I tend to think California is basically a lost cause (no offense intended towards CA-based FReepers) at the Presidential level. The demographics just are too stacked too heavily in the Democrats’ favor. Even Lurch Kerry managed to take the state by double-digits in 2004.
I do think it’s possible to make some gains at the state and local level, though. IMHO, there could be a gold mine of votes among Cali’s 5 or 6 million Asians. I think that could (again, IMHO) be especially true among Korean-Americans. I live in a town (not in CA, btw) with a large Korean community, and it seems to me the GOP message of self-reliance, pro-small business and pro-family would resonate strongly there. I have never seen anyone work harder for the American dream than the Korean immigrants who’ve come to my town and set up shop for this family business or that.
Of course, I’m not suggesting all Koreans or all Chinese, etc. feel a certain way. Just that I think the GOP could be very competitive in some of those ethnic groups without having to play along with Rove’s notion of giving up principle for electability.
One thing I have noticed over the years about socialist, sooner or later, they [always] overreach at some point during their rein and the face mask slides off, the American people begin to see them for what they really are (socialist). Don't give up on Cali-fornication yet. Believe it or not, there are many conservative constitutionalists who work hard in their local governments to prevent these very socialist from power and just like so many States that have elected conservative governors and house and senates, Califonication locals are actually making in roads on their local governments. the seat of all government is local. Great post by the way!