[NormsRevenge]

Mark Baldassare is research director at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California in San Francisco, where he holds the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair. His recent book, "A California State of Mind: The Conflicted Voter in a Changing World," and the PPIC statewide survey mentioned in this article are available at www.ppic.org.

[NormsRevenge]

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[Betaille]

"pundits and pollsters have been obsessed with the notion that the nation is becoming increasingly split along party lines."

Yes, but the pundits are wrong. They are saying things like that to get traditional democrats back into the fold. For example, I voted for Gore, and I keep hearing from the news media that Gore voters are more solidly democrat now. But I am absolutely furious with the democratic party and am voting for Bush, and same with some of my freinds who were Gore voters. The reason the country is more evenly split now in terms of registration is because there are MORE REPUBLICANS and LESS DEMOCRATS. There has not been a solidifying of views, just an even-ing out of party registration.

[Seruzawa]

While there is a bigger split it is disingenuous to say both parties are becoming extreme. The Demoncraps have become shameless amoral fascisti and therefore anyone who stands for traditional American beliefs in freedom and the Bill of Rights only seems extreme by comparison. The "conservatives" today are simply mild socialists. The demons are totalitarian socialists.

[byteback]

There is now a 23-point gap between the parties over the idea that government should not interfere with a woman's right to have an abortion (Democrats: 82%; Republicans: 59%).

So in our attempt to oust Boxer we should pick?????

[Who is John Galt?]

Ping...

;>)

[No Dems 2004]

I still don't think California is unwinnable by conservative Republicans. I think there's always an exaggeration of these views. We'll soon learn, of course.

[umgud]

The CA blue/red map looks like the national version. The whole of CA is being dictated to by blue Dem strongholds. We really need to split this state up, but I know this won't happen.

[Savage Beast]

A few decades ago, no place on earth held more promise than California. The American Dream had settled there.

Today it teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, is essentially a Third World country, and is a mess.

This is due to "Liberal" politics and policies.

Anyone with a functioning brain will immediatly understand to significance of this.

Unfortunately, there are many stupid people in the American electorate. If this were not true, "Liberals" and Democrats, such as Kerry, Edwards, etc., would not even be under consideration for the presidency.

[Lancey Howard]

Since the stark pattern of "red states" and "blue states" first showed up on the U.S. electoral college map in the 2000 election,

That map is not nearly as instructive as the county-by-county map which shows that the Democrat votes were concentrated in the nation's parasite centers (cities). So in general, those states with more and larger parasite centers went 'blue' (Democrat) while those states with less and smaller parasite centers went 'red' (Republican).

[Lancey Howard]

....six in 10 Democrats favor higher state taxes and more public services, while a similar percentage of Republicans want to lower state taxes and are willing to live with fewer services.

This is where you have to lose respect for the author. He is lying and he knows it.
Democrats GET "services". Republicans PAY for "sevices".

[Amerigomag]

Californians who are searching for reasons why their Legislature is so gridlocked and ineffective should look no further than the primary voters like themselves who are choosing their party's candidates

You betcha Mark. I'll surrender my core beliefs so we can all get along on our way to the third world. My advice to you Mark is to take your thoughts and stuff them where the sun don't shine.

For my part Mark, I'm going to use all my creative energy figuring how to get you and your's the hell out of California.