The "T" Word in the Recall...Not Just Trump, but Texas, and the Abortion Law That Took Center Stage In CA Recall Race

"Don't Let California Become Texas" was the message that Governor Gavin Newsom and other state Democrats used to defeat the recall campaign. It galvanized dispassionate Democrats, rang true with Independents, and even cut into recall support among Republicans, especially women. For Republicans, the Texas law is like kicking a hornet's nest with national implications. What worked in California will be replayed in Virginia on November 2, 2021, in a dead even Governor's race. Meanwhile, back here in the Golden State, the only thing golden is Gavin. The rest of California still faces the same problems we have had for years - homelessness, wildfires, crime, droughts, and poverty are still with us and have gotten worse in some areas. Will the political success of Newsom evolve into policy changes that make our state better? And with less than a year until the June 2022 primary elections, another thing to consider is redistricting, and where political lines will be set for the next ten years. How long do candidates have to lick their wounds from this bad defeat or celebrate their victory?