AMAC Exclusive – by Daniel Roman
On Tuesday, September 14th, the few California voters who had not already cast ballots by mail went in person to the polls to vote on the fate of Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom. The results, with around 85% of the vote counted are 63.4% against the recall and 36.6% in favor.
Both Democrats and Republicans have been quick to try and spin these results. Republicans, especially those linked to the Republican establishment, have argued that because the 36.5% of Californians voted to remove Newsom is greater than the 34.3% of the vote received by Donald Trump in 2020, the result represents a 2% swing toward the GOP. Although less than they would have hoped for given Biden’s travails (the no recall vote will probably end just under Biden’s 63.44% vote share in 2020) it is still “progress.”
Democrats by contrast argue that the results represent a swing in their favor from 2018, when Gavin Newsom was elected by a margin of 61.95% to 38.05%, in what was a Democratic landslide year. In short, Republicans have claimed a better year than 2020, and Democrats a better year than 2018.
But both parties cannot have actually made progress with voters during Newsom’s recall in the zero-sum game of politics, and especially not down ballot in California, where 2018 saw Republicans decimated in Congressional races, losing 7 seats, four of which they regained in 2020. In fact, the narratives of both parties ignore the fact that, with Donald Trump on top of the ticket, Republican candidates had a much better year in 2020, not just in California, but nationwide. But it was particularly a much better year in California, where Donald Trump received the highest number of votes ever cast for a Republican, over 6 million, (around the same number of Californians who voted to keep Gavin Newsom last week), and increased his percentage of the vote by 3 points compared to 2016.
The reality is that while Republican hacks, especially the #NeverTrumpers who are eager to blame Donald J Trump and now Larry Elder for alienating voters, are lying with statistics, the Democrats, while perhaps being more honest with the statistics, are lying about politics. Because what the recall results show is three things: First, the Great Realignment has continued. Second, Trump was an asset to GOP candidates even in blue states. And third, 2022 will likely be a bad year for Democrats where the GOP builds on what worked in 2020.
The Great Realignment Has Continued
I have written an entire series for AMAC Newsline looking at a clear trend across the Western world: as the Left has gone all in on trying to push identity – racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation– as the determining factor in politics, working class voters of all colors and backgrounds are in fact moving in the opposite direction. Education, economic status, and bread and butter issues are cutting across the lines of identity which Critical Race Theory and its derivative ideologies teach us should mean everything. This has meant Hispanic voters in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Miami voting for Donald Trump, blue-collar Muslim voters in the U.K. rejecting the Labour party just as their white working class counterparts have been doing, and even hip Gen Z voters in Madrid going for a right-wing politician who promised to keep their bars open.
It has, as Democratic commentators have consoled themselves, led to some swings in the other direction. The Republican Party has struggled in recent years in the Northeast, especially given the repeal of the SALT deduction in 2017. But party alignments are changing.
The results in California were most disappointing to those in both parties who wanted to pretend that American politics in 2021 would revert to that of 2012. Establishment Republicans hoped that upper-income white voters would return to casting their ballots for Republicans who talked a good game on taxes, and otherwise promised to keep everything as it was, except where the elite wanted it to change. Democrats hoped that the swings they saw among working class Latinos were a one-time thing.
Instead, the results in the 2021 California recall showed that the trends from 2020 accelerated. Initial exit polls indicated that Hispanic voters voted almost identically to white voters (all the more impressive for Republicans when one considers the Hispanic electorate is much younger), a split driven by the increasing polarization between voters with a college degree and those without. This is a particularly meaningful divide in California, which is among the most polarized states in the country when it comes to wealth. For those with it, or jobs in the sectors which make the astronomical costs of living affordable, the state is a utopia, with even COVID restrictions able to be avoided with the right connections and wealth.
The problem for Republicans is that the cost of living is no longer an abstract issue. It has driven a transformation of the state. Many of those who cannot afford to live in California have already left. And those who can afford to live there do not necessarily oppose COVID restrictions, high taxes, or other aspects of the liberal agenda.
What is even more interesting is the role education plays among white voters. The gap between non-white voters with a college degree and those without a college degree is a mere 4% points. But among white voters it is 25%. White voters with college degrees vote to the Left not just of non-white voters without a college degree, but even non-white voters with degrees. In fact, even corrected for gender, white men with degrees still voted to the left of non-white voters as a whole.
When the Democrats talk about the “radicalization” of “white America” they are not entirely wrong. But the “radicalization” that has occurred is a radical move to the left among whites with advanced degrees, especially college-educated white women. That in turn, is driving the radicalization of American politics, leading figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to float ideas such as expanding the Supreme Court, and a much more extreme Democratic party on issues like abortion.
Donald Trump Helped in 2020
One of the laziest pieces of analysis is to look at the total numbers and compare them to 2020 to conclude that a) Donald Trump did worse than the recall effort; b) Donald Trump was a drag on Republicans; and c) Donald Trump is somehow at fault for the recall failing.
