There were so many things going on at the same time, though. And that’s the problem when people try to find *the* cause of anything, or even the handful of causes.
Illegal immigration and the defense industry markedly being downsized in CA at that time are definitely two factors.
But another is the transformation in the 1990s from our “old economy” to the new global, WTO economy where just about everything was Made in China.
Walmart went national in the early ‘90s, just as Bill Clinton became president. Coincidence or no. Walmart probably didn’t need an Arkansan in the WH, but it probably didn’t hurt.
And California is our front door to China, with no small clout, especially in CA, and probably preferring it to be dominated by Democrats.
Then there is the country being remade towards ungodly liberalism by cable TV, PCs and the internet. Since cable and VCRs came along, socializing has plummeted in many respects.
“””Walmart went national in the early ‘90s, just as Bill Clinton became president. Coincidence or no. Walmart probably didn’t need an Arkansan in the WH, but it probably didn’t hurt.”””
By the time Clinton took office, Walmart was the nation’s # 1 retailer and was in at least 45 states and many countries.