So you live in California. Or New York, or Minnesota

[question everything]

Three stalwart blue states where you can afford to stay home on election day knowing that the Democratic candidate will carry the state.

Well, think again. Especially as it appears that Trump could be the Republican nominee.

All three states voted for Nixon in 1972. CA and NY voted for Reagan in 1980 and in 1984. MN did not because native son Mondale was on the ticket.

More, California elected and re-elected Reagan and Arnold. Trump can fit right there.

Once Trump get the nomination he can "pivot" and return to his roots: single payer like Canada, special tax on millionaires, perhaps even support of Planned Parenthood.

There are many Democrats as there are Republicans who are disillusioned with the current environment. Many will vote for Trump. Yes, even in California there are many legal immigrants who would welcome a crackdown on undocumented immigrants. If I were a legal immigrants from, say, Guatemala, I would be very unhappy about being viewed as a potential undocumented, a criminal and a murderer like that person in San Francisco.

Thus, if Trump is the nominee, and you stay home because you do not like the Democratic nominee, you can kiss any future progressive rules from the Supreme Court goodbye. Which will be really sad, especially after the excitement that so many of us felt that last week of June.

Look at the current justices and see what will happen if the next president is a Republican.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 82
Antonin Scalia is 79
Stephen Breyer is 77
Anthony Kennedy is 79
Clarence Thomas is 67
Samuel Alito is 65
Sonya Sotomayor is 61
John Roberts is 60
Elena Kagan is 55


Just saying..

[arcane1]

1. Anyone who stays home over the presidential race forfeits every local election

And that is a fucked-up thing to do.

[question everything]

9. This is how Nixon won in 1968

Many anti war Democrats were disillusioned with Humphrey and, of course, the Chicago convention.

[Brickbat]

2. Minnesotans generally don't stay home, whether we can "afford to" or not. We're one of the leaders

in turnout percentage.

[hifiguy]

14. As long as I have been voting, and that's 41 years, that is the truth.

[mike_c]

3. nixon and reagan were former office holders in CA

Nixon was a former Congressman and Senator for California and Reagan a former governor, as well as being politically active in Hollywood and southern California. Arnold had obvious California connections as well, and his first election was largely due to dissatisfaction with Davis.

Trump has no California connections that I know of. I cannot imagine him getting much traction here. Non-whites, or more precisely people of non-european descent are the majority in California-- Trump's bigotry won't resonate with them, and of course much of the white population won't vote for him either.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. If you think CA having elected Nixon and Reagan locally mitigates their national votes for them I

give you Pete Wilson and Prop 8. I'm from CA and there is nothing more harmful to that State than voter apathy which is usually disguised as voter superiority 'I can't bother with Prop 8. I know CA is too liberal to pass that, you should know that'. Then it passed. With generous support from Obama voting Democrats.

[arcane1]

10. "voter apathy which is usually disguised as voter superiority"

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. California is overwhelmingly blue these days

[brooklynite]

5. Let's remember something, can we?

The Trump phenomenon is two part: 1) a large lead over the "establishment" candidate and 2) the fact that he has any support at all. HOWEVER, don't ignore the fact that he is ONLY getting 1/3 of ONLY the Republicans, and that a substantial number of voters say that they would NEVER vote for him.

I think the 2016 election will be competitive and Trump won't be a part of it UNLESS he decides to run as an Independent, in which case a Democratic win is almost guaranteed.

[taught_me_patience]

7. Bernie would struggle to win California

I think Kasich would beat Bernie in California. Trump would get smoked here, no matter who the Democratic candidate is.

[KamaAina]

20. Why more so than in any other state?

[geek tragedy]

8. California used to be highly competitive, until Prop 187

From 1967 until 2011, California's governor was a Republican for 32/44 years, with Reagan, Deukmejian, Wilson, and Schwarzenegger all serving 8 years.

Clinton was the first Democrat in a generation to win California's electoral votes.

[LiberalElite]

11. NY is blue only because of NYC -

upstate and Long Island suburbs are red.

[MineralMan]

12. Minnesotans don't stay home.

That's why we elect Democrats.

[question everything]

15. Like Tim Pawlenty? Ventura?

Norm Coleman?

Just for my curiosity I went to Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_Minnesota

26 of the 40 governors were Republicans.

[hifiguy]

18. We have had a number of perfectly sane and responsible

Republican governors, in the long-gone days when there were sane and responsible adults in the Repug party: Elmer L. Anderson, Harold LeVander and Arne Carlson among them within the span of my memory.

Both Anderson and Carlson endorsed John Kerry in '04 and IIRC Carlson endorsed Obama in '08 (Anderson passed away after the '04 election and before "08). The jebus-wheezers and Ayn Rand zombies drove sane people like them out of the party

[question everything]

21. I know that. But the post to which I responded claimed that "we" - Minnesotans

elect Democrats.

[hifiguy]

13. I have a bigger chance of dematerializing and winding up in the next room

than my home state of Minnesota has of voting for tRUMP. Of that I am as certain as can be.

Scare tactics will not convince me to vote for a Third Way Servant of the Plutocracy. But I would never miss a chance to vote for Keith Ellison and any other real Democrat on the ticket. Staying home is NOT an option.

[sarisataka]

16. I have been in Minnesota districts

where a Democrat may run unopposed. I still vote to show the support for the candidate.

While our state may have some local deviance (Bachmann ) we will keep our streak of supporting Democrats for President for a long time.

[MrBig]

17. I agree with the message of this post

But let's be clear - Donald Trump has a 0% chance of getting the Republican nomination, let alone becoming President. I'd put all the money I have on that.

[Starry Messenger]

19. I never take anything for granted here in CA anymore.

You never know what weird shit money will pull off.