Shift to the right - Democrats no longer rule capital region's far corners

[Kadie]

Shift to the right
Democrats no longer rule capital region's far corners

By Jim Sanders -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, October 3, 2004

When John F. Kennedy edged Richard Nixon in 1960 in one of the tightest presidential elections in U.S. history, Placer County voters overwhelmingly favored the charismatic Democrat.

Four years later, they supported Democrat Lyndon Johnson.

Then Democrat Hubert Humphrey.

But the election landscape has changed almost as dramatically as bustling streetscapes on rolling hills in fast-growing Placer. The explosive growth there and throughout the capital region is altering the political balance of power, ringing the Democratic bastions of Sacramento, Davis and West Sacramento with suburbs that are increasingly Republican.

Placer is now California's most Republican county, with more GOP voters per capita than anywhere else in the state - including the conservative stronghold of Orange County.


more...
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/projects/voters/story/10963817p-11881148c.html

[genius]

1. Kennedy lost California

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. But the state overall is much more Democratic than it used to be

CA used to be a swing state. A Republican presidential candidate hasn't carried the state in 16 years, and all but one of the state-wide elected officials are Democrats.

[slackmaster]

3. Take a look at the history of our Governors

I love this page:

http://www.infospect.com/Governors.htm

The state has switched from one party to another and back many times.