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Good morning everyone as we prepare for a major holiday weekend, national fundraising numbers are filtering out of D.C.. Yeah Obama is able to raise some big money and everyone is waiting to see what Michele Bachmann is able to raise.

And, California sales taxes, plus motor vehicle registration fees decrease because of the California GOP’s resistance to tax increases. Good job, California GOP.

As the POLS flee Washington and Sacramento for the 4th of July, we can have solace that it could be worse, since the NBA, NFL and the state of Minnesota are now effectively shutdown.

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The Day By Day Archive

You think I am kidding?

A statewide survey of California Latino voters released today showed that while this important voting demographic has a somewhat negative view of Republicans, there nevertheless exists an opportunity for Republicans to make inroads into the Latino community. The poll, conducted by veteran GOP pollster Bob Moore with strategic counsel from well-regarded GOP strategist Marty Wilson, surveyed 400 California Latino voters from March 12-14 and has a margin of error of +/- 5 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Here are the specific findings:

• Latino voters are generally negative about the Republican Party (26 percent favorable/47 percent unfavorable/27 percent no opinion) and widely positive about the Democrat Party (62/22/17).
• The GOP is not going to win many Latino voters by stressing conservatism; only 22 percent suggest that Republicans should, “stick to core values and nominate true Conservatives.”
• Philosophically, a third are self-described “Conservatives,” a third are Moderate and a quarter are Liberal.
• The Arizona immigration law is widely unpopular; only 25 percent approve, while 71 percent disapprove of the law.
• On the positive side for Republicans, more than seven-in-10 voters will consider a candidate who says, “secure the border first, stop illegal immigration, then find a way to address the status of people already here illegally” (73 percent favorable reaction).
• Further good news for Republicans is that more than six-in-10 Latino voters are likely to consider voting for a GOP candidate who would “ensure all children had a chance at a first rate education” (69 percent would), who they agreed with on improving the economy and creating jobs (65 percent) and with whom they agree on protecting America from terrorists (63 percent).

Here is the latest California census map which shows the growth of the California Hispanic population.

Yeah, probably so – at least for now in state-wide offices.

The Republican Party, as a brand, is dead in California.

That’s the eye-opening consensus of a crowd of political observers, lawmakers and strategists – Democrats and Republicans – gathered at a UC Berkeley symposium this weekend to mull over California’s defiantly blue status in the wake of a conservative tide that swept the nation in November.

Many of the 200 attendees at the two-day Institute of Governmental Studies conference appeared surprisingly unified on one issue: that, barring dramatic upheaval, the GOP’s prospects may be doomed in the voter-rich Golden State.

“Republicans, as a brand, are dead,” Duf Sundheim, the former state GOP chair, told the gathering Saturday.

Exhibit A: Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley, who had racked up a string of election victories in nonpartisan offices. But Cooley lost the 2010 state attorney general’s race to San Francisco Democrat Kamala Harris. Why? “He had an ‘R’ after his name,” Sundheim said.

“There’s a brand problem,” agreed Republican Jim Brulte, former state Senate minority leader.

Here is what I wrote after the November election.

California with its ethnic and geographic segmentation has been a super Democratic state. But, on the other hand, it appears to be the only state so predisposed, along with New York. The Democratic Party has become a regional, ethnic, and two state party.

So, what will be the policy implications of these findings?

• I don’t think the national Republican Party will put too much money into California for statewide races any longer – at least for the foreseeable future.
• There will be a hardening of national GOP positions on illegal immigration, border security, and illegal alien amnesty.
• California will not be the recipient of much Congressionally generated pork or bailout monies.
• The California Republican Party will hunker down into a permanent minority roll and concentrate on winning Congressional and Legislative seats in “RED” districts while waiting for opportunities.
• California already known as business-unfriendly will be a jobs donor to other states who recruit California businesses.

California is in a deep blue hole and it may take decades to change – if ever.

But, the Democrats will have to govern and there will be no excuses – sink or swim. After redistricting and a few election cycles if California does not thrive, the California GOP will re-emerge like a phoenix from the ashes.

No surprise here.

Almost one in five California voters said they would never cast a ballot for a Republican. Among Latinos, that rose to almost one in three, according to a new Los Angeles Times-USC poll.

Only 5% of California voters were as emphatically anti-Democrat, according to the survey.

“I don’t know how any Republican thinks they can win in California after looking at this,” said GOP pollster Linda DiVall, who with Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg directed the survey for The Times and the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences.

California voters surveyed in the poll repudiated the GOP stance on illegal immigration by endorsing a host of positions intended to make it easier for the undocumented to gain legal status. Their support for same-sex marriage outnumbered that opposing any legal recognition by more than 3 to 1. Californians also endorsed an assertive role for government in protecting minority citizens, regulating corporations and helping the poor and needy, and rejected arguments that an activist role for government had harmed the fiber of American society.

The complete poll is here.

California with its ethnic and geographic segmentation has been a super Democratic state. But, on the other hand, it appears to be the only state so predisposed, along with New York. The Democratic Party has become a regional, ethnic, and two state party.

So, what will be the policy implications of these findings?

• I don’t think the national Republican Party will put too much money into California for statewide races any longer – at least for the foreseeable future.
• There will be a hardening of national GOP positions on illegal immigration, border security, and illegal alien amnesty.
• California will not be the recipient of much Congressionally generated pork or bailout monies.
• The California Republican Party will hunker down into a permanent minority roll and concentrate on winning Congressional and Legislative seats in “RED” districts while waiting for opportunities.
• California already known as business-unfriendly will be a jobs donor to other states who recruit California businesses.

California is in a deep blue hole and it may take decades to change – if ever.

Well, the California Republican Party (CRP) unlike the rest of the country did not perform well in this year’s elections. In fact, it appears the CA GOP lost every statewide race from Governor to Insurance Commissioner.

The California Democratic Party will continue to control the California Legislature as they have for decades (except for a few years) since World War II.

So, what should California Republicans do?

There have been suggestions from Democrat, left-leaning mainstream media types to change it up and betray, I mean modify, party principles.

Why?

The GOP’s principles of smaller government, lower taxes, individual liberty and freedom, strong defense and less government are winners nationally and successful. The national GOP won back a majority in the House and made significant inroads into the super majority of a Democrat controlled U.S. Senate. Since World War II, the Republican Party has held the White House more than the Democrats.

Election 2010 was an overwhelming success for the Republican Party  – except in California.

Again, why?

The short answer is demographics.

I don’t have to beat the drum about ethnic voting blocks in California. It is painfully evident in the election results and will continue to be in statewide California elections.

California Republicans will have to be patient and wait until the Democrat super majorities run California into a ditch (which they will) and then pick up the pieces incrementally (independent commission redistricting next year will help), nurture their officeholders in California red areas, and recruit new candidates from the professions, business and industry who wish to serve. In the short term, they may also have to concede California as a deep blue Democratic state and fundraise/support Republican candidates from outside the state. After all, the Democratic Party nationally has become a two state regional party anyway.

But, sacrificing or selling out one’s principles by becoming Republican Lite or moderate Democrats is a non-starter.

Then, there really will be NO alternative to California Democrats who trend LEFT.

The California Republican Party will make a come back and win more elections because the principles are RIGHT. The CRP should stay the course.