Is California in Play for the GOP?

http://toddkinsey.com/blog/2012/03/04/is-california-in-play-for-the-gop/ ^

[Todd Kinsey]

For the first time since the days of Reagan the Republican Party has a real chance of winning a national election in California. You read that right, not only is Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat in real jeopardy for the first time since she took office in 1992 but President Obama has his work cut out for him as well.

Once thought untouchable, Sen. Feinstein’s poll numbers are at an all time low. According to a report by CBS Los Angeles, Feinstein’s approval rating has dropped to a dismal 41 percent. Furthermore, even amongst her Democrat base, Feinstein only receives a 60 percent approval rating. And like the rest of the country, only 9 percent of Californians approve of the job Congress is doing.

In 2010, Senator Barbara Boxer had the fight of her life and narrowly defeated Republican upstart Carly Fiorina. The DNC had to pull out all the stops in defense of the longtime Democrat stronghold. For starters, Sen. Boxer had to spend a whopping $28 million which was nearly double what she had to spend in her previous election.

Sensing potential defeat in California, which would have been an even bigger political slap in the face than Scott Brown winning in Massachusetts, President Obama had to make no less than three trips to California in a desperate attempt to save Boxer’s seat. But the president’s coattails are all but nonexistent in 2012 and he will be fighting to save his own political life this November.

[WeatherGuy]

California is hopelessly lost. It’s barely part of America anymore.

[ought-six]

I pulled out of California back in 1979, when I was in my late twenties. I am sixty now, and I never looked back. It’s a crying shame what happened to California; it used to be paradise, but now it is a third-world cesspool run by hard-core leftists. Might as well bury it and save the rest of the country from the stink of its decaying carcass.

[Mariner]

There's real potential here for a candidate that doesn't lead with Social Issues.

Gingrich has been up and down the state a couple of times recently. Romney has been here.

Both Santorum and Paul have virtually ignored this state and it's 169 delegates.

169 delegates. 172 if you count the at-large.

I haven't seen any polling on CA yet, but what I hear in my little bubble:

1. Gingrich well liked and admired

2. Romney uninspiring, but will do in a pinch.

3. Paul - wingnut. 4. Santorum - wingnut.

[Paleo Conservative]

If this year’s Republican presidential candidate chooses a charismatic Hispanic vice-presidential candidate such as Marco Rubio, it will not be business as usual in California.

Is Marco Rubio a natural born citizen?

[Old Retired Army Guy]

If you couldn’t defeat that idiot Boxer in 2010, I don’t see how you can defeat feinstein in 2012.

[CAconservitive]

My head is hurting. No California is not in play for the GOP. Wish it could be otherwise but it isn’t going to happen.

[stillonaroll]

Absurd. CA is far too pro-abortion and pro-homosexual to vote Republican. The Rats will easily win CA's electoral votes and Senate seat. Republican resources are much better spent elsewhere.

CA is now a one party state.

[only1percent]

California's delegates are mostly chosen winner-take-all by Congressional district. It doesn't make a lot of sense to focus there now because if one guy is clearly winning by then, he'll mop up.

Romney will run statewide -- between moderates and Mormons, he has a huge advantage.

Ron Paul is going to be very focused on a dozen or so of the liberal-white-majority districts in the Bay Area and LA with very few Republicans, a disporportionate share of which are libertarian-leaning ... probably will lose most to Romeny but could pick up a few.

Gingrich, if he's still in, should be focused an a dozen or so more conservative districts away from the coasts, which are mostly white and relatively light in Mormons.

Santorum, if he's still in, is going to be working the same districts as Gingrich, maybe with a focus on the half-dozen or so districts with a meaningful number of Hispanic Republicans who might go for him on the Catholic identity vote.

[Lazamataz]

If nuclear weapons completely obliterated all human life in California, it would still reliably vote DemonCrap.

[ScottinVA]

CA looked “competitive” for a short while for Carly, but in the end she still lost by 9%. That state is not in play, and to commit resources to try to make inroads there is a waste. It`s gone..and it isn`t coming back.

[Mach9]

It went for Nixon and Reagan after incredibly harmful, liberal presidents. Obama qualifies.

[douginthearmy]

No

[unkus]

It went for Nixon and Reagan after incredibly harmful, liberal presidents. Obama qualifies.

---

We’re in a different America now. The America that elected Obama isn’t the same America that elected LBJ or Carter.

And we don’t have a Reagan to whip 0bama’s azz this time around.

[smokingfrog]

...sorry about that...

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

When did dying ever stop Democrat voters? Dead Dems vote in droves.

[newzjunkey]

In 2010, Senator Barbara Boxer had the fight of her life and narrowly defeated Republican upstart Carly Fiorina.

In what universe a 10-point spread, and million vote difference considered "narrow?"