California was seen as liberal, even in the 1960s even though republicans were doing fine, it was never a very conservative state.
California was never known for being social conservative.
California was never known for being social conservative.”
While I would probably disagree with your premise as a general observation, I do know (from what I was told by my parents who moved here in 1936) that back then, the “professors” at UC Berzerkley were saying that they were going to make Berkeley the first Communist City in the US. Now here, almost 80 years since these pronouncements, they are still trying, but not having the “success” that I am sure they envisioned. I actually graduated from UCB in 1965. Today the Campus Republicans are a bigger force than the “Free Speech” types that were making trouble when I was there. Also, after WWII Los Angeles was still a very nice place, but now it’s turned into Mexico City del Norte with a minority Black population that’s been eclipsed by the Mexicans and doesn’t know WTF to do save elect moron Marxists like Maxine Waters (California’s answer to Texas’ Shiela Jackson Lee).