National Tide Dissolves at California Border

Unlike the national results, Democrats did exceptionally well in California. They captured every statewide office from Governor to Insurance Commissioner and dominate the state legislature. Democrats control the Assembly 52-28 and the Senate 25-15. What is more, by voting for Proposition 25, California's electorate has given Sacramento the power to pass a budget with a simple majority vote instead of the two-thirds requirement that has produced gridlock in recent years.

The new dynamic will give the California Democratic Party a golden opportunity to stand as a national example. With Jerry Brown in the governor's chair and Democrats fully in charge of both houses they will be able to work their will without having to cater to Republican sensibilities at all. If they solve the state's budget mess and help usher in a recovery in the country's most populous state their example will be held up by liberals nationally as a blueprint for the rest of the country to follow. If they fail, of course, you can have no doubt it will be picked up by conservative media as validation of their criticisms elsewhere and across the U.S.A.

A problem exists, however, in other ballot propositions passed by California's voters as well, measures that severely restrict the state government's options for dealing with the current difficulties. The 2/3 requirement is still in effect for any tax increases, and now also for fees, thanks to Prop 26. The state cannot borrow from funds earlier committed to transportation or local government, thanks to Proposition 22. And it isn't getting back some $1.5 billion in corporate taxes, cut as the Republican price for agreeing to last year's budget, thanks to the failure of Proposition 24. So without the ability to increase revenues at all, the Democratic prerogative will consist mainly of making the cuts they prefer instead of the ones Republicans would have favored.

Still, it's a start. They will be held accountable now, as they should be. And with a Redistricting Commission now in charge of drawing election districts instead of the legislature itself, there are certain to be more competitive state legislative races than in the past. So between that and the national implications of the publicity generated by their success or failure, the Democrats who will now chart the Golden State's course will have a strong impact on whether the party will quickly recover nationally--or whether another lengthy period of Republican dominance is before us.