In California, a Field Poll found that 50% of voters favor that the state's deficit be closed either entirely or mostly through spending cuts.
Just 13% favor doing so solely or mostly through tax increases.
Another 29% favor an equal mix of spending cuts and tax hikes.
The San Francisco Chronicle noted that voter sentiment remains set on spending cuts to reduce a $19 billion shortfall -- even after lawmakers deeply cut state services last year to address nearly $60 billion in deficits.
California's continued fiscal crisis should be viewed by New York lawmakers as an example of things to come across the Empire State.
The Orange County Register should be regular reading for anyone running for elected office in New York.
The OC Register noted how Field pollsters discovered another obvious fact:
Nearly two-thirds of registered voters (63 percent) "don't feel the state government responds to the needs of people like them."
Sound familiar?
"If government quit draining economic life blood in excess taxes and quit meddling in the private sector's affairs, economic recovery would be sooner and smoother. Instead, even in the face of public opposition, government arrogantly looks for creative new ways to part Californians from their money and for presumptuous schemes to show businesses how to do business."
While we're California dreamin', a close look at that state's gubernatorial contest shows Democrat Jerry Brown holding competitive numbers against Republican Meg Whitman.
Rasmussen Reports has the Brown/Whitman race at a tie, 43-43%.
Jerry Brown is in a hard-to-categorize demographic that just happens to be rebellious enough of the current political establishment to soften what otherwise would be a liberal anchor to the bottom of a deep blue political sea.
Broadcasting his announcement to run for governor from his campaign website, as if he was beaming down from the mothership, Brown played up his populist persona.
"Some people say that if you've been around the process, you can't handle the job, that we need to go out and find an outsider who knows virtually nothing about state government," said Brown, who has also been California secretary of state and Oakland mayor. "Well, we tried that, and it doesn't work. We found out that not knowing is not good."
The obvious play on voters' frustration with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has diminishing returns.
Whitman's campaign immediately countered with a "Voter's Guide to Jerry Brown" with alist of "fiscal failures" from his record on taxes and spending.
In a statement, she contrasted her private-sector experience with Brown's "40-year career in politics which has resulted in a trail of failed experiments, undelivered promises, big government spending and higher taxes."
Meanwhile, columnist George Will noted California Republicans locked in a struggle of their own between the left and the right.
"Conservatives everywhere were dispirited by the Bush administration; California conservatives are doubly demoralized as the failed Schwarzenegger experiment expires."
The right appears to be winning, though there also seems to be an uber-tech executive tug-of-war for media attention between Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina.
Polling shows Fiorina on the outside looking in against Tom Campbell and Chuck DeVore.
George Will explained how the independent vote may give longshot DeVore (6%) the nomination.
"California's electorate is about 45 percent Democratic, 31 percent Republican, 20 percent "decline to state" and about 5 percent affiliated with minor parties. The June primary will be open to Republicans and "decline to states," but probably about 15 percent of those unaffiliated voters who will participate in the primary will request Republican ballots. So, incandescent conservatives among California's 5.2 million Republicans are apt to determine the Senate nominee. The most conservative candidate is DeVore, 47, an aerospace executive and lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve."
Not too different from New York's Conservative and independent vote, without the Conservative line.
How many in New York would vote in a statewide Republican primary, if allowed?
Given California's fiscal debacle, the liberal dreaming is over and conservatives (with independents) are perhaps about to seize that day.
Imagine if that happened in New York?
Actually, it almost did when Herb London received nearly a quarter of the vote for governor 1990 and almost sent the Republican Party to third-party status. It was against a liberal governor, Mario Cuomo, during the shockwave of the Bush tax increases and New York's lowly economics gave heart to some independent alternative.
It happened in 1970 too with Jim Buckley's run for U.S. Senate and nearly happened last year in the 23rd Congressional with Doug Hoffman.
Conservatives weren't dreaming but Dede Scozzafava sure was ...
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