and others would disagree w/your words.


0

Well, paso has always reminded normal folks around here of Deliverance. Some of the comments here cement that impression of backward, ignorant folks who rely on the most base of human responses.


0

Aside from being a racist, you are a socialist, neither of which I care to be associated with. I know how to take care of myself, want to take care of myself, and don’t need to be at the mercy of your type. This state was despciable and disquesting!


0

Texas just made theirs.


0

Me, I am no longer associated with either party, both losers and are both disfranchised. I have cancelled all contributions, subscriptions, organizations, etc. and am spending no money on anyone or anything else in this State. I am preparing to take care of No. 1, me and my family, don’t care what happens in the future as I have protected and insulated myself against the deficits and madness of the future in California Kids are going to private schools, have no investments in California and refuse to have anything to do with California economy, investments and it’s subjects other then enjoy the weather. beaches, and day to day life with as little intrusion as possible in our daily life. Have purchased property in another State in case the need should occur where we need to get the hell out of here. Until whatever, we are doing great and for sure I no longer care about others who only have their hands open and are being taught to be the me generation of losers. God bless America, it was nice while it lasted!


0

Greedy, uncaring people, with the “I-got-mine-who-cares-about-you” disgust me. And it is these people who are the ones undermining the strength of our nation.


The problem with California, as I see it, is similar to the problem with the rest of the nation.


We have far too many gullible, greedy voters who have forgotten how well the country did when there was a strong support system for those who are down on their luck. They don’t realize that it has been the gutting of our important social-support systems–mainly by stupid voters believing the likes of Reagan, Bush and Rove who sold the “privatization” BS, preaching the selling off public properties to rich folks controlling corporations.


Instead of having a strong school system, which educated all Californians, we now have a piece-meal system which has raised prices to pay for the elites in administration of the colleges, and subsidize the biggest education joke of the century–handing off control of public-built schools to “charter schools” companies, from which there has been a steady stream of financial and testing scandals.


A group of people is inevitably only as strong as its weakest member. If we are going to be a strong country, we must ensure that the weak, down-on-their-luck members get the support they need to become strong, participating members in our economy.


0

Greedy, far from it. Intelligent and see that jackass coming down my driveway you bet. I am sick and tired of people like you thinking because people have worked hard, made decent decisions, held onto my morale standards that I should not compromise my family’s will being for the likes of you and yours who have been bleeding this system for all it’s worth since the financial crisis that Bill Clinton, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd created with the housing market. Because I didn’t buy into this socialist program I survived this downturn and will not buy into the government solving this problem. Look at Greece, Spain, Portugal, etc. and see how well government is taking care of their people. Good luck to you and yours!


0

Well, you don’t mean ‘god luck’, do you? What do you propose to improve our society?


0

Y’all are forgetting what Prop 13 did to wreck the economy here. Plus, we voted to have an out of control prison system with three strikes and criminalized marijuana. Unions where you can’t fire bad teachers is also no help. Setting up pensions with no way to pay for them wasn’t too bright either. It is up to the Feds to craft a solution to undocumented WORKERS. I’d hate to see what would happen to farming if there was no one willing to harvest the crops like what happened in Georgia. Or maybe you’d like to pay $4.00 for a peach? You never lived in LA county if you think higher fuel costs for cleaner gas is a bad thing, smog kills.


0

Please do a little research before you post, only 4% of illegals work in the fields,

the other 11.9 million take jobs away from Americans. http://goo.gl/FAZLL

Illegal immigrants work in many sectors of the U.S. economy. According to National Public Radio in 2005, about 3 percent work in agriculture; 33 percent have jobs in service industries; and substantial numbers can be found in construction and related occupations (16 percent), and in production, installation, and repair (17 percent).[4] According to USA Today in 2006, about 4 percent work in farming; 21 percent have jobs in service industries; and substantial numbers can be found in construction and related occupations (19 percent), and in production, installation, and repair (15 percent), with 12% in sales, 10% in management, and 8% in transportation.[5] Illegal immigrants have lower incomes than both legal immigrants and native-born Americans, but earnings do increase somewhat the longer an individual is in the country.


