Consistent with the pattern we've seen, minority-heavy districts swung towards Obama. Republican Gary DeLong kept it respectable in the Long Beach-based CA-47, but with Romney lagging by more than 22, there wasn't much of a chance for him. Elsewhere, there was some, but not substantial, softening. (Obama got 61% in the Westside/South Bay-based CA-33, but Henry Waxman lagged substantially with his 54% performance.) Outside of L.A. County, Obama saw a slight drop in the Central Coast-based CA-24 and the Silicon Valley-based CA-18, but also saw improvements and mostly held the line in the other San Jose-based districts. (Daily Kos)
Obama does not have the lock that one presumed on the state of California. Even if San Jose went heavily for the President, the same municipality passed by plebiscite a bond measure which would reform the city's overwhelming pension obligations.
The most telling aspect of this post -- "Henry Waxman lagged substantially with his 54% performance" -- should give hope to all fiscal conservatives, Independents, and Republicans in the 33rd Congressional District.
Because of his much poorer showing than in decades past, Waxman may pull a "Jane Harman" and step down after this unprecedented twentieth term in office. If an Independent from Manhattan Beach could shake up his complacency and engage his former constituencies, then very likely another Democrat will be more than able to challenge him and push him out, just like the upstart freshman Eric Swalwell, who pushed out the ignorant and arrogant Peter Stark from the 15th Congressional District.
The liabilities of incumbency are shaking up the faultlines of political machines and entrenched politicians who had expected nothing less than 60% in election after election. Now that politicians cannot pay the drafters to carve up easy districts to protect their seats, along with open primaries which encourage spirited primary challenges, every Democrat must be on the alert every election.
That includes Congressman Henry Waxman.
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