California’s Leaders Have Shattered My Home and My State—Here’s Why More of Us Are Turning to Conservatism

Matt Himes, a writer and editor at Blaze Media, experienced the devastating loss of his home in Pacific Palisades due to the wildfires in Los Angeles. Having once identified as a liberal, he now finds that the incompetence displayed by Democratic leaders such as LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has shifted his perspective — and that of many neighbors — towards conservatism.

Looking for a way to shift a liberal mindset? Send them to California.

Decades of one-party governance have squandered California’s immense talent and resources, transforming a former model of the middle-class American dream into a deteriorating, overpopulated, and crime-ridden nightmare.

Los Angeles, in particular, has experienced a significant downturn. Many progressive elites in Hollywood and Silicon Beach have chosen to ignore the harsh realities, often sheltered by gated communities and prestigious private schools.

This denial persisted until this month’s devastating wildfires that annihilated entire neighborhoods and destroyed some of the prime real estate in the nation.

Now, the gross negligence of our climate-change-obsessed, DEI-focused leaders has prompted many residents in this bluest of blue states to reconsider their political loyalties.

As someone who once registered as a Democrat, I can say: California is reaching a critical juncture. Those shocked by the presidential election results should prepare for an unexpected outcome: the MAGA transformation of the Left Coast.

Witnessing the Downfall

This decline hasn’t occurred overnight. Over the past few years, we Angelenos have had a front-row seat to California’s deterioration.

Initially, the harsh COVID school closures sparked outrage among my circle of Westside parents. As our kids struggled with “remote learning,” public health measures evolved to include discussions on white supremacy (with exemptions granted to looters).

Overshadowing it all was California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a smug, small-time conman who possesses the irritating bravado of the president but lacks his redeeming qualities.

Many a lawyer or MBA-turned stay-at-home mom, previously focused on school fundraisers and auction dinners, found themselves searching for a new cause to direct their pent-up frustrations.

I witnessed these mothers rushing to pick up their children early from school as a towering black cloud of smoke loomed ominously above the usually serene campus. The panic was tangible — and for good reason. Although we were accustomed to frequent fire evacuations, this time it felt alarmingly imminent and dangerously close.

In the days that followed, we realized the situation was far more catastrophic than we ever imagined.

We lost our home, along with more than half of my 11-year-old’s classmates. My in-laws — a marine biology professor at USC and a retired high school Latin teacher — also lost the home they purchased in 1976, where they raised my wife and her four siblings.

It’s Like a War Zone

The heart of the Palisades — not the oceanfront mansions but an area of relatively modest family homes built 60 or 70 years ago when Southern California epitomized the middle-class dream — resembles a bombed-out landscape. Schools, banks, churches, and grocery stores have all been reduced to ashes.

For those whose homes remain intact, the neighborhood is likely to be uninhabitable for an extended period.

The only stabilizing force in our community is local developer Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village shopping center, which has revitalized the town center since its opening in 2019. Caruso took the initiative by deploying his own fire brigades.

Caruso, previously a centrist who voiced support for Black Lives Matter, ran for mayor in 2022.

He narrowly lost to Karen Bass — who unexpectedly overcame his polling advantage with a late surge of mail-in ballots.

This race marked a new awakening for local conservatives, who prior to this had merely exchanged knowing smiles at dinner parties while listening to theories about Russiagate.

Now, we are candidly expressing our support for the “mean, white, male, Catholic, billionaire Trump supporter.”

We were emboldened then, but our resolve is even stronger today. We are done with liberal agendas and we’re not afraid to say so.

Questioning the Status Quo

Though the smoke has not yet settled, the initial shock is fading. As we make arrangements for new homes and schools while navigating through the insufficient California Fair Plan, we are beginning to share experiences and raise questions.

For Los Angeles’s affluent creative class, opposing liberal dogma has often resulted in social exile.

However, when you’re engulfed in the ashes of countless “in this house we believe” signs, a scolding from Barbra, Oprah, or Leo loses its impact.

Donald Trump has been positioned as the antagonist in our national narrative since 2016, with Angelenos particularly wrapped up in this storyline.

This past week, however, we reached what seasoned screenwriters would call the “all is lost” moment — the lowest point before entering Act Three. Experienced moviegoers know to expect a twist. What if the so-called “fascists” were actually the heroes all along?