What happened to California between 1988 and 1992?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

The suburban moderates who voted Republican for President in the 80s fell in love with Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party in 1992 and never came back.  California back in the 60s and 70s was a pretty conservative state as I understand, but Clinton changed all that.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Actually, I would argue that Pennsylvania is a swing state, although there seems to be some preference to Democrats there.  In the words of James Carville, it's "Pittsburgh in the west, Philadelphia in the east, and Alabama in the middle."  If that's not a swing state, then I don't know what is.  But aside from that, your analysis is exactly right.  I would contend that Reagan's election in 1980 was a realignment, but so was Clinton's in 1992, at least a regional one.  Oh, and Asian Americans don't vote as strongly Democrat as most racial minorities, and neither do Latinos (although I think Latinos are more Democrat than Asian Americans).

[Oldiesfreak1854]

The suburban moderates who voted Republican for President in the 80s fell in love with Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party in 1992 and never came back.  California back in the 60s and 70s was a pretty conservative state as I understand, but Clinton changed all that.

Same thing happened in Massachusetts, which was only about D+1 in 1988.

And Illinois too, which was still a swing state in the 80s and early 90s.