The Democrats can only do so much from without... it’s the damage of incompetent leadership (the establishment RINOs wishing to just be the pale copy of the Democrats) within the party most responsible.
The more I research and think on it, Republican incompetence (lousy leadership, candidates, ideology) are almost solely to blame for so many Democrat successes. Look at the last 5+ decades in the state. Had a Republican Governor been in place for redistricting in 1962, it would’ve stymied the Democrat shift (hence no Pat Brown). No Watergate/ITT Scandal, a Republican would’ve succeeded Reagan in 1974 (no Jerry Brown).
This would’ve been 3 key successive points where a GOP Governor combined with a legislature would’ve presented us with a far different set of Congressional lines (indeed, one district in San Francisco could’ve continued to elect a Republican until as late as 1980, the Bill Mailliard-Dan Burton seat).
Add in Pete Wilson, and in one shot, he gave up the last final GOP charge for majority status in 1996/98, and we’ve been a shadow of that since.
I thought Pete Wilson was decent?