Walter Russell Mead, who writes the
Via Meadia column for
The American Interest, concludes the Golden State is combining the Blue of liberal politics with the Green of environmentalism to produce a "turquoise" way of governing. He writes:
Call it a turquoise governing philosophy: the mix of green and blue that wants to carry forward 20th century policies like a large civil service and a mass welfare state even as it manages the shift to a post-industrial, low carbon economy.
To what combination of interest groups does Mead attribute this mixture of goals?
This strategic vision blends the priorities of three constituencies that are essential for the contemporary Democratic Party in California: rich greens (strong in Hollywood and Silicon Valley), public sector unions (vital statewide political organizations that Democratic candidates can’t win without), and low income Californians (a growing number) who depend on public services.
Mead buys into the notion that California is a leading indicator for the rest of the country. He concludes:
California is a few years ahead of America as a whole; those who think it is on the wrong road need to think very hard about what is happening and why, because unless something changes, this is where we could all be headed in the not so distant future.
Mead approves of being green, just not the way it's being done in California.
