Nation Sours on California…

The California Dream is dead – even people who don’t live here know that now.

A poll commissioned by the Los Angeles Times shows that the residents of the other 49 states no longer see the Golden State as all that golden.

The poll, done by the Canadian firm Leger, shows that half of Americans think California is unsafe, a third says its not a good place to raise a family, and three-quarters say it is too expensive.

By a rate of more than two to one, other Americans say California is not a model for their state to follow (39% say no, 15% say follow the state.)

And, considering the above numbers, this should not come as a surprise, half of Americans see California as a state in decline.

That may be the most important number in the entire poll as it has been the state’s image (and environment: folks still love the natural beauty, but remember we can’t build more beach) that has been keeping it afloat for the past 10 or 15 years.

California is not in a death loop (by the way, that’s wrong so stop using it as loops go back to where they started from) but a death spiral, its legs furiously spinning in the air Wiley Coyote-like except now everyone has noticed that the ground is gone.

By the way, the truck is reality:  

The poll also shows that 29% of folks on the other side of the Sierras think  California is “not really America” and that politics and governance are playing a significant role in discouraging new people to move in.

77% of people said they would even consider moving to California.  Of that, 38% say they have no plans to move anyway, but 50% cited problems with California itself.

Step back from that number a moment and think:  Everyone around the world used to at least consider it, more typically, long to move here.

Now three-quarters of Americans would not consider a move to California.  

It used to be that everyone saw California as the land of opportunity and the “sun kissed miss,” hence: 

Now, I wonder if this has anything to with it being “eh, not so much:” 

There are a few other numbers that may be of interest, specifically to Gavin Newsom.  Nationally, his favorability rating is treading water, with 33% giving him a smiley face and 34% a frowny face and the remaining 34% drawing a blank on Gavin.

Democrats, though, like him – a lot.  His favorability rate at 63% is nine times high than his unavailability rate of 7%.  Given that Joe Biden is teetering on the edge of a strong breeze, Newsom’s shadow presidential campaign may pay off, at least within the party.

People did have better opinions of Florida and Texas though maybe by not as big a margin as one would think. To the question  “(W)hich state better represents your values, in terms of its laws and way of life?,” in both cases California got 48% against Texas and Florida getting 52% each.

The state is unquestionably in decline and has experienced a self-inflicted wound of creating and refusing to destroy the state government mob/blob in Sacramento, amongst other things.

The California dream has turned into the whimper of the Hollywood addict, once famous and feted, now foaming and footless, eyes tracking the sidewalk, hungrily looking for even a glimmer of recognition in the faces that swim by,  faces desperately negating the man who could once do anything who now can do nothing except remember and beg.  

And maybe – just maybe – because of some other stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4nk7H717Ws&t=11s

With that on TV every night, who can blame people?

In case you’re interested, here’s the poll.