It certainly is better for California to get a 1/2 D 1/2 R governor instead of another three years of a pure, far left "D". Given that the state seems unwilling to elect a pure conservative a 1/2 way conservative is the best choice.
The only possible happy ending in this story will be for the demo$#it party to die, and the choice become that of republican versus libertarian, with the dems joining the list of organizations such as the thug society, the green-dragon tong, the society for the restoration of the hohenzollern monarchy etc. etc. which you swear not to know anything about while filling out government forms. Until that day arrives, we have to vote for the candidate most likely to prevent a democrat from holding a public office. It's pretty much that simple.
The one thing which would help more than anything else in my view would be a constitutional ammendment requiring runoff elections in all elections for public office, so that nobody could ever hold a public office with less than 50% of the vote, and nobody should ever have to fear to vote for their first choice candidate, at least on a first ballot.