Why Did Californians Vote That Way? (understanding the reasons for Golden State's election results)

"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." -- Samuel Adams, "Father of the American Revolution," in 1775

Have you felt confused or depressed over why Californians elected liberal Democrats to nearly every statewide office? Especially while the rest of the country swept the Democrats out of power in the U.S. House of Representatives, the biggest party-seat turnover since 1948?

I have been pondering this and believe there are understandable reasons for this seeming disparity. It's very important for moral-values Californians to grasp this so that they think, believe, and act differently in the future. For positive change can only come when those who know the truth think, believe, and behave better. (If you don't have five minutes now to read this, please print and save for when you do. It's that important.)

Based of what I've learned in 17 years as a pro-family leader and the last 6 years as a registered independent, I can say this:

California is split into two states politically. The coastal areas tend to vote morally liberal and for Democrats; the inland areas tend to vote conservative and for Republicans.

As for the 8-million-some California voters, I split them into thirds. I see one-third of Californians as wicked and unreasonable and ignorant, see another third as moral and reasonable and knowledgeable, and see still another third as somewhat moral and reasonable but ignorant. Usually on statewide ballot measures, there are always one-third reliably liberal and one-third reliably conservative, and the remaining one-third decides who wins or loses statewide on Election Day.

California's Latino voters are also split. They vote for moral issues such as man-woman marriage and parental rights and are against abortion and marijuana legalization, yet they vote for Democrats who mostly believe the opposite. For Democrat candidates are mostly pro-abortion, pro-homosexual-"marriage," against prayer in schools, and against school choice for parents.

Latinos made up 22 percent of the state electorate Tuesday, exit polls showed, compared with 18 percent in 2008 and 12 percent in 2006. Brown won 64 percent of the Latino vote, while Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman won 30 percent. -- "Latino vote helps Dems keep California domination," Sacramento Bee, Nov. 7, 2010

1. The majority of California voters vote right when they understand the issues: Consider that the majority of California voters voted for what they understood. The positive outcome of the People's vote on 7 of 9 propositions is very good and should not be overlooked. It is a reliable human trait to do what we know, and to not do what we don't know. Therefore, we see that teaching and imparting of information and perspective is a key part of changing voter behavior. When the results of statewide elections are immoral laws or candidates, it's because the majority of voters believed the lies they were fed at the expense of the Truth. See the 5 steps of learning and discipleship.

2. The majority is against higher taxes and fees: There's evidence that the majority has learned to be against higher taxes and fees. In February 2009, Californians learned to hate the increased sales, income, car and "child tax" ushered in by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, virtually all the Democrats, along with six Republicans. So in May 2009, voters went to the ballot and defeated extending these taxes and fees. And this November, a majority of California voters continued their new-found ethic by defeating Prop. 21's $18 annual car tax increase, defeating Prop. 24's de facto tax increase on businesses, and by approving Prop. 26's two-thirds requirement for fee increases at both the state and local level. It seems most Californians have learned a good lesson!

3. The majority votes wrong when it doesn't understand issues: The majority mistakenly voted wrong on Nov. 2 when they didn't understand Prop. 23 or Prop. 25. They didn't comprehend and thus defeated the good Prop. 23, which would have suspended the job-killing, oppressive, unscientific "man-made global warming" law, AB 32, which will lead to "energy taxes." And they didn't understand the negative consequences of passing Prop. 25, which will eliminates the 2/3rds requirement for the Democrat-dominated California State Legislature to approve bloated budgets. Californians will literally pay for their ignorance!

4. Majority ignorance: A good argument can be made that the majority of Californians don't understand issues, candidate positions, party positions, or the effect of policy positions upon themselves and others. For example, the majority doesn't understand the truthful difference between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. If they did, they wouldn't keep complaining about the foolish, corrupt California State Legislature (which is controlled by Democrats), yet continue electing Democrats, year after year, decade after decade. They don't fathom the consequences a Democrat Governor and a Democrat-controlled Legislature, with no Republicans being able to block their bad budgets due to the passage of Prop. 25. With only Democrats in charge, hopefully Californians will finally see and understand. For after two years of Democrats in control of Congress and the Presidency, Americans have come to a greater understanding of liberty versus oppression.

