Why the Right Can’t Stop Lying About California — and Why It’s Working: Part I

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #348

**This is Part I of a IV Part Series Discussing California’s Politics and How It Factors Into the Fight for Democracy.**

The California Mirage: Democracy, Distortion, and the Fight for Reality

California is the future — and that should scare you as much as it inspires you.

The Free State Lie: How California Became the Right’s Favorite Villain

If you listen to Fox News for more than five minutes…you’ll hear the same phrase repeated like a drumbeat: “California is a failed state.”

The Golden State has become a cartoon villain in the conservative imagination — a land overrun by crime…homelessness…drug use…censorship…and woke mobs run amok.

It’s a trope. A meme. A narrative with traction.

But this caricature is no accident. And it’s not just political trash talk. It’s part of a deliberate national strategy.

California, with its size…diversity…and progressive policy slate…has become the go-to symbol for right-wing fearmongering.

That alone wouldn’t matter if it stayed within Fox News or the Daily Caller.

But the lie has metastasized — into legislation…into court decisions…into the way voters in Tennessee or Iowa or Florida are being primed to reject any policy that even vaguely resembles what’s happening on the West Coast.

Why California Is the Right’s Obsession

It’s not hard to see why. California is massive: 40 million people, the fifth-largest economy in the world…a hub for global culture…climate innovation…and demographic change.

If it works in California, it could work anywhere. And that’s what scares them.

So instead, it’s distorted — relentlessly.

The messaging strategy is simple:

Paint California as an authoritarian liberal dystopia and cite it as evidence of what will happen to you if Democrats win.

• Want universal healthcare? That’s what ruined California.

• Want stricter gun laws? California is full of crime.

• Want climate legislation? Look at California’s blackouts and regulations.

In this alternate universe…California is always on fire (sometimes literally), always in decline…and always just one policy away from total collapse.

What they rarely mention is that California’s economy continues to grow…that its cities outperform many red states in public health and education…and that its innovation sector drives much of America’s technological and economic strength.

But facts don’t fuel fear. And fear is the currency. Never forget that.

From Propaganda to Policy: How the Narrative Spreads

The real danger isn’t that people believe lies about California. It’s that those lies get baked into policy in states thousands of miles away. (Believe me, I live in Missouri, and the number of sh*tbirds who have bitten…hook line and sicker on this bullshit…is nothing short of astonishing.)

Take education. Republican lawmakers in Texas, Florida, and Virginia have explicitly cited California’s ethnic studies curriculum or DEI programs as reasons to introduce bans on “critical race theory” or gender-inclusive education — even when no such programs exist in their own districts.

Or look at immigration. California’s sanctuary policies have become a convenient scapegoat for anti-immigrant legislation in states that share no border with Mexico.

Governors rail against “California values” in fundraising emails while quietly mimicking the state’s economic development models.

This isn’t just hypocrisy. It’s a feedback loop.

1. Right-wing media distorts a California policy.

2. Politicians in red states cite it as a cautionary tale.

3. They pass legislation to “prevent California-style decline.”

4. Those laws are upheld by judges who consume the same distorted media.

5. The cycle repeats.

The Cost of the Lie

The “Free State of Florida” slogan, used by Governor Ron DeSantis, wasn’t invented in a vacuum.

It was crafted againstthe specter of California. He built a national profile by promising to protect Florida from becoming like California — and it worked.

Now, states are racing to out-Florida each other. And the barometer they use to measure their success? How much they’re not like California.

This leads to policies that are punitive rather than productive. Laws that ban books instead of funding schools. Policies that restrict public health agencies instead of expanding care. Rhetoric that fuels distrust…division…and denial.

California isn’t perfect. It has crises of housing…income inequality…and political inertia. But those issues are not what the right is targeting.

They’re targeting what works — and calling it failure.

Because if California is allowed to succeed…the narrative falls apart. And the future that California points to — multiethnic democracy, environmental regulation… reproductive rights — might start to look like a goal, not a threat.

For Paid Subscribers:

Coming Next (For Paid Subscribers):

An exclusive deep dive into coordinated right-wing campaigns targeting California’s public education system, immigration policy, and environmental legislation — including:

• Leaked strategy memos and PAC talking points

• Screenshots from far-right influencer networks and messaging forums

• Campaign finance trail maps connecting conservative donors, dark money groups, and state lawmakers

This isn’t just an exposé — it’s a blueprint of the blueprint. You’ll see exactly how California is being used as a tool, a target, and a test case for nationwide policy disruption. Exclusive deep dive into coordinated right-wing campaigns targeting California education, immigration, and energy policy — including primary sources, screenshots, and financial trail maps

This will not be the Part II article. It’s BONUS content for paid subscribers.

Part II will come to all subscribers…in a day or two.

I’ll be back soon…with even more.

Paid subscribers, please be watching for your BONUS content.

Warmly,

Jack