Dreams Dashed: The California Gubernatorial Race in a Nutshell

Well, folks, it seems the GOP’s dreams for a California comeback are akin to a mirage in the desert: tantalizing but ultimately unattainable.

A recent Emerson College poll puts Democratic heavyweights Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer in commanding positions, leaving the Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton desperately trying to keep the party’s hopes afloat.

Let’s face it, California isn’t exactly known for its red state tendencies, and this polling is more proof that the Golden State is still firmly in the hands of blue.

Los Angeles might as well be renamed “The Land of the Democrats” at this rate. With Becerra and Steyer leading, the Republican candidates, particularly Hilton and Sheriff Chad Bianco, are left clutching their 20-something percent support like a life raft in a sea of blue.

If these numbers don’t change, we’ll have an all-Democrat showdown this fall. Just think about the irony: California, a melting pot of ideas, might only serve up one political flavor this year—cherry-picking from the left with nary a conservative option in sight.

Now, let’s have a moment of sardonically sweet sympathy for the candidates battling to be the GOP’s lone ranger. Hilton’s campaign is riding high on the loyalty of his supporters—practically an unbreakable bond at 88%.

Who can blame Californians for looking at a landscape littered with arguments over the most mundane issues and saying, “Thanks, but no thanks?”

Scandals and the political machine’s rampant chaos are enough to make anyone reconsider their options—or lack thereof.