0

Prop 13 lets my parents keep there home, it had no effect on “the economy” it only effected the states revenue, you should be able to tell the difference easily. Tho I agree with you on prisons, and marijuana, and unions, and pensions… you are oh so far off on prop 13. You honestly think if the CA gov had that money (from 1978 – today) you honestly don’t think we would still be about in the same hole we are now? Gov spends more than they have, they always do and always will. Why do you think we owe 16 trillion? Do the math.. how much is that per person in the country


Secondly, As a person in the smog industry cleaner air had almost nothing to do with “cleaner gas” it was cleaner engines and emissions systems and catalytic converters that did that. Pollution kills, most of it IS NOT from cars. I’m also pretty sure you are unaware that the worlds shipping container fleets pollutes more than all the cars in the world combined…


Also gas tax goes to roads, not cleaner fuel….


0

“But the future of America is what you’re seeing right now, laid out in California.”

free stuff for illegals

terrible roads

47th in education

productive people leaving in droves

budget messes every year

12% unemployment

stupid gun laws not enforced on gang members & drug dealers

global warming taxes


Yeah that is a great future the dims have brought us. I apologized to my children that America re-elected owe-bama. I wonder if anyone can fix America when he gets done with it.


0

NAILED IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD MIKE!!!!


0

I would be curious why all the negatives. Every thing he stated about Ca. is not an opinion, it is fact. Do people not like to be told the truth?


0

Facts, huh? “The California seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.2 percent in September 2012” from the Cal employment dept.

What productive people are leaving in droves?

The so called facts are just complaints and info taken out of context. And even if true by some chance most of the country is having similar problems, or worse.


You guys never answer my eternal question- what do you propose to fix our problems?


0

Don’t confuse the Trotskyites with facts.


0

You bring up some interesting points, most of them cost money, lots of it. Where are we supposed to get the money for roads, education, crime suppression and repairing the budget? And why aren’t you concerned with climate change? That is the #1 problem facing the planet- many of the foolish climate change deniers have changed their minds!

You bemoan our declining position due to lack of money yet don’t want to pay for repairing that problem. What do you propose is the solution other than throwing rocks at defenseless immigrants trying to better their lives by working like mad (often in positions that we would not take)?


0

The bigger question is why don’t the demorats want to fix the problem? They have the power, the money and according to voters the knowledge to solve our problems. They keep getting more money ($2 million more in sales tax alone from Amazon last month – this is new money), property values going up meaning property taxes, and I don’t see them planning on doing anything different with any of the issues plaquing this State Nothing is going to change, they will blame the Republicans (who have been the minority party for years) and nothing will be different in the future, will maybe things will be a little worse. Just give more money for the same old s$it. Me, I am going to sit back, do nothing and watch the happening. The next big issue will be the Obama Health Care Coop – Obama pays for them the first year and then California pays for them after that. Should be interesting! The old start to eat the young or maybe the young will eat the old (figurely speaking – lol)!


0

Guns and bullets, I can not express that often enough. Many people buy gold and silver but your gold and silver can not protect me or my family or feed us. Its heavy and hard to transport. Guns and bullets and food storage with seed storage. Oh, and don’t forget guns & bullets! :)


0

Here is a news shocker for you, THEY ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH of our money, they spend it on the wrong things like this –

CA Gov’t to Spend 37% MORE for Illegal Alien Education- http://capoliticalnews.com/2012/04/16/ca-gov%E2%80%99t-to-spend-37-more-for-illegal-alien-education/


Illegal immigrants could reap more than $7B in tax credits this year, senator says


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/22/illegal-immigrants-could-reap-more-than-7b-in-tax-credits-this-year-senator/#ixzz2C8rTQQzM


California Spends $21 Billion Annually to Support Undocumented Immigrants

http://news.yahoo.com/california-spends-21-billion-annually-support-undocumented-immigrants-20110126-102900-435.html


0

Number one problem on earth?? Get off your fucking high horse.


Pollution

Overpopulation

Water shortages

Food shortages

Political Instability

Religious turmoil

Earthquakes, disasters etc


160 million people have been killed by there own governments in the 20th century…..

How many people have died of climate change??


0

The R’s are toast.


