My native state, CA, is often know derisively, but accurately, as "the land of fruits and nuts." The descriptor is accurate because CA is where much of the nation's fruit and nuts are grown. It is derisive because those using the handle make reference to nothing connected with produce.
They refer to all the oddball folk who kept moving west till they could drive no farther. Yep, CA has more than its share of unusual folk. It also has more than its share of people on welfare - something like a third of the nation's total.
City Journal has an article describing racial fault lines developing in the state's hegemonic Democratic Party. Hispanics, as the largest single group in the state, believe with some justice they should control most of the offices. At issue currently, the replacement for Senator Boxer who is retiring.
CA has an oddball primary system whereby the two greatest vote-getters for an office, regardless of party, compete in the November election. All primary voters, regardless of party affiliation, get the same ballot which lists all people who've filed to run for that office. Republicans are so far down the CA pecking order that the two finalists for the Boxer Senate seat are both Democrats: CA Attorney General Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.
The Dem establishment backs Harris, Hispanics are likely to back Sanchez. Asians are a wildcard in this game, probably voting Harris.
Republicans have no candidate of their own in November. They are expected to prefer Sanchez as the (marginally) less liberal candidate. Also, if they've been paying attention, they'll know electing Sanchez will irritate the Dem establishment, which is a worthwhile goal in itself.
A normal primary system produces a nominee for each party on the November ballot. Under those circumstances in a one-party state like CA or NY, Republicans have no say in which Dem will be elected. In the CA model, they have a say in November, as well as during the primary if they so choose. I'm not sure that was what the Dems had in mind when they passed the new system.
