“What exactly would be gained by pissing away valuable campaign $$$ by entertaining false hopes of winning back conquered territory? The dems have a 2.5-1 advantage there.”
Retreat much? What other part of the country should we give up on?
If we campaign in California then the leftists have to campaign and spend money in California and not Florida, Texas, Montana, Georgia, etc.
I'll answer that one with a question: When is the last time a GOP Presidential nominee campaigned in NY, WA, OR, VT, MA, etc? Those areas, like CA, have long been recognized as deep blue. An exception to that might be making appearances on behalf of candidates in competitive lower-ticket races.