But it's sad that we get no civil liberties either way (unless people like Rand Paul get their way).
If only the government would get out of the hero entrepreneur's way so he and his fellow Bay Area/Boston/Chinese/Indian/Nordic/Eastern European/<insert leftist area> engineers could bring their unique vision to life.
"I value economic freedom"
For today's GOP "economic freedom" translates to lower taxes for rich people, carte blanche to piss in the pool, and closing economic doors for the less fortunate.
"good governance "
Turning the government over to lobbyists, destroying public education, weakening clean air and water standards, ignoring global warming, starting pointless wars, neo-creationism, disenfranchising hard fought voting rights, monetary crankism, opposing any and all reasonable regulation of firearms, etc. None of these sound remotely like "good governance". The Democrats are no saints but the modern GOP is repugnant on many fronts.
"But it's sad that we get no civil liberties either way (unless people like Rand Paul get their way)."
As bad as Obama is on civil liberties he stopped torture that went on under GOP and he tried to close Guantanamo but was prevented by the GOP. At the end of the day, presidents of all parties tend to vote for more executive power. For the parties themselves, it's progressives that have been the best defenders of civil liberties and that can be seen clearly in something like the Patriot Act votes.
The California government is propped up by Hollywood and Silicon Valley, otherwise it would collapse under its illogic. Other blue state governments don't have that luxury and they are in far more dire straights. They have promised their unions more than they can pay and the unions have the power to hold on to it.
I know everybody has different ordering on the importance of issues so reasonable people disagree on politics. I want governments with balanced budgets, long-term planning horizons, decent public services, and a light burden on the private economy and I think the GOP is best suited to provide those things in most areas. It's certainly true in California.
But regardless, I don't mind paying taxes if it goes towards quality public goods. I do mind paying taxes that go straight into union members' pockets. It's shameful how much the Dems have sold out taxpayer interests in blue states to feather the beds of their union masters. Blue states budgets are sinking under union pension obligations. Shameful.