"The wave of anger that had voters around the nation seeing red crested before it got to the Sierras, leaving California Democrats in charge following an election in which Republicans seized the electoral mojo elsewhere." -Mercury News
With the Republicans retaking the House and with much of the country turning purple if not outright red, California will remain for the moment a Democratic bastion. The struggle for the Democratic party now is to rethink their image and learn how to push their message as their opponents do. California can be a big part of that push if Governor Brown and state Democrats are willing to do what it takes.
As a California native and resident I am pleased about the outcome of our state level elections, which has made the national outlook easier to handle. Californians rejected proposition 23 and came out in support of climate controls, elected Democrats to every major state office, and gave a clear mandate at the state level to the Democratic party. Governor-elect Jerry Brown and the rest of the California Democrats should jump on this fact to start fixing the state's problems in the only way they can be fixed- by spreading the message of what needs to be done from day one, and taking quick and decisive steps that are well publicized.
During the campaign Brown said that he would not raise taxes without voter approval. Well if you need voter approval, it's never too early to start the education process, explaining in plain English why California suffers from perennially late budgets and a glut of fees. Because Proposition 26 was approved, it will now be harder to create fees to fill budget gaps. Taxes are always a tough subject for politicians, but by refusing to discuss them at all, it is simply feeding into the Republican myth of "taxes bad!" There is no way California can solve its budget crisis while dodging this issue. If prop 13 is the "third rail" of California politics, it should not be a crime at the very least to point out that that third rail is there, and discuss it in a rational manner. At worst the Howard Jarvis Association will oppose Brown, which (surprise!) they already do anyways.
My notion is that the newly-elected governor and his fellow state Democrats must step up and begin practicing a new form of bipartisanship and a new form of politics. Right now "bipartisanship" is passive- Democrats put out a feeler and wait for the Republicans to reciprocate. With active bipartisanship, we take action and make the news announcements, as Democrats we make our case and start the process. If the Republicans want to join us, great- if not, oh well. Hold round tables on television and ask them why they wont even talk to us. Active bipartisanship. The other half of this equation is active politics, and would fulfill one of Brown's campaign ads- "No sacred cows." Talk about prop 13, talk about healthcare, talk about the budget. No waiting for the big reveal, or keeping the media guessing. Talk and then talk some more. Voter education is key, and as long as the Governor of California (or Lieutenant Governor for that matter) is making statements about this subject or that it is hard for the media to put words in their mouths.
The main reason Republicans control the debate is misinformation or a lack of information. There are a lot of people who voted Republicans back into a position of power without knowing what they plan to do. If every person in the state knows what the Democrats are actually doing to solve the problems and can see them attempting to solve those problems- if every voter can themselves explain that plan to a neighbor, even if they disagree? Well, it makes the Republicans look pretty weak in comparison.
So where does all of my own rambling lead? Well, if California Democrats start taking visible and immediate action, explaining the issues clearly to set the path for bigger reforms down the line, and generally governing, they cannot meet with anything except success. Draw on the Obama campaign lessons- big speeches, substantive discussion. Then follow that up with concrete steps. Get on the evening news and stay there every week. People want to see action. Conservatives in the rest of the country may mock us out here, but California is never out of the news. If a midwest voter sees results from a Democratically controlled state, and can listen in on a rational debate on taxes, they will take note, and maybe even look at their own system. With a positive example of Democrats getting things done, the national organization can say, "look to California." Democrats could dismiss any talking points from Fox news and the like by simply saying, "so, how is the [ debate/issue] going in [red state]?"
The Democratic Party has a real opportunity here in California, to create a strong counterpoint to the tea parties and the Republicans and even the moderates who say we must bow to the middle. There is a chance here to begin to fix what ails our state, even as a foundation is established for a Democratic comeback nationwide, and a truly progressive comeback at that. All that is needed now is the political courage to grasp this opportunity. I will be hopeful.