Update from the flight deck: I’m returning to California for meetings at Pepperdine University, USC and a conference in Irvine. I’ll be attending a talk with US Ambassador Chris Hill and delivering my latest paper, this one on the development of National and Transatlantic Security Councils. I will also be taking the political pulse of California ahead of the forthcoming election season, which should add depth and colour to my upcoming media appearances. See you on my return!
CA will go Obama. We’re the only state in the country that consistently supports ACA and other Obama policies. Jobless numbers could be trouble, but I can’t see CA abandoning the Dems, especially after we went against the GOP trend of 2010.
Feinstein appears in trouble, but she has never had a close race (even when the polls disagree). She’ll get through, even if her cash is lost to the crooked accountant.
We’re all just hoping that the new non-Gerrymandered district maps will fulfill their initial promise and kick out useless incumbents, while simultaneously increasing the number of Democrats in the House/state Legislature. The 2000 map was a status quo deal between both parties to head off a Republican bluff to turn it into a voter initiative. Had the Dems not gone with it, they could have gained a lot more seats in the last decade, given the prevailing demographic and political trends.
With a handful more seats, the legislature will finally be under 2/3 Democratic control, allowing for tax increases to balance the budget. Such an event will have big implications for Democratic policymakers across the country as they too deal with future deficits.