5. Anti-family politicians elected by the union machine: All of the government unions and many of the private unions, which are the largest unions of any state, coercing hundreds of millions of dollars from workers, make up the only standing political army in California, and nearly exclusively support Democrats. For example, the unions spent $30 million telling voters to elect Jerry Brown governor again; now Brown's pledged to pay them back with pro-union policies. In California, the unions are the Democrats, when you discover that the large bulk of Democrats' campaign contributions and independent expenditures are from unions' political funds, telling all union workers and all Democrats which way to vote. In contrast, there is no standing political army in California that is "conservative" or "pro-family" or "Christian." California has pro-family organizations, but not a pro-family army that is always there and is well-funded, like the unions. That would require several million dollars every two-year election cycle.

6. Dominant voices of lies, not truth: Most pastors don't instruct on Biblical standards for voting or make sure everyone receives a Christian-value voter guide. They are too distracted or ignorant or fearful of applying the Bible to public policy. But ultimately, pastors are saying "no" to applying God's moral values if they refuse to teach specific, practical truths about voting, take positions on ballot measures, and educate on the candidates. Such neglect and rejection abandons their flock to the wolves. Meanwhile, the "secular pastors" -- the news media and entertainment media -- are teaching lies day after day, year after year. There is no contest. Lies dominate when the truth is hidden.

7. People do what they know and vote based on what they understand: On Nov. 2, California voters understood that marijuana legalization is bad (no on 19), that the California Legislature is untrustworthy to draw district lines (yes on 20, no on 27), that an $18 hike in the car tax is not good or wanted (no on 21), that local control is better than state control (yes on 22), that taxing businesses means taxing all of us (no on 24), and that hidden taxes called "fees" should be resisted (yes on 26). So where the people understood, they voted right. But they didn't understand the lie of "man-made global warming" or see the threat of future "energy taxes" (thus the good Prop. 23 was defeated), nor did they understand why two-thirds requirement for a state budget, and, if needed, a drawn-out stalemate, means protection from bloated, irresponsible spending, more debt, and possibly more tax hikes (thus the deceptive Prop. 25 passed).

8. California voters vote for who they know: Call it personal idolatry or the lazy way to make voting decisions, but incumbents win over and over in California. Jerry Brown has been known to Californians for a long time. He has been elected statewide 5 times (Secretary of State in 1970, Governor in 1974, Governor in 1978, Attorney General in 2006, and now Governor again). Polluted by personal idols and blinded by ignorance, they didn't have enough information to understand Brown's positions, but were fed lots of information against his opponent, Republican Meg Whitman.

According to exit polls, 54% of those who cast ballots for governor wanted "an insider who knows how to get things done," and only 36% wanted "an outsider who wants to shake things up." Those results came as no surprise to Jim Brulte, the former GOP legislative leader who backed Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in the primary for governor.

Whitman, he said, was hamstrung from the beginning because she had never served in statewide office. Most governors in the last half-century - Democrats Pat Brown, Jerry Brown and Gray Davis and Republicans George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson - held state office when they won the governorship. Only Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger did not, though as Brulte pointed out, they were extremely, and positively, well known when they won.

"When California voters pick a chief executive, they know that governing this state is tough, and so they look for that experience," he said. "And if a candidate doesn't have it, they tend not to be elected governor." -- "Experience counts; big money doesn't," Los Angeles Times, Nov. 7, 2010

9. The union machine cannot be underestimated: Meg Whitman didn't lose because moral conservatives sat out in protest of her anti-family support of homosexual adoptions and taxpayer-funded abortions. No sizable boycott occurred, because Whitman only received 72,000 fewer votes than the pro-life Carly Fiorina, and that difference was likely due to other issues. No, Whitman lost because the government-and-private union machine defined her and powerfully deployed the vote for Democrat Jerry Brown.

Unions are dominating California politics. For example, the unions virtually assured the victories of Democrats Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner and Tom Torlakson for Superintendent of Public Instruction. These no-name, morally-liberal, big-government Democrats won their races by simply riding on the back of gargantuan union machine.

