Not long ago, California was a Republican bastion. In 1966, Ronald Reagan won the governorship by a million votes--he became a two-term governor and two-term president. GOP presidential candidates carried California in six straight presidential elections from 1968 through 1988. That’s all changed--Democrats control the governorship and the Legislature, and Al Gore is a heavy favorite to carry the state in November. This talk examines the reasons that California is no longer Reagan country, analyzes the Reagan legacy, and takes a look at the 2000 elections.

Lou Cannon is a distinguished Washington Post reporter, 45-year veteran journalist, and best-selling biographer of Ronald Reagan. His publications include the widely acclaimed, President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime, and Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the Riots Changed Los Angeles and the LAPD.