Will California, Washington or Oregon ever vote Republican?

[sg0508]

See my thread in regards to re-winning the suburban vote.  The only ways to carry WA/OR today are to beat the democrats big outside King County and Portland.  If we can nominate someone who can reach out to those voters while winning big margins in the conservative parts of the states, both are still winnable. 

CA is going to be tough considering the issues there and the major changes in population.

[sg0508]

Rossi almost carried WA, but gov races are more bipartisan.  Bush did reasonably well in WA both times although he lost.

I agree though, it will take a RINO to carry the state.  Scary how much King County has changed though since the 70s and 80s when Republicans used to carry it.  Or, the GOP has changed for the worst. 

Slade Gorton's method of carrying the state is how it has to be done today: Carry suburbia by big margins along with all counties outside King, which is very tough.

[sg0508]

If the GOP runs an Olympia Snowe/Giuliani/Mark Kirk type in WA state, they can win, but of course we never will because we're either not smart enough or just too stubborn to open ourselves to moderate candidates.

Gorton's defeat in 2000 was also due to that 3rd party candidate that sapped up about 3% and that made the difference.  In that exit poll, most of those were republican votes.

[sg0508]

And If I remember correctly, Gorton's margin of victory in 1994 wasn't very convincing. I think it was 55-45%, which in that year for the GOP, was one of the worst showings for an incumbent, next to Jeffords of VT.