California GOP struggles with internal strife

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/21/11 | Joe Garofoli, Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writers

[SmithL]

Today is Tom Del Beccaro's first full day as chair of the beleaguered California Republican Party - and he freely says the next two years will be the most challenging the party ever experiences, bemoaning how the GOP has "trapped ourselves into talking to the converted."

"We've become the party of limited communication," Del Beccaro, a Lafayette attorney, told 1,000 delegates and attendees Sunday at the close of the three-day California Republican Party convention.

The party's troubles go deeper than communication - or that no Republicans hold statewide office.

The weekend confab, held across the street from where the Legislature is deadlocked over how to solve California's $26.6 billion budget deficit, highlighted why Republicans did not experience the same success in California that they did elsewhere in the country in November, when the GOP retook the House of Representatives.

Low party registration

Party registration is at a rock-bottom 31 percent of registered voters in California. Republicans are divided on immigration policy. A sizable chunk of Latinos say they would never vote for a Republican. And GOP state legislators are split on whether to cut a deal with Gov. Jerry Brown or stonewall his plan to balance the state's budget through a combination of tax extensions and budget cuts.

Yet, instead of confronting those issues or how to broaden the party's shrinking base, much of the convention's energy was directed at trying to figure out a way for the party to influence primary elections in the wake of voters passing Proposition 14 last fall. The ballot measure would enable the top two finishers in a primary election to advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

[kittymyrib]

Fuggedaboutit. CA is on the Democrat plantation along with every other ghetto in America. The Not So Golden State is irrelevant to the battle the rest of the US is waging to save the nation from a Socialist-led collapse. CA has surrendered in that fight long ago.

[ScottinVA]

The GOP is a minor, regional party in California. That state has long been in the non-competitive category.

[JPG]

CA, RIP.

[Redleg Duke]

I suspect that the low party registration is linked to the mass exodus of people from California.

Those expected to fund the lazy and illegal by their own income are leaving for fairer pastures.

[Mozilla]

here is a thought. The republican party is California is in shambles because most of the Conservative voters left the state. That and the facts is those left probably hate the party for giving them Carly Fiorina not Chuck Devore.

[mrreaganaut]

California is the victim of the granola myth: Land of Fruit, Nuts, & Flakes. All the country’s crazies move in, and the sensible folks get crowded out. Naturally, that skews against the Republican vote.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

The GOP is a minor, regional party in California. That state has long been in the non-competitive category.

It didn't used to be that way. There was a time when CA was proud to be called, Reagan country.

Then, the CA GOP turned their backs on their conservative constituents and signed the nation's first AWB into law (Roberti-Roos, signed by GOP Gov. Duekmajin).

Then, another supposed-conservative attorney general turned his back on gun-owners by forcing them to surrender their registered firearms or face jail-time. (Dan Lungren)

Then, they signed a deal with the devil to assure themselves safe seats forever. (read: gerrymandering)

Then, when given a choice between supporting a washed-up RINO movie star with empty promises or a true CA conservative who had the plan to fix the economic problems facing the state, they chose to supported the movie star.

So, if the CA GOP is marginalized, it's because they did it to themselves and will get no sympathy or support from this voter.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

That and the facts is those left probably hate the party for giving them Carly Fiorina not Chuck Devore.

No, I hate the party for giving us Schwarzenntaxxer instead of McClintock.

[Foolsgold]

Here in San Diego the 53rd district was not even listed, Susan Davis ran"un-apposed" as far as the San Diego 'pubby party was concerned. I sent many emails about this and was ignored.

[ScottinVA]

Yeah, I remember the political alignment being far more favorable to the GOP when I lived there (moved out in `76). With burgeoning numbers of illegals and other mexicans, and the dependency class — coupled with the popularity of enviro-whackoism have killed that state over time.

But I do have great memories of growing up there.