California produced two Republican presidents. Why not a Democratic one?

California once exported a national mood: confidence, growth, competence, a booming middle class, and large industries that represented national strength. That vision was the California that helped produce and endorse Republican presidents like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, both from Southern California.

Modern California exports a different national image today: staggering costs, visible chaos, costly housing, soaring energy prices, and a politics that often seems geared toward deep-blue...