smooth

Our governors have not been pretty even.
Going backwards:
Swartzenegger R
Davis D (it's interesting that the only democrat governor in the last 30 years and you classify him as a failure; the main reasons for his recall were that he signed into law rights for domestic partners and granting licenses for illegal aliens and requiring business to shoulder the medical insurance costs of their workers...sounds like the people were pretty liberal on those ideas, right?)
Wilson R (signed into law three strikes and resumed the death penalty after 25 years)
Deukmajian R
Jerry Brown D (actually was a liberal, elected in 75 on an anti-war platform)
Reagan R
Pat Brown (Ran first as a R, then as a D)
Knight R
Earl Warren R

I don't know about the ton of unions; you went from thinking you remembered hearing somewhere that we had the most unions, and then from there to now using that "fact" as the basis for us being most liberal.
even if either of those premises were true, how does being a union worker translate to voting for progressive policies? the votes tallied do not support your conclusion.
Workers are not directing capital, I don't even know what to say at that statement.
Millions of workers are not even in labor positions; all students and student workers are part of the auto union, for example. Teachers are in a separate union, they don't have anything to do with capital. Law enforcement is unionized here, they are far from progressive in their policies and use their union to muscle higher wages and more prisons from our state.


these are the same majority that vote for regressive policies every time they are on the budget. I asked you to give me some progressive policies that the people have been supportive of, and you give me a list of ideals.

Free choice is not a liberal issue. Yes, liberals support it, but mainstream and even many Republicans refuse to make it illegal. Across the nation bills to criminalize it failed this cycle, California is not liberal compared to the rest of the nation on this issue. It's simply not as large an issue to most Americans you seem to believe it is. What policies in regards to abortion do you see us practicing that other states do not?

The coast and southern regions of California are nearly completely militarized. The largest stretch of coast is Camp Pendleton, and San Diego is home to the Navy Sub Base and Marine Basic training. SF has a huge military presence, as well. We are home to the largest beneficiaries of military contracts, too. I don't know how you come to the conclusion that we're "anti-war". At least, not anymore than the rest of the country, which was your claim. The entire country is 90%+ against the current war in Iraq, but there is very little argument over war in Afghanistan or the "War on Terror."

And speaking of "wars", we're one of the largest beneficiaries of the war on drugs in regards to our southern border and drug interdiction. we're definately not opposed to that war. the most recent example was the refusal to pass the bill authorizing drug treatment for drug offenders. our drug policies are regressive, not just conservative.

pro civil rights in what way? we recalled our democratic governor in part because he gave marriage rights to homosexual partners, we passed a bill banning gay marriage, after the court said it was not constitutional we amended our constitution. what pro civil rights agenda do we support as a state that the rest of the country doesn't support?

freedom of religion, speech, and press?
black people can vote in our elections, too. that may have been progressive 100 years ago, but wtf. where are these policy issues anywhere in the US?

the environment is an interesting point. we have such a large state, we have some issues that tend to overlap with environmentalists. I would agree that californians seem to be environmentally conscious. I don't know how much that's represented on the whole, however. our environmentally safe energy package didn't pass, but there were problems in that bill. it's hard to know if it failed because people don't want it, or because they knew it was flawed.

I don't know how transparent government is a liberal issue, but I also don't know how we exemplify the nation in that regard.


I already wrote that I consider laws and crime to be where every day citizens brush up against their rights. I'd like you to look at those policies and point out to me where we are progressive. For example, if you mention someone's "work" with homelessness, maybe it'd be a good idea to see just how that mayor's city handles homelessness. Have they abolished anti-loitering laws? provide adequate shelters? criminalize panhandling? what kinds of mental health services are provided? needle exchanges?

it may be that organizing liberals to push an issue is like herding cats. but if the voters actually were progressively minded, they would still vote accordingly when an issue is on the ballot. they vote conservatively on this issues, however, even if they vote for their pet issue. that's not being liberal, that's having a specific agenda and we're not unique in that aspect compared to the rest of the US at all.

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"The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann

"You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman