Posted on 08/22/2011 1:17:13 PM PDT by SmithL
The new congressional, legislative and Board of Equalization districts drawn by an independent commission made a long-evident political reality official: California, once a Republican bastion, is now solidly, even overwhelmingly, Democratic.
Democrats will control the Legislature – with two-thirds majorities in reach – and the congressional delegation. And while it may not be impossible for a Republican to win statewide office, as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steve Poizner demonstrated, it's at best unlikely, even when lavishly self- financed, à la Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina.
California's most important political contests will either be over the state's biennial spate of ballot measures, or in the primary elections that choose Democratic Party nominees, which will be governed by the new "top-two" system.
All candidates will appear on one ballot. The top two vote-getters – regardless of party – will face each other in the general election. It could mean two from the same party in some contests for the Legislature or Congress, and perhaps a minor statewide office.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Doomed
Time to trot out a DINO movement to take over their party.
The Republicans are going to lose a few House of Representatives seats due to redistricting in California. The Republicans can not afford to lose seats like the one they lost in that special election in New York. Nancy Pelosi is waiting in the wings.
I’m not worried.
Baraq Obama is going to be a millstone around the neck of every Dem running in 012, and a lot of them will drown.
“The new congressional, legislative and Board of Equalization districts drawn by an independent commission” shouldn’t be used in the same sentence. Nothing could be more phony.
Yeah...and I remember the Newsweak cover that said “We’re All Socialists Now”. The worm can turn.
They may lose some in Illinois and New York as well. Both those states lost seats. Both have large Democrat majorities in the legislature. And you can bet that both will take advantage of the situation to carve up any marginal Republican seats that they can in to Democrat-leaning districts.
There was a great window of opportunity after Gray Davis lost his popularity.
Then Karl Rove, George Bush, and company stepped in and installed their RINO experts to lead the state party.
First thing they did was to let Bill Simon go down to defeat. He only lost by a few points, and likely would have won if they hadn’t pulled all the campaign money and undermined him.
Then the conservatives actually managed to get Davis recalled. He was so unpopular even the Dems hated him by that time. So, after the conservatives succeeded in the recall, Rove and Bush stepped in once again and installed Arnie.
A great opportunity was lost. And Arnie was so very, very bad that the Republicans may never win there again. He actually ended up making Gray Davis look good by comparison.
The only salvation for CA is the tea party taking over the moribund CAGOP, which is underway.
The problem with Arnold was he thought the voters were with him. They weren't. He lurched left for survival after the $100m union funded campaign against his "year of reform" measures all failed in '05.
Throughout he complained about the loony legislature and union influence but was unable to get voters to make a change.
Rove and Bush did not elect Schwartzenegger. It was his movie star status that got him elected. His ego is what nominated him. He might have been a decent governor had he not been married to a member of the biggest Democrat family in the country. It was a recall election that was started on a morning talk radio show, and neither Bush nor Rove called in that morning.
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