Why did California vote so over-whelmingly liberal?

[kentuck]

Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer both won by big margins. And it was not because California was not experiencing a bad economy like the rest of America. California was doing worse than most states. But they voted Demcorat across the entire state.

In fact, the Democrats did much better in the West than did the Republicans. Harry Reid kept his seat. So did Patty Murray. And Michael Bennett, in somewhat of a surprise, kept the seat for Democrats in Colorado. For an economy in the dumps, the Democrats did pretty well in the Senate races.

Yes, the Repubs won the House in a smashing fashion but the Democrats are still in control of two of three branches. The Democrats are still in control, at least until 2012. Let us not make it worse than what it was.

[msongs]

1. because our dems are not closet republicans and dont give a crap about bipartisanship? nt

[SunsetDreams]

10. .....

Broad brush much?

[PurityOfEssence]

26. This is the land of Pete Stark

Admittedly, he's from the Bay Area, but even my "moderate" Representative, Xavier Becerra, is quite staunchly blue.

California has its problems, but it's effectively a large nation in its own right; our economy is literally larger than 23 other states combined. We're a big operation with big problems, and we're a bellwether state: we tend to address the problems of the near-future, and much as that may put us in comparatively weaker positions when dealing with the present (such as environmental regulations), the joke is on many other states: they'll catch up with us on these regulations because the have to.

We have big immigration problems, big financial problems, and we have some major areas of population density, and lest anyone is unclear about the importance of that last point, you can pretty much predict political alignment based on population density: the denser the population, the bluer the people. Why is this? Because density means having to deal with many, many people, and one learns that they're different, and their foibles need to be accommodated, instead of taking the block-headed conservative approach of retaliation of letting people fail.

Look at an electoral map of the nation and look at the blue parts: they're the cities. We have a lot of them. Sitting here in Silver Lake in Los Angeles, a pleasant and sleepy little enclave of winding residential streets through wooded hills, I look out my balcony at the skyline of Downtown Los Angeles that's a mere 2 miles away. Draw a circle with a fifty mile radius around where I am right now, and it's something like 18 million people, or approximately the population of Australia. That kind of density makes things tend in a lefty direction.

There are 69 cities in California with a population of over 100K.

Three of the top ten cities in the country are in California: Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose.

Of the top fifty, you can add another five: San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland.

It's just a big operation, and a VERY diverse population. Diversity and density yield decency and Democrats.

Mercifully, our politicians have the plurality behind them to not have to be looking over their shoulders, and we have some truly fabulous individuals representing us.

I love Pete Stark. As far as I know, this election will be the first in the nation's history for an admitted non-believer to be elected to the House. (He got outed last term, and admitted it.)

Hope this doesn't sound too snotty; there are many great places to live in this country, and I feel for some of the rest of you who have to live under the yoke of atavistic reactionaries, but there's a reason why this state tends this way.

[JI7]

33. the Dems came out against Prop 19 in the state

i'm not saying it makes them closet republicans or whatever but that's what people would accuse Obama and others of being if they opposed it.

[BootinUp]

2. Go to Nate Silvers blog and read about the Latino

vote that was underpolled.

[Waiting For Everyman]

3. Agree. The President and the Senate are just as duly elected as the House.

This is not a big deal. Mostly hot air. That, and losing the much better (but rare) situation of having the House too. But Dems should've never counted on more than 2 years of that anyway. Just should've used that time better, is all.

California - I'm gonna guess learned something by all the budget troubles recently.

[Jennicut]

4. CA, WA, CT, MA, VT, RI, these are the most blue states in the country.

I feel lucky to live in CT. I worry about the rest of the country. Those not on the coasts. I guess certain states swing back and forth.

[Waiting For Everyman]

6. And MD.

[Jennicut]

7. And Delaware! Forget about them too.

I wish there were more states I could name.

[madmax]

8. and North Carolina

[dsc]

30. not any more

we lost the general assembly.

[RockaFowler]

9. I worry about Florida

We had the opportunity to have real change - nope more of the same Repukes here. And worse in most cases (pRick Scott). Such idiots here in Florida. They voted for Pam Bondi as Attorney General?? Are you freaking kidding me?? Why because she was on Faux Snooze 24/7?? She stole someone's dog and refused to give it back (until they took her to court). Dan Gelber was a real prosecuter who put real criminals in jail. Pam Bondi was a Blonde Bimbo on Faux (that's offensive to other Blondes - so I apologize as a Blonde). God I really hate what happened to my lovely state. I wish those of us in South Florida could actually secede from Florida. We could actually be the Conch Republic or just call us South Florida. I'm sick of the idiots in the Panhandle (sorry to anyone who is a Democrat currently living there - including my parents) taking over this state.