The majority in this state would flock to a party who is fiscally conservative and socially inclusive. Sadly we don’t have that choice as the D’s are profligate spenders and the R’s are social psychopaths. Given our unfortunate choices, we have sensibly chosen economic suicide over social destruction.


0

Booty, with their love of tax cuts and spending on prisons, Republicans spend like drunken sailors, too.


0

Politicians of BOTH parties whore themselves to the military-industrial complex by rubber-stamping any project mega-corporations like Halliburton and Raytheon present to them.


Also, for those who try to blame the condition of our state on Democrats, realize that four of the governors of California, starting with Governor Reagan, going to Jerry Brown’s current governor incarnation, were Republican and three were Democrat. Terms in office: 7-1/2 Republican, 4-1/2 Democrat.


0

Mary see my post further down. Go back to your Civic’s class (which you must not have done well at) The legislature writes the laws, the Governor only signs. Nice spin though. NEXT!!


0

Booty JuJu Good summary but I have to agree with “unlisted’ too. As long as politicians continue to think that “lock ’em up and throw away the key” is the best solution to all social problems, they are contributing almost as much to our fiscal woes as the other spendthrifts. Note that these people are primarily — but not exclusively — conservatives.


0

Let us not forget the rest of this story: free housing, food stamps, medical, free meals (not 1, but 3) at schools, free transportation, unions controlling the politicians, education system, prisons, state workers, etc. I say good for all of you that want to support this “free society” but I do not believe in socialism and believe people should work for what they want and pay for what they get. I am willing to help you get to where you want to go and be what you want to be and then, take care of yourself. If you are not disabled, you should be responsible for yourself. I have assisted, encouraged and supported several people who needed help to achieve their goals. Notice the keyword here were goals! They have become self sufficient and successful self supporting members of our society due to their hard work. Something we are always proud to see. But when you see some slut like Ms. Flute, or whatever her name is, at the age of 31, who thinks we should be paying for her abortions, birth control pills, education, etc. while she continues to further her Georgetown multi thousand dollar education I say go to hell and grow up. Go get a job, oh yea, you already have one with the Obama administration, team player.


0

There certainly won’t be anyone else to blame. CA is the great Democrat experiment. Democrats run it and currently we have a 30b debt and 25b deficit so let’s see how they handle it. If they can make it work, it’s probably the future. If they fall flat on their faces and CA debt become worthless or CA goes bankrupt then that’s an answer too.


0

Homeruns, abig and mike…

This state has been run by the dems for decades, by many of the same lifers in the legislature and they now have a super majority. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next…


0

The great Dem experiment in deceit. Do people really believe Dem’s are the working mans friend and are on the same social plain? Its all about social equality isnt it? Take Obama, $11. 8 Million net worth, Feinstein net worth $70 million, Boxer $3,5 million ,Jane Harman over $450 million. Sure there just like us making $15 an hour feeding our family’s, buyin $4 a gallon gas, $1200 a month in health coverage, $1500 a month rent here in Shangra la. Good thing there’sTrader Joe’s close (the dem and lib fav), must one of their 376 stores close to you so you can tell others your supporting small local business and keeping local growers and producers in the green. That’s a joke of course because TJ’s DOES NOT offer local anything in case you never noticed, so repeat after me slo co shoppers…” Im a hypocrite I only buy imported foods that create unnecessary tons of hydrocarbons to transport across the country. Hold hands now and lets all sing Kumbaya cause we so righteous.

Oh… and never mind the Green Peace guys out front, ya know the ones trying to convince TJ’s stop killing red tagged (close to endangered) species of fish. Those green folks are such a pain in the ass sometimes aren’t they.


0

You forgot our California favorite, Nancy Pelosi, who lives in Napa Valley with her net worth of $35 Million, and then of course, Gov Brown with his personal $4 million plus the family trust which includes a 2,600 ranch in Colusa (neighbor to Pelosi) along with all his California pensions for all the positions he has served all these years. He never did have a working man’s job – just another lifetime politican!


0

Worst kind of people… don’t produce or do anything. Just “oversee” and meddle in our “petty common folk lives….”


0

Top Ten Wealthiest Members of Congress-

Here are the top ten, along with their estimated worth.


1. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.): $188.6 million


2. Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.): $160.1 million


3. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.): $152.3 million


4. Sen. Jay Rockefeller ( D-W.Va.): $83.7 million


5. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas): $73.8 million


6. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.); $70.2 million


7. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.): $56.5 million


8. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.): $53.5 million


9. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.): $49.7 million


10. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.): $46.1 million


Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/31/top-ten-wealthiest-members-congress#ixzz2C8sTqsfF


0

abigchocoholilc, see my post in this folder. URL is [[ tinyurl.com/b5ou69o ]]


0

I believe we should have at least two strong parties, more would be better. I hope in the near future we will have a strong Democratic party and a growing Green party to balance out our politics. The party that championed the war on women, the poor and immigrants should die its due death, sooner the better. Good riddance to the neocons.


0

Let me rephrase my comment in hopes it doesn’t disappear. You’re comment about the Democratic and Green Party is a bit off. They both philosopically are about the same. So your point of two parties is that it is o.k. as long as like minded but no opposite opinion or difference? So much for compromise huh?


0

I can tell from reading your comments in this thread that your understanding of politics, parties, and economics are SEVERELY lacking…


0

La, La land indeed. Being an independent living here most of my life I can say this about Kalifornia as Ive watched it dwindle into what its become . Out of control welfare & illegals, loss of most of its business by over regulated government, High taxes, gang related problems as bad as it gets, an , out of control prison system, basically the highest fuel and real estate prices in the country…yes were doing well under the reign of the blue gang. Perhaps not the GOP, how about the SOS, “same old shite” party.


0

The majority of California’s existence, there have been more Republican governors than Demoratic governors.


That would be the “GOP gang.”


So if you’re going to point fingers, be honest about it, ‘kay?


0

Um Mary yes there has been a lot of Republican Governors. BUT in the last Forty years the legislature has mostly been controled by the Democrats. Mary who makes the laws? Governor or Legislature? So to you let’s be honest about it, KAY!!


0

C’m on man, you’re a bit smarter than your words indicate. It always takes two to tango, the legislature suggests laws to the executive who may or may not sign the legislation. This is on the state and federal level. Anyone with a second grade education knows this and indicating differently does not lend to one’s credibility.

This state has sent some of the best, and worst to the statehouse and Washington DC. We are a mixed bag.

The silly lies about the mass exodus of business and crushing weight of unfair and unnecessary regulations is propagated by the greedy crooks at the top who want to make a killing at the expense of the middle class and our health. By and large this state is, and always has been, the apex of the American Dream. Aside from the beaches, weather, jobs and schools we apparently have a more intelligent electorate than many other states (as evidenced by the decline of the neocons here).


0

hotdog you seem to have a reasoned perspective. Good points although I do think you are missing the importance of the fiscal recklessness of a Democratic-controlled legislature in creating our current budgetary headaches. Not all Democrats are responsible for it but their legislative leadership certainly is. And yes, some GOP politicians have contributed too.


0

I cannot make any reasonable argument against your points. I do not know all the angles and often the Dem party’s undulations make no sense. I think politics is a very messy deal. I am obviously very pro Dem or progressive but realize there are many flaws in each party-my choice would be green if that could ever be achieved.

I wonder if anyone has a good answer for the deficit gig, plenty of blame to go around I suppose. I certainly don’t run my household the way Sacto or DC do! All of us on this site and across our mighty nation are spewing off with way too little info. How do we know anything, who do we blame? Big problem, trying to find the truth in this mess we call our system.

One thing is very clear to me- the party that refuses to get those who most benefit from our society to help pay for those benefits will never get my support. The Repos have become the darlings of the fat cats at our expense and have spent the last 4 years doing everything in their power (confirmed by their leadership comments to this end) to destroy Obama, they have done almost nothing to earn their pay in conducting our business. They have shown they will stop at nothing to widen the income gap and make fortunes off our misery. I consider the current Repo party a crime syndicate. Along those lines I have only a little more faith in the other giant party as it exists now but I know the ideals are true for most Dems.


0

You are painfully naive..


0

CEOs: California worst state for business

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-352341-business-state.html


Dear California: I’m Leaving You. Here’s Why…

Examples of the Crap California’s Government has Put Me Through

http://www.erica.biz/2011/california-im-leaving-you/


0
1 2