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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAs a former Californian, I felt that voters would take out the trash
I've learned to not count my chickens, but no...I didn't believe "conservative talk show host" Larry Elder was going to be the next Governor.
His "platform" was a promise to basically be Trump / McConnell...especially when he publicly salivated, McConnell-style, over replacing Feinstein with a Republican to restore their Senate majority.
He was the embodiment of Trumps musings about whether he could get away with "not helping the blue states" with COVID.
He's been caught on record as saying it's all an act to "trigger the libs."
California is not perfect...that's why I left in 2012, mainly being priced out of existence, but there were a few other reasons as well.
BUT...no matter WHAT challenges the state is facing right now, I instinctively knew they would not turn to Elder for the answers.
Way to go, CA voters. This former resident is proud of you.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,297 posts)A lot of us were apathetic, true--until it became very clear that Elder would be a non-stop disaster for our beloved state!
And once we were really awake--well, you saw the results last night!
Johnny2X2X
(18,745 posts)Now watch the media downplay this or ignore it all together. This was a Trump surrogate getting thrashed by a governor who's had to make a ton of tough decisions to fight the pandemic.
If Elder had won, this would have been seen as a referendum on Democratic responses to Covid nationwide. Heck, if he had made it close it would have been portrayed that way in the media.
Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot? Trump was President and in one of his stronghold states a recall effort that the Dems put $millions into completely flopped and what looked like a close race a few weeks ago was a blowout. The media would be crowning Trump king right now.
They'll try to explain it away as Elder was an extreme and flawed candidate, but this was a sign that the public is not done punishing Republicans for Trumpism and they're ready to rally around Democratic candidates embraced by Biden.
NCDem47
(2,238 posts)Nation's largest state by population and we'll barely get to noon today and it will be old news. Agree with your assessment. If roles revered, pundits would be talking about it waaaaaaay into the weekend.