This analysis works – marginally – if you look only at the statewide totals, but even there the results are misleading. Republican candidates for governor in California have always done about 4-5% better than presidential candidates. In 2010, Meg Whitman won 41%; in 2014 Neal Kashkari 41% again. In 2018, John Cox got 38%. By contrast, the period saw a steady decline in the GOP vote in presidential contests, from 37% for Mitt Romney, to 31% for Donald Trump in 2016, until 2020 when Donald Trump increased his total to 34.3%. That increase was driven by gains among minorities: Central Valley Latinos, but also Asians and African Americans.
In September 2021, the GOP held some of the gains with Latinos, but collapsed with Asians. In rural areas with heavy Latino and rural white populations and low education levels, the recall ran ahead of Donald Trump. But in urban areas, the ones Democrats win by lopsided margins, the recall did much worse. In Orange County, Vietnamese-heavy precincts swung almost 30% from Trump to voting against the recall. Korean-heavy precincts swung 7%.
While some of this shift may be due to Asian American attitudes on COVID restrictions, Donald Trump certainly appears to have had real appeal to traditionally Democratic voters that the Republican recall effort did not. This should be concerning when it comes to three congressional seats in Orange County, two with heavy Vietnamese populations that the GOP recovered in 2020 after losing in 2018.
National Implications
It is easy to overanalyze the California recall. It mostly tells us about California. But if we look at it not as a Democrat vs. Republican exercise, but instead analyze how different voter groups moved or did not since 2020, we can deduce a few things.
One, voting is increasingly tied to education.
Two, intense partisanship is being driven by the radicalization of college-educated white voters, especially women with advanced degrees, who are more and more progressive in their views.
And three, this trend is producing a vastly more radical Democratic party, which is in turn alienating non-white voters, especially those without college degrees.
Democrats can take solace in the fact that there is little evidence white women with advanced degrees will turn on them, no matter what Gavin Newsom or Joe Biden does wrong. But they should be worried about whether they can win elections outside California with just that group. Because it looks like they are alienating almost everyone else.
Daniel Roman is the pen name of a frequent commentator and lecturer on foreign policy and political affairs, both nationally and internationally. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics.
It looks like this hacker has got into a number of the forums! What is going on AMAC?
I lived in California in the 80s and 90s, absolutely loved it. Left for Florida in early 2000. A lot of my friends still live there and are distraught about the mandates, homelessness, high cost of living, etc. How can anyone see progress with Newsom, he has destroyed this once great State. I can only think that the very rich, elite rule and they do not care about anything, so Newsom can destroy the State but they live in their glass bubbles, fenced in, with security and amenities, the heck with anyone else. Very self centered, narcissistic and there are a lot of them. The non Liberals did not rally around one candidate and support that person, so you lose.
Not correct. It is the Hollywood liberal money (regardless from white, black or latino) that sways the state.
Whatever the reason that pretty boy is still in office, it’s dumbfounding to the thinking, reasoning public. May as well let him totally destruct the state now, no taxpayers want to fund the rebuild; California citizens can fund that on their own dime.
Well, I see the GOP is back to rationalizing that 2% increase that does not result in victory is good.
Did I miss something about election integrity in this article?
It is near universal in the media that conservatives are “right wing”, or “far right wing”. The left is always termed “progressive”. This article does the same thing. Why can’t we use the terms “left wing”, and “far left wing”. There is nothing “progressive” about the left’s attitudes or programs.
Well since Newsom picked up right where the Democratic Communists did using Covid-19 to prolong the 100% mail in voting regardless of what Californian’s wanted, ballots were mailed to who knows where. Voter fraud has not been brought up but Californian’s know it’s been going on almost exclusively benefiting Democrats and let’s all face it, California is the bluest of blue states a one party state. People suspect Newsom had the benefit of voter fraud and the deep California leftist state.
The people wanted him, they got him. Results did not surprise me at all
shows rigged voting:
o polling place blocked
o voter gets 17 ballots
o others get none
o Torrance PO mail fraud
o felon with box of ballots
o votes go “missing”.
Rerun Nov 2020
The SAME formula that gave the Commies the Presidentcy GAVE THEM THE RECALL!!!
My cousin, who is in the entertainment industry which is nearly all liberal, received THREE ballots.
Being conservative, she only mailed in one. But how many liberals mailed in three each? Then you have a multitude of people going to vote in person and being told that “you have already voted.”
It would be interesting to know what the TRUE vote was!!
What a joke. Of course. it IS California so it’s not surprising!
