California's--and Liberalism's--Make it or Break it Opportunity

California has a Golden Opportunity to Prove Liberalism Works---or Not.

A strange thing happened in California last week: Democrats gained control of both the state's legislature and the state's governorship at the same time, and conservatives are already warning about what a disaster that will be, but will it? 

The 2012 elections have revealed several things: that the country is becoming more liberal, that the conservative approach of trying to pit us against one another isn't working, and that changing national demographics have resulted in the republican party being labeled as the "party of old white men" (as an old white guy I resent this!). This repudiation of prejudicial and radical conservative views should be a lesson for liberals and progressives in places like California, because the pendulum swings as a result of the failures of whatever political party happens to in control at the moment.

One reason the Republican Party has fallen so hard, is not because there isn't value in conservatism, but because they forgot that---despite its flaws---there's also value in liberalism. But part of the conservative plan to dominate politics was the creation of what they called "the culture wars," a construct designed to separate the country into "us vs. them."

"What’s most amazing is that these very issues that once helped to rally conservatives to the polls and “vote against their economic interests” are now more effective in drawing liberals to the polls. Social conservatism has been increasingly marginalized in American society and politicians are gaining much less traction pushing these issues. The passage of two marijuana legalization measures – in Colorado and Washington – and referendum support for gay marriage in four states shows that the days of GOP culture war wedge issues is coming to an end." (link)

The right---not the "far" right---has considerable soul searching to do. If the Republican Party refuses to move away from the vitriolic hate speech of the Limbaughs and the Hannity's, getting rid of the neanderthals that have dominated the party up until now, they will continue to lose relevance with the culture shift---younger, less white, and more liberal---happening in the country, and it will be caused by the very issue of fear and hatred they've been running on. Time's up. Change or die, because this is just the beginning. 

"If someone believes Barack Obama is a socialist, Communist, Marxist, Muslim, radical, black liberation theologian, non-citizen, illegitimate president or Manchurian Candidate, forget about him. He may have a shot at a career in talk radio, but he's not going to make it in California politics." (link)

So back to California. California has a golden opportunity to prove that conscious liberalism---not political correctness or the mindless egalitarianism that says all opinions carry equal weight---but a liberalism that is mature enough to recognize the value of differing opinions, of the value of following rules, the value of creating abundance as opposed to greed, and providing real value to all of California's citizens. Because if the new supermajorities in California government are tantamount to handing your teenager a credit card, the checkbook, and the keys to a car that will take them to an all-night orgy, they will be replaced---if there's anything left.

Get smart, California. Prove liberalism works, because we'll all know if it doesn't... and as California goes, so goes the nation.