California crazies
by digby
Republicans in my state are mostly just as nuts as they are anywhere. In fact, they may even be nuttier since the party has been stripped to its bare essence here after Pete Wilson activated the Latino base with his xenophobic campaign more than 20 years ago. But there are still some more or less well-off coastal types who care about the environment and choice and have a relaxed attitude about immigration. Their beef with the Democrats is mostly about taxes. There aren't a lot of them compared to the rest of the population and they are a distinct minority in the GOP here.
They will not vote for Donald Trump. I have personally heard several of them say "I have no one to vote for."
Riding a rebellion fueled by opposition to illegal immigration and pessimism about the nation's future, Donald Trump leads a scrambling duo of competitors less than three months before California's Republican presidential primary, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times statewide poll has found.
Yet the party whose nomination he is seeking has fractured because of his candidacy, with ominous prospects for Republicans if the New York businessman emerges victorious after the party's summer convention.
A quarter of California Republican voters polled said they would refuse to vote for Trump in November if he is the party's nominee. Almost one-third of those backing Trump's leading competitor, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, said they would not cast a ballot for Trump. Voters who back Trump, meanwhile, are critical of Cruz, with only half holding a favorable impression of him.
That division sets up the potential of cascading losses down the ballot for Republicans already fighting the tide in one of the nation's most Democratic states, including in a number of contested congressional districts.
Oh heck.
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