Rachel just said we in CA might decide the

[wasupaloopa]

direction of the country for the next two years.

If that becomes a reality then the country will go in a more progressive direction.

Ever since prop 137 the anti immigrant prop in 1994, we have become more Democratic. That is because of the growth in minority populations.

Whites are a minority in CA taking the other ethnicities as a whole.

My city of Santa Maria is 75% Hispanic and we all get along wonderfully.

What trump is doing with his anti immigrant rhetoric could and probably will turn the country more Democratic just as in CA.

[manor321]

1. And more women!

I'm a guy but my god I really want to see women at least at 50% in government representation already. I know there are terrible Republican women representatives but on the whole I believe government will be more kind if women are prominent.

And of course I want all races and ethnicities as well. It's time for America to really fulfill its destiny.

[DeminPennswoods]

2. All the more reason to stay up late on

election eve and watch Kornacki's histrionics! I'm all for CA, but seriously, that's all it is.

[VOX]

3. My wife and I are dropping our CALIFORNIA ballots in the mail tonight.

We love diversity here -- it works great, and we wouldn't have it any other way. When I was a kid, California, in spite of being the "Florida of the 40s-50s-60s-70s" (film-noir-central, beach bums, beatniks, sho-biz types, hippies, chucklehead surfers, health-food nuts, EST, the Manson Family, Scientology, earthquakes, Angela Davis, the Black Panthers, City Lights Bookstore, Monterey Pop, the Sunset Strip, the Patty Hearst kidnapping/SLA, on and on it goes), was once a conservative stronghold (John Birch Society, Ronald Reagan, John Schmitz, big-money folks in Pasadena, etc.).

Times have CHANGED. After the ice-water plunge of the right-wing-driven recall of Democratic Governor Gray Davis (paving the way for Arnold Schwarzenegger), California wised up, and is now so Blue you could swim in it. And the liberal bench is deep here. There are still the right-wing pockets in the Central Valley (home of Freeperville, and North San Diego County), but their votes get washed out by the San Francisco-Los Angeles-Coastal Democratic/liberal/progressive tide in every election. In the past six years, Riverside and Orange Counties, once Republican strongholds, have shifted over to the Blue side.

[TallMike]

6. but you are forgetting

The entire "east coast" of California is vastly red in voting. I live in Tuolumne county. We (sadly), have carried every repug in every election since recording began.
That being said, I do believe we just may go slighty bluer this time around. Even overheard a guy on his way to idaho after living here for some 20 odd years (and hangs a noose proudly on the back of his truck er, rig.. POS!), say that hes going there because cali is getting to g damn liberal. Not sure what mine shaft hes been living in.
F*ck McClintock!
Drink more tequila! We've been Mexico for 187 odd years anyway.
Viva la caravan!
Tortillas libertad!

[cally]

7. Yes. The coasts are liberal but inland is not

But we have a chance to pick up 5 to 6 Democratic seats this year. The party seems much better organized than I’ve ever seen. Democratic strongholds are sending volunteers and phone banking in these swing districts. Let’s hope it works.

[VOX]

9. That's the spirit!

True, the central Valley and the counties in the rain-shadow of the Sierra Nevada ("east coast&quot have been rural forever. Your local elections are indeed likely to result in Rs. But as far as statewide elections go, those counties simply don't have the numbers to make a dent in the tonnage of Democratic votes.

California's two major industries (not including the third = tourism) are solidly Blue -- science/tech and the TV/film industry. The bigger those entities become, the more employees needed (which getting around in populated areas is tough), and those people are predominately progressive Democrats.

The only downside to being so big and so liberal is that, with almost 40 million residents, California has 2 Democratic senators. Meanwhile, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and the two Dakotas have a population of about 4 million *combined*, and 12 Republican senators. 10 more votes on matters that affect us all. But don't listen to anyone who advocates chopping California up into 6-7 smaller states -- that's ALWAYS a right-wing ploy, even when it's presented as "progressive."

[roamer65]

4. Bring 'er home, CA.

Bring ‘er home.



Stick the knife into the Dump travesty and twist.

[Wounded Bear]

5. She was just being nice...

I predict that the House will be decided before the vote line crosses the Rockies, maybe the Mississippi.

[cally]

8. But we hopefully will have to stay up late waiting for Nevada Senate Race

I’m hoping we have upsets across the country in the Senate and we all wait up to learn about Nevada.

[grantcart]

11. Nice and pitching a long night of viewing and ads

Love Rachel to death but saw this as an attempt to hype west coast relevance to amp viewership and lengthen the night.

[wasupaloopa]

12. I my opinion you can't hipe something

that is already very well known.

The relevance of CA to the rest of the country cannot be disputed.

[grantcart]

14. CA relevance to either control of the House or the Senate on this

Election night will have no relevance.

The House will be decided by the time Iowa polls close at the latest and when PA/NJ/NC & FL at the earliest.

As both candidates for Senate are Democrats it is safe to say that on election night CA, by definition, has no relevance on control of the Senate.

The few Rep districts that still exist, like my long term home CA 49 are important to the residents but control of the House will be settled early.

At no time was their any discussion about relevance of CA to the rest of the Country, it was relevance to the results of institutional control which because CA is so overwhelmingly Democratic has very few districts left to flip (and will be flipped before CA votes are counted) and the Senate where the voters of CA have already decided that their Senator is going to be a Democrat.

[bullwinkle428]

10. Yes - she also said we might not know for sure until DECEMBER.

[MaryMagdaline]

13. I lived in Santa Maria as a child

Went to May Gresham Elementary for K and one month of first grade. My friend from pre-k is a Republican. Very nice person but she’s a diehard righty. Parents were Okies (their words, not mine); she grew up poor; family never went to church; she works in property management and is very compassionate when she talks about housing crunch. She has had to live with relatives because of housing crisis and she has worked her entire life. She is a puzzle to me. Intelligent and highly conservative. 1/8 Native American. Her parents were Goldwater Republicans. I see in her page she has many Hispanic friends and fellow church-goers. Other than being evangelical Christian, one would not guess conservative

Santa Maria is so beautiful, as is SLO and all of Steinbeck Country.