President Obama leads in California

Adam Carolla explains why a Republican will have a hard time winning California

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," March 16, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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BILL O'REILLY, HOST: Continuing now with our lead story. California has 55 electoral votes by far the most in the country. And Mr. Obama doesn't even have to campaign in the Golden State. He'll win it no matter what. But why?

Joining us now from Los Angeles political observer Adam Carolla. So why can't a -- I guess you could have Mother Teresa running, you could have -- you know this -- one of the saints come down and Barack Obama would still win. Why?

ADAM CAROLLA, HOST, "THE ADAM CAROLLA SHOW": Well the question is, first off, no one from California is from California. I'm the only one who's from California. Everyone from California is either from New York or Tijuana. So it's kind of a mixed batch of people in here.

It's really the most progressive sort of self-aggrandizing folks or the poorest folks coming in from different directions. But it's a bizarre mixed batch in California. But nobody is from here.

O'REILLY: But there are a lot of states that are melting pots, Texas, Arizona, down on the border, certainly. New York, but New York will vote for Barack almost no matter what. But what is it about California that drives the vote into the Democratic precincts when the Democrats have controlled Sacramento for, what? Two decades now? Your state is bankrupt, people are moving out of it. It's chaotic and they still keep voting Democrat, Democrat, Democrat. I don't understand.

CAROLLA: Well I think the unions have taken control. And I mean, the teachers unions. The prison guard unions. Just about every union here in California. So it's very union-oriented but it's not business-oriented. And big business is considered the devil here in California. And we drive them out and we replace them with more federal jobs and more unions and that's why we're bankrupt. But that's where the votes are coming from.

O'REILLY: Ok. So you -- the unionized workforce. We're going to get a stat on that. Now the big population centers like Los Angeles, San Francisco, not so much San Diego. San Diego is a little more conservative. They go for the Democrats no matter what. They like the progressive vision.

But again, the social problems in Los Angeles are -- are huge. It's an enormously complex city. And things aren't working that well and the economy is not that good there. So you would think that they would -- I don't even think they listen to the Republican side. They don't even listen, they have NPR on all day and all night. They just -- they are just listening to that they won't even watch.

Actually the Fox News Channel gets a lot of viewers but it's a mind set out there. And the mind set is, we want what? What are Californians - - what is their priority?

CAROLLA: Well, the problem is we don't really have a priority other than just sort of good vibes and mamas and the papas and California dreaming and you know, Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu; like we are laid back and the Democrats are the party of the "we're cool, we're laid back. We're friendly. We're compassionate". The Republicans are hey, pull yourself up by your boot straps and get to work and we don't like those hours in California. We want to hang out and do a little surfing when the tide is low.

So part of it is just the fact that we look at ourselves like San Francisco and Los Angeles is nice. And we look at the Democrats as the nice party.

O'REILLY: Ok, so Californians don't want confrontation. They don't want to be challenged and be self-reliant. They want everybody to get along and the government to provide a lot of services and stuff but when do you that then the government has more power telling you what to do so you can't buy a goldfish in San Francisco. You can get heroin for free but you can't buy a goldfish. It's just seems that there's something going on out there that just doesn't add up.

CAROLLA: I know I had to go to New Mexico to buy my kid a goldfish two weeks ago. The damn thing died in the trunk on the way back because it was hot.

O'REILLY: It did? Ok now if you had been caught --

CAROLLA: Yes, I should have put it up in the car with me.

O'REILLY: -- if you would have been caught you would have gotten far more for smuggling a goldfish into San Francisco than you would if you had been illegal alien crossing the border into imperial county. So you would have gotten --

CAROLLA: Sure.

O'REILLY: -- you would probably would have got one to three whereas the other one you have just got released.

CAROLLA: It would have been funny if I was sitting in a cell with a guy and he said what are you in for and I said smuggling goldfish and he said me too, brother.

O'REILLY: And we should explain to people that the city council of San Francisco believes it is cruel to have a goldfish in a tank and, therefore, as Mr. Carolla rightly pointed out California got to be nice so you can't have the goldfish. Last word, Adam?

CAROLLA: That's right.

Well, you know, it's all about the environment. It's all about good vibes and it's all about hope and change and being nice and not being the man and not being a big corporation and working for the man and that's what California is about.

O'REILLY: All right.

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