When a party declines, the only people who stick around are the true believers who can't win and you create a vicious circle effect.
The California GOP is now essentially a social club for Inland Empire fundies. And the Democrats there are drunk on power and seem content to run the state further into the ground.
Oregon hasn't had a Republican governor since the mid-80s. Neither has Washington.
Colorado's Republicans nominated a Tea Party joke for Senate and abandoned their mediocre gubernatorial candidate for anti-immigration lunatic Tom Tancredo. Keep it up and you won't be able to find Republicans in Colorado other than the Bible thumpers in Fort Collins and the farmers in the eastern plains.
Speaking of Colorado you probably forgot Colorado Springs. But generally - i agree. BTW - the same now happens in North-East, where (including even New England - traditional "bastion of moderate Republicanism in party") Republican party becomes more and more conservative. Only "true believers" remain in the party (mostly)...
