That's what this Guardian article speculates:
Bush Sr called it the "Big Enchilada" - the giant, rolled tortilla shaped state on America's left coast that carries a whopping 54 electoral college votes. He was the last Republican president to win California - a state that has gone essentially uncontested in every election since 1988.
This year it stopped Bush Jr from recording an out of sight landslide victory over John Kerry. But Kerry's margin of victory in what both parties have considered safe Democratic territory for well over a decade was uncomfortably thin.
While Clinton and Gore took the state by double digits in their attempts at the presidency, Kerry beat Bush by only nine points, and strategists from both parties are thinking the unthinkable as they plan for 2008: Is the "Big Enchilada" back in play?
The unavoidable answer is yes and it should have Democrats worried, for if California slips back into the Republican column, it would likely thrust the Democratic party back into a wilderness that would make Britain's third placed Liberal Democrats look relevant.
Just in case you were getting used to the idea of a divided country, as long as your side was doing ok. I don't know how probable this would be as I'm not that well versed with California politics. Much depends on what happens in the media in general. If we don't get a more neutral media in place of this conservative-biased current one we can kiss our rights goodbye in most of the country. Or that's what I think right now. Talk me out of it, please.