No, California's not in play.

However, it is full of conservatives and Republicans who feel disenfranchised every four years, knowing that all of their state's Electoral Votes will go to the other guy -- disenfranchised-feeling voters who have deep pocketbooks, and no other way to participate in the election.

The coast is blue and the rest of the state is red. The coast is more populated hence the electoral vote tilt.

Because of gerrymandering, extremists of both parties are able to hold on to their electoral seats in California. Of course, the losers in all of this are the citizens of the state.

That part of California is rather conservative but can't balance the liberal, coastal urban areas. Would that they could!

Note that state senator Tom McClintock is running for Congress in NE California. He's a hero to conservative Republicans throughout the state and in a hot contest there. His efforts may be stimulating interest in conservative efforts.

I'm deep in blue territory in silicon valley, but I think all people should go out and vote, even if there is no chance at an electoral college win. The democrats refuse to understand the electoral college, and every vote is a popular vote. Gives them less to whine about.

What everyone else said.

Mt. Shasta and Yreka aren't the Bay, Silicon Valley, or the LA Basin.

A republican surge in Yreka and Mt. Shasta isn't surprising, and also won't have any statewide effect.

(Much like here in Oregon; outside of Portland, Eugene, and (to an extent) Ashland or Salem, the state is pretty strongly Red. But Portland and Eugene tip the balance enough that the state is reliably Blue in terms of Electors.)

well, i wanted to comment on this, but it looks like all five people that commented already said basically what i wanted to say. California isn't all that blue. just the major cities. after the 2000 election the state map of results by county was used as a commentary on how the elections would be different if only we had a major earthquake that would take out the coast. you can see it here.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/countymap2000.htm

I'm curious, how will hispanics affect the race? Will they vote for Johnny Amnesty? Will they remember that he was so in favor of amnesty while who knows what Obama! stands for?

As I think I read here (maybe elsewhere), there is fairly strong antipathy between the black and hispanic communities.
Blacks don't like not being the largest minority community and hispanics feel that "Hispanics mow lawns, blacks get welfare".

That might make CA in play and how funny would that be? Will all hispanics be treated like Cubans if it does?

I'm telling you, it's the funniest end of civilization ever.