West Coast watch: Cali’s Blue Staying Power

Based on the results of last November’s ballot initiatives in California, you might think the Golden State “is poised to make a turn to the right” — but not necessarily, Nick Burns points out at City Journal. Rather, the “ballot initiative has actually become an advantage” for Democrats there. Nor are recall efforts, such as the one seeking to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), a surefire panacea for the right: Even if Newsom is replaced, for example, “with only a year left until fresh elections in 2022,” his successor would have little time to prove his competence and might be “vulnerable” to the Dem’s return. Like the ballot initiative, “the recall process does not seem to be the shortcut to overcoming the structural dominance of California Democrats that it may at first seem.”