If you want to know why California has turned its back on the Republican Party, consider how the California GOP is treating Chad Mayes and Travis Allen.
Let’s start with Mayes is the Assembly’s Republican leader. He just came off a big deal to renew the state’s cap-and-trade program. Mayes turned limit leverage to get a number of Republican priorities into the legislation, from tax credits for manufacturers to popular votes on aspects of the program going forward. He’s been arguing for Republicans to take a similar approach in other policy areas.
Then let’s look at Allen, a back-bench Assembly member. He’s begun a campaign for governor. He’s built it by opposing a gas tax increase to repair roads, and by advancing bogus claims. Among these is a debunked claim that California Democrats were legalizing prostitution. More recently, he claimed, falsely, that there were more registered voters than adults in certain California counties—in an attempt to give credence to President Trump’s phony claims that millions of ineligible voters cast ballots in the 2016 elections in California.
Given these set of circumstances, you might think that the political party of which these two men are members is celebrating Mayes and criticizing Allen. But it’s the opposite.
That’s right—the Republicans are angry at the guy engaging with real policy changes in the mainstream, and saying nothing to challenge the guy spewing nonsense and aligning himself with Trump, whose alliance with white supremacists threatens the party. Indeed, many GOP leaders want Mayes to give up his legislative post and be kicked out of the party.
This would be a mere tragedy if the party’s reputation was the only thing being lost. But all Californians lose as the Republicans distance themselves from reality. This state badly needs a competitive party to challenge the Democrats. Instead, the party discredits itself.
If the GOP is ever going to come back, it needs to support the Mayes of the world—and shun the Allens.