[Jennicut]

12. Yes, there is two different Floridas, isn't there?

A lot of people from CT move to Florida when they retire. My Mom's best friend and neighbor just moved there. I think she will miss CT a bit, just not the snow. And the insane congestion on the highways.

[flamingdem]

13. I'm sad for FL, so the Attorney General stole someone's dog??? nt

[bigwillq]

16. CT, baby!!! Blue as blue!

:bounce:

[OHdem10]

5. They had a Republican Governor and he had not been able

to accomplish much. They were not willing to go farther
right. Majority of people there are real Democrats.

[safeinOhio]

11. Any part of California that is Blue

have affordable housing? I'd love to move there.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. Oregon elected a Democratic Governor, returned Wyden to

the Senate, each House seat we held, we still hold. Here in the 4th, we faced that Teapublican who went nuts on the Maddow show, he had piles of Wall Street Bucks and he lost, lost, lost. DeFazio kicked his butt.
We also had the highest turnout in a midterm since 1990. The reasons for this is that our Democrats act like Democrats. It is that simple. None of them rave about how they are so religious and how they don't like this minority or that one due to their 'faith'. They support that which the people want. They try, they communicate, they are present and they say what they mean, as opposed to saying any self serving verbiage some young hack typed up and calling it a day.

[T Wolf]

15. If it was truly liberal, other Props. would have passed as well. The Democratic victories

were more a result of Whitman and Fiorina being such utter nut-cases. Same deal in Delaware. And in Nevada.

And still, these losers got too close to wins.

By contrast, here in PA, bagger Toomey was able to disguise his true nature effectively enough to grab enough more than Whitman, et. al. to actually win.

I would not be too optimistic.

[krabigirl]

22. True. I would say California is more of a moderate state.

[denimgirly]

17. Someone Needs to Remind the Democrats that Too!

THe entire party think they lost both chambers and the WH: "We must give Repubs everything..concession...CONCESSION! OH GOD!!"

[LawnLover]

18. Because we've been under a Republican governor for too long

We've always had liberal Senators (well, if you count Feinstein as a liberal that is), but Arnie just wasn't cutting it and, as usual, it's all about the economy.

[Clio the Leo]

19. Prop 19...

... may not have been enough votes to pass it, but I bet there were enough votes to elect the Dems (which may have been the point anyway.) Watch as marijuana legalization becomes OUR version of "sanctity of marriage" votes.

It's a device to get people to the polls.

[krabigirl]

21. true. too bad too many greedy people voted against it as well. it would have been so much closer.

[krabigirl]

20. because, even with RW area like Orange COunty, most people here are not Republican.

There are many moderates, however, which is why moderate Reoublicans can win here. But Carly was not moderate, neither was Meg, and also, voters just didn't like them. These shrill, conservative women do not sell here. (They didn't in Nevada or Delaware either.)

[phleshdef]

23. Bottom line - and just my opinion, Jerry Brown motivated the huge Democratic base in Cali.

[kestrel91316]

24. Because we like to be able to BREATHE, and we know that the Repukes

don't give a damn about the environment. All they care about is personal gain and power.

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. CA has a lot more Democrats than Republicans

[otohara]

27. Prop. 19 Didn't Pass

remember Prop. Hate?

[DemocraticPilgrim]

28. Cool, my online campaigning for Bennet paid off didn't quite catch that one before. Tremendous

[blue_onyx]

29. My guess is...

it had something to do with an unpopular Republican governor and poor Repulbican candidates.

[slackmaster]

31. For the same reason that Californians passed Proposition 8 two years ago

We're cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

:crazy:

[avaistheone1]

32. Because we knew that Witless and Fiorina were going to bring California

more Busheconomics, and welfare for the wealthy. California knows that has not been working for us.

[David Zephyr]

34. Jim Morrison answered that question in the 1960's: The West is the best.

Seriously, the only kind of Republican that could win was Arnold (pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-environment).

The teabagging ends at the Colorado River. It doesn't work here.

[cally]

35. Prop 87

The Republicans pushed through Prop. 87 many years ago. Since then California latino/as vote Democratic. Plus, Californians don't go for socially conservative Republicans. To get through the primaries, Republican candidates have to go right and take on socially conservative positions which doesn't go over well with most Californians. I suspect a moderate Republican who is not a social conservative would do very well.