[Mike Murphy, chief strategist to Meg Whitman] also blamed spending by the state's influential public-employee unions, in part, for the loss, saying they "run California politics." Unions spent heavily on TV ads attacking Whitman during the summer months as Brown hoarded his limited treasury. "They paid for Jerry Brown's campaign," he said.

"The big unions in the last couple of years have spent $300 million on politics," Murphy said. "So, you either can't raise enough money to compete, and they swamp you ... or you spend your own money, but if you're a self-funder, the press wants to make that money the issue." -- "Mike Murphy: 'Blue riptide' pulled Meg Whitman under amid GOP wave," Los Angeles Times, Nov. 7, 2010

California needs to be saved both spiritually and politically. The California pro-Democrat unions are the biggest in the nation. The state media are among society's most influential and most liberal "teachers." The homosexual activists, abortion activists, and radical environmental activists are plentiful. The California Republican Party runs away from moral issues. And Californians more materialistic, "tolerant," ignorant, confused, and irresponsible than most Americans.

The one-third of Californians who are "reasonable but ignorant" desperately need to be informed on what is helpful versus hurtful. Truth-tellers need to reach and educate them and talk with them and show them the evidence in English, Spanish, Chinese, and other languages. If "reasonable but ignorant" people are given the truth, they'll likely believe and vote for the truth (as the positive outcome of 7 of 9 statewide ballot measures vividly demonstrates). A standing pro-family political army is needed to reach and educate millions of Californians, like the extremely wealthy anti-family unions do with their mailers, online technology, and multimedia. Again, this would require at least several million dollars every two-year election cycle.

One more thing. People in this "reasonable but ignorant" category who call themselves Christian must also be taught that their identity is not in any political party, race or gender, but in Jesus Christ, their very "life." Then they'll vote for Biblical values, which are good and helpful.

Change begins with knowledge of the Truth. It is high time for moral Californians to leave behind frivolous activities and love others enough to sacrifice for them and educate them, giving people in your own community understandable reasons to turn away from lies.

1. Take the initiative in your community: If you want to make a difference, but aren't sure how, SaveCalifornia.com has tried-and-true ways for you to make a difference at your kitchen table, in your community, and in the media. Stir up your courage and prepare to grow! Download 10 Ways Fact Sheets

2. Defund the anti-family, big-government unions: If you are a union member, you are funding anti-family values and big government whether you want to or not. To discontinue your partnership with darkness, you must resign from the union and keep your job and benefits by becoming an "agency fee payer." Learn how.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV

-- Randy Thomasson is founder and president of SaveCalifornia.com, a project of Campaign for Children and Families. Since 1993, he has been serving California families and advancing moral values in the media, government, and culture.

It’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove. Where’s Jimmy Hoffa?? Everybody knows he’s dead and was tapped by a mafia hit man. Easy to conclude that many in law enforcement were not interested in pursuing the Hoffa case from fear of meeting the same fate. Easy to conclude that vote fraud exists but hard to prove because of who controls what goes on behind the scenes. There are a number of vote fraud cases emerging from this past election, let’s see if any stick. National anti vote fraud laws will certainly help to restore this republic even though the BIG smoking gun of vote fraud remains elusive, for now.

Plus the republican party gave us horrible candidates. Meg Whitman was seen as a rich woman buying her way into the gobernorship, and that doesn’t look good these days.

Carly Fiornino couldn’t get away from her image of laying off lots of people at HP.

They were both horrible candidates.

Correct. Neither Whitman or Fiorina were conservative....both were weak on border security/illegal aliens and (especially Whitman) were liberal on envirnmental issues. They were not much different than their liberal opponents.

The writer of this article is accurate to an extent...but blaming voters only gets you so far. There is a lot of ignorance on those who vote DNC and GOP

How can anyone owning property in California afford to live with ever increasing property taxes...

California doesn't have ever increasing property taxes..that's what Prop.13, passed back in the late '70's, was all about. Tho only time the taxes on a piece of property go up is when it is sold. That becomes the new baseline and stays that way until the property is sold again. That's why it is a target of the democrats. When it gets down to it, most democrats blame Prop. 13 for the state budget deficit. Gramma and Grampa, if they still live in the same house, have the same rate they've had since whenever Prop.13 passed.

