Here's a good piece (Southern California Public Radio) on the political influence of California, a solidly blue state. While I'm redder than most of my fellow Californians, I can't help but feel a tinge of pride in how my home state has not only an influence on national policies but national politics and politics of neighboring states.
The thing is conservatives in California are a different breed than the traditional Republican base that has such a big influence on GOP primaries and serves as the power base of the Tea Party. We do like fiscal discipline and less government but we also aren't all that socially or religiously conservative.
So, when a large number of Californians leave for other states, reasons could be being fed up with California's higher taxes or jobs, some of these conservatives continue to bring a bit of California with them, and some of them are blue ideas. And of course, Democrats who leave the state and move into states like Colorado and Nevada has made those states competitive on a national scale for the Democratic Party.
In 2012, I even sat through some discussions my blue friends were having as they spoke with glee regarding the potential of a purple Texas.
Bottom line is this. California and the West get screwed because we don't get Western presidents but we sure have a big say on who sits in the White House.
And like in the last couple of election cycles where social media like Facebook and Twitter had a big influence for passing information and recruitment to the polls, you can get these Californian transplants will remain informed, whether they're not conservative enough or just out blue, they'll have an even great say in 2016.
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