Writing for RealClearPolitics, Debra Saunders argues that Republicans’ only chance in a blue state like California is to run someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Who knows, she may be correct.
The problem with her advice is that in office Schwarzenegger proved to be a total RINO. He was hardly any improvement over actual Democrat Gray Davis who he replaced. Yes, the CA governor was called a “Republican“ but the state continued to be run as a Democratic satrapy.
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Elected one party governments "work" after a fashion, where “work” means represent the interests of various groups within the state. Examples of this include Mexico under the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), and Japan under the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
What typically happens in elected one party governments is that factions develop within the ruling party, those represent various interest groups within the state. All important decisions are made within the ruling party caucus, as the factions vie for power and influence, log-roll and compromise. The legislature is a rubber-stamp for ruling party decisions. Minority parties exist but have little power and serve mostly as venues for protest votes.
For the foreseeable future, places like NY, MA, and CA are likely to be one-party Democrat states, with semi-representative governments. If the truth be told, the same could be said of WY, ID, and UT and some southern states under Republican rule.
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In the long run, the main difficulty with elected one party rule is the gradual build-up of corruption. It naturally follows from Lord Acton's maxim: absolute power corrupts absolutely.
For example, liberal NPR quotes with approval the following comment of a former New York State senator.
It's a culture of corruption, there's no question about it. It's very sad that you have at this point in New York state, the Empire State, more corrupt officials than any other state.
The last Republican governor of New York left office 15 years ago.
