Movie legend John Wayne must be spinning in his grave right now. Wayne was a member of the John Birch society who lived in wealthy white Newport Beach, in the very enclave of conservative politics, CA-48, presided over by Dana “Surf Nazi” Rohrabacher for the past 30 years. If the Duke was alive, he would undoubtedly be chagrined that with 69% white people in the district, a ten point Republican registration advantage and all that money, Rohrabacher went down in flames after 15 terms. And he’s not the only one. Steve Knight and Jeff Denham look to be history too, with Mimi Walters and Young Kim cringing as final ballots are counted. Los Angeles Times:
“This is more than just a bad year,” said Mike Madrid, a GOP political strategist. “This is essentially a realignment in California politics, and the traditional base that has served the Republican Party no longer exists.”
Madrid said “a clean sweep” of GOP incumbents was possible. He said he expects the party to see worse results in 2020 because it didn’t have “leadership with the strength and the foresight to get us out of this.”
This election is by no means over because Californians are notorious for voting by mail. Hundreds of thousands of votes are being counted by hundreds of employees working 12 hours a day.
Andrew Acosta, a Democratic strategist in Sacramento, called the ballot counts a “slow-moving train wreck” for Republicans.
“I believe Mimi Walters and Young Kim are breathing a little easier, but it is not done yet,” Acosta said. “Count the ballots before you spike the ball.”
What’s most interesting, is that Rohrabacher was one of the Republicans running for reelection who, like Martha McSally, totally accepted “the embrace” of Donald Trump. How’s that been working out?
Rohrabacher, 71, of Costa Mesa, had not had a serious challenge to the seat until this year, when discontent with Trump ran high in the 48th.
“The Russian thing was ridiculous,” said Tony Quinn, demographer and California campaign analyst. “That didn’t help him.”
“The district became much more of an anti-Trump suburb, and he no longer connected to the people there,” Quinn said. “He had an opponent who was a former Republican businessman, not some wild-eyed lefty. And for at least two years, people were willing to try something new.”
It is devoutly to be wished that this is a bellwether for the fate of Republicans statewide and perhaps nationwide as well. The Republicans had their voter registration advantage, their 30 year incumbent, the embrace of the sitting *resident and still they washed. Why? Because the election was a referendum on that *resident and the Rohrabacher race, of all of them, screams that loud and clear. At this point, Republicans will do well to hang onto 11 of California’s 53 congressional seats. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, pilgrim.
Hahahahahahahahaha! Wipe out!
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[cross-posted to PolitiZoom]