Yeah, and I remember the nightly news stories in the late '70s, showing dozens and dozens of people crossing into California on foot, from Mexico, right out in the open. They were running through back yards, up the median strips of divided highways, right through traffic in some cases.
I wonder if that has anything to do with why things are different now.
Texas and California have the exact same percentage of Hispanics, the problems of California were much deeper than just the immigration that finished them off, California never had a foundation of conservatism.
That has a lot to do with it but not everything. Another huge factor is the concentration of voting power in populous union-infested liberal cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. They simply overwhelm conservative suburban and rural areas.
There's also gerrymandering to make certain liberal districts maintain their grip on the Legislature.
Maybe the biggest factor of all has been the State Party's insistence on putting elitist RINOs in charge. They want conservatives' money but flip them the bird when it comes to policy. Screw 'em. I've long felt this state will have to entirely collapse before there's any possibility that voters will come their senses.