For some reason, commercial property also got included, so many business haven't had their property tax increase in more than 30 years.

Someone correct me if this needs amending, but I think it's pretty accurate.

2. Defund the anti-family, big-government unions: If you are a union member, you are funding anti-family values and big government whether you want to or not.

I grew up in a union household. My parents eventually saw the light a few years before 1980 when Candidate Reagan said: “They’re (the union leadership) out of touch with the rank-and-file”

This line has been forgotten and it’s more relevant today than ever before. Whatever the unions giveth, their political bedbuddies taketh away

On the votes on the propositions, the people here largely voted the correct way, except on 23 and 25. Well, perhaps that could be because there was NO effective campaign against those 2 propositions. I live in the Fresno area, and being unemployed, had time to keep an eye on the radio and TV media. There was NO advertisement to vote yes on 23 at ALL. All there was were the highly misleading (actually outright LIES) ads against 23 saying it would end all the air pollution controls (which it wouldn’t) and was funded by out of state interests, etc). It might have helped some had there actually been a discussion, rather than the one-sided blitz. You cannot pass a ballot measure without an ad campaign of some sort in favor of it, unless the merits are clear and unmuddied. The anti-23 people lied loud and long against it and carried the day.

As far as 25 went, it was fairly close, and it’s an issue that the voters have been hearing about over and over and over, election after election. It’s almost a perennial initiative on the ballot to dump the 2/3 requirements. The unions backed the living daylights out of it, too.

It’s pretty much basic that in order to win, you DO have to campaign some.The pro-23 people didn’t do that, even in the part of the state (the conservative center) they were most likely to win!

Whitman was a crummy candidate, with a poorly run campaign. She was liberal enough on some issues that the right of the state backed off of her, and there’s no way she was going to carve off any of the Left here. Not against their favorite son, Moonbeam.

Fiorina was a reasonably good candidate, except for not counterattacking on the layoff issue. Her stance on the environment would probably have been neutral here in this state, given how people vote, and it never got much airplay to begin with. I’ve seen and heard a lot elsewhere that bringing up her pro-life stance hurt her, and she should not have mentioned it. Unfortunately, the media would not let that sleeping dog lie for her to stealth it.

As far as splitting up the state goes, any good split (for conservatives) would have to be east-west, and isolate the coastal strip from LA to north of SF as ONE state (not two, as we wouldn’t want to hand the Dems 4 “gimme” senate seats instead of just 2) Looking at the map of voting patterns this time shows how it would have to be done. Boxer, Brown, et al, won by taking just 13-18 counties starting with LA county in the south, skipping Ventura and SLO county, and going up to Humboldt along the coast. The only non-coastal counties that went Dem were Napa, Solano and Yolo and then the East Bay counties of Contra Costa, Alameda, etc. Napa, Solano, and Yolo are “purple”, and can flip at times.
A straight coastal cut might take San Diego and Orange counties, which were still GOP in this election, and shouldnt be part of the “new” state.

I could not agree more. I held my nose and voted for both of them, but it was no surprise that they both lost. Also, in the case of Whitman, she had to follow the Administration of Arnold the Awful! Arnold gave credence to the notion that all former actors are not always good politicians, especially when they are related to a Kennedy! The sad fact is that today in California the kind of leadership that could make a real difference can’t even get on the Republican ballot. Tom McClintock would have been a stellar governor in my opinion, but he didn’t stand a chance against the “star power” of Arnold. We are unfortunately saddled with a bunch of ignorant sheep for voters. I guess in the end, the Goose has to die and the goody train derailed before they notice what’s happened.

“To really understand why Latinos vote the way they do, look at how they vote in Mexico. They vote for anyone that they believe will take care of them, basically, socialists. In California, they have not become a part of the American culture.”

This bears repeating. Over and over. Latinos are by and large socialists, especially Mexicans. Liberty, and the responsibility that comes with it, terrifies them. That, and the simple fact their allegiance is unabashedly to Mexico, and not to the United States. Thus, like the poster said, they will vote the same way they do or would do in Mexico.

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