No. I don't see that illegal immigration or Prop 187 has caused the GOP to "lose control" of California -- its legislature has been controlled by the D's for decades, and it's been a liberal mess for at least as long.
Funny. In Texas, the Rats controlled the Legislature for generations -- until recently. The GOP has its act together here. What is your excuse in California? But I was referring to the fact that GOP Presidential candidates used to be able to take California for granted. Now they can take it as a given that they will lose in California. And the main reason is the seismic political shift that occurred there in the last 14 years.
If you want to see how the GOP wins in big states, look to Texas and Florida, not California. Watch and learn. It's all about how you treat the Hispanic vote. Culturally, they are natural conservatives, but you have to know how to transform that into political gains. You can do it either the Texas way or the California way. But the results of both approaches speak for themselves.