Now that the recall effort to remove Gavin Newsom as governor is over, I’ve had time to reflect on where I think the state is headed after this. Is it time to give up on California?
California did what the majority does every election and votes Democrat. This is not to discredit the huge effort to get over 2 million signatures to make the recall happen.
That in itself is something to hang your hat on if you are on the losing side.
Larry Elder was the clear winner as the alternative to Newsom, with 2.8 million votes. Elder threw his hat in the ring in July and generated a huge buzz and the people spoke, nearly 3 million people saw Elder as the best alternative to Newsom and turn the state around.
But what do the results tell us?
California does what they have consistently done
The majority wanted a Democrat, bottom line. If you look at previous elections, nothing really changed and the results were right in line with previous elections in California.
In 2018, Gavin Newsom was elected with 62%-38% beating GOP candidate John Cox. In 2021, 63.5% voted to keep Newsom in office.
2014 Jerry Brown defeated his Republican opponent by a 60-40 margin.
In 2016 Hillary Clinton won the state with nearly 62% of the vote to Donald Trump’s 33%.
The 2020 election, Trump increased his vote share from around 4 million to over 6 million votes. Joe Biden still won the state with over 63%.
As you can see, the trend has been the same over the last several election cycles with the Democrat candidate earning about 60-65% of the vote.
What do I think?
Looking at the trends, I don’t think there is too much to be optimistic about for Republicans in the state in the near future.
There are a lot of Republicans in California, millions but I think the margin compared to Democrats is just too steep.
Democrats control the Governorship, the State Assembly by a 60-19 margin and the State Senate 31-9.
I understand there are many people who say they want to stay and fight but that is a long uphill battle that could take decades to turn around.
Example, if you are 35 years old, do you really want to live under extreme leftist rule for the next 10 years? If it is that long, could be more or less. Or would you rather move somewhere where your vote matters and you have more freedom?
Not everyone can make that move, but for those who have the means to do so, I think it is really worth considering. Many have been fleeing the state for years to states with more freedom.
The problem with many who are staying in California or other blue state in general, is that there is a good chance the entire state will go along with whatever the Biden team wants. In red states there is a strong probability they will push back and do what’s best for their people.
Is it time to give up on California? I think it is honestly. If you can get out, do so. I believe Democrats will continue to run that state into the ground for the foreseeable future.
Remember
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” ~ Ronald Reagan