The problems here and in the world are nothing to what is coming in the near future. The tribulation is very close. A sign for it will be 1 world government. There are people recommending that, now. People will be deceived because they don’t know scripture. They will think for a time that human governments are taking care of them. When the temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt, the Israelite will think they no longer need an army. Three and a half years in, the temple will be taken over and a statue of the antichrist will be placed in it. The statue will have powers that cause people to think it’s Jesus. They will be told to take the mark of the beast or not be able to buy or sell. Many things will follow, plagues, heat, large meteors, famine, etc. People have a short time to escape the tribulation by asking Christ to be their savior. He loves us, but we must open the door and ask Him in.
This failure just illustrates how many “Conservative” people have given up on their homes, and left the state, leaving the “Left”, re, Liberals, behind! Of course, since those on the left generally DON’T pay the state’s bills, they are also, and will continue, leaving the state because they simply cannot support the ridiculous taxes and fee structures found in California, fees that they put in place! Having said that, it is simply amazing that they continue to vote for and insist upon, the “Civil Programs” that has bankrupted California, and are now pushing to ruin their new homes in Texas, Idaho, Utah, Florida, and others, with the same tired, entitled expectations…
why is that it’s always upper middle class whiter leading the movements to free and uplift the oppressed and downtrodden proletariat with tragic results andproletariat falls for it each time
All nuts in Calif.,dont come from trees. Kyle L.
We don’t know if this Newsome election was free of fraud and no one seems to be addressing that concern.
Until if is addressed and resolved so all elections are beyond the reach of human manipulations, then I won’t trust any election, ever again.
And that is why election fraud should be our biggest concern before 2022 comes around. But, as usual, the Republicans are the “Do Nothing party” when it comes to looking out for us and our country.
I believe that all elections now are full of Democrat fraud – voting machines, ballot harvesting, illegal votes, no voter roll clean-up, etc..
I believe a high percentage of legitimate voters vote by Party.
Newsom’s recall was rigged.
Dang, I’m a life long conservative Republican and I think this author just called me a Republican hack. Thanks for continuing to divide Republicans. We’ll never recover the majority with that line.
Fraud is on the democrats hands. The Dems do not listen and will not discuss anything anymore. They are petty, judgmental and power hungry dirt bags……………..
Same ol’, same ol’.
The recall election only prove that 65% of Californians are stupid!
For me, I just get a sick feeling that we really can’t trust the voting in California. It seems to be like it is probably still wrought with fraud knowing their history of not updating their voting records and the ballot harvesting that has always gone on. It is truly sad for the Democratic Machine to own the state of California by any means. If we don’t get a way to end the fraud and cheating we are going to lose our Constitutional Republic. It’s obvious that the cities ruled by lawless Dems are a big mess and hard working tax payers and small business owners are suffering. It all makes me feel ill actually.
The actual change of votes from Trump to Biden during the Presidential election was 750,000, changing the actual vote by 1.5 million. Who knows what really happened in California. The Chinese must control us and until Americans wake up we are finished. Every state must do a recount. Unless the voting machines are gotten rid of we have no hope.
I’m not sure where you are getting your numbers, but I think that you better come up with a better bag of bs if you want this educated woman to bite
The results of the Presidential election and the recall only prove that demoncRAT voter fraud is alive and well in CA.
The democrats should not be happy with the CA recall. If it was such a slam dunk, why did they pour so much money, bring in the big guns and worry so much? I think the republicans knew they would not win, but wanted to make Newsome and co. worry and spend time and capital they would need in other elections.
You could argue that the Democrats have become the party of those who work in industries with little reliance upon a blue collar workforce and of minorities, whether blue collar or not. The Republicans have become the party of those who work in industries that do rely upon a blue collar workforce, though their management is usually college educated. The latter feel, often correctly, that the Dems want many of their industries to be shut down, so remarkably the Dems have succeeded in aligning the interests of management and their white blue collar workers. It’s a somewhat ragged alliance, but it’s there. As minority blue collar economic interests are not dissimilar to their white counterpart’s, that minorities would start to edge to Republicans should not be unexpected. It may still take awhile longer.
“Working-Class Voters of All Races Flee to GOP”
Yeah–more and more, the Democrats are becoming the Free Stuff Party that appeals only to free-stuff class voters.
I’m one of the six million who voted to get rid of Newsome. He has been a terrible governor. I live in the Central Valley, and NOTHING has been done to alleviate the poverty of this rich agricultural area. At one time, one of our erudite Democrat assemblyman told our farmers that they should grow their crops in the winter instead of our scorching summers! How idiotic. As if farmers for millenia have got it all wrong and just needed a little help. A life=long Democrat, I am now an independent, refusing to identify with such stupidity and arrogance.
The bar of society is either raised or lowered by the behavior of women. It’s in the gutter. “White educated” women are so vile, amoral, snobby, and lust abortion – it’s over America – women have destroyed the country and they’re the ones running this nightmare now. I’m a woman – I now have zero lefty friends after 12 years of political war.
Just seems to me that the number of former residents of California has risen greatly, leaving those who are gimme people left and since Gov N gave them all money, they are happy and expect to get more in the future. Pretty sad that so many can be bought!