Because the presidential race matters so much, I missed California’s Orwellian socializing guidelines when they first came out. Having thought about it, though, I believe they are relevant to the Presidential election. After all, Democrats view California as a model state, whether on the environment, criminal justice, gun control, social issues, or its handling of the Wuhan virus. To the extent a Biden-Harris administration will take its cues from California, voters had better know what’s happening in that state.

California’s Department of Public Health website recently published regulations entitled “Mandatory Requirements for all Gatherings.” Although they came out in early October, people didn’t pay too much attention until they realized that these mandatory rules will apply to Thanksgiving celebrations and, after that, to Kwanza, Hanukkah, Christmas, and other celebrations in 2020.

The word “mandatory” implies police oversight, and there’s no reason to believe that California will not engage in police oversight. They’ll receive help from the superabundance of California tattletales (aka “Karens”) who, whether from paranoia or grandiosity, enjoy reporting on people who still cherish vague ideas of American liberty.

As for what that policing will look like, New York City has given us a preview. In New York, because Cuomo and De Blasio having focused like anti-Semitic lasers on the Jewish community, law enforcement officers are spying on schools and policing home gatherings.

Law enforcement keeping a close eye on those Jewish kids — pic.twitter.com/c3CqpjvjHM

— David Shor (@DYShor) October 15, 2020

Police officers enter PRIVATE HOMES to find Jewish gatherings in Monsey, New York:

“We came because we had a vehicle parking complaint. Then I look up and I see you have over 10 people in a crowd!” pic.twitter.com/hXsXpuKJeG

— SV News рџљЁ (@SVNewsAlerts) October 23, 2020

We Jews happen to be very tetchy about being persecuted for engaging in normal Jewish activities, so you can see where we might take offense.

But the bigger point here is that America’s Democrat governors and mayors are increasingly micromanaging every aspect of life within their jurisdictions and are using their police power to enforce these mandates – almost none of which come from legislative bodies.

All of which gets me back to California’s crackdown on Thanksgiving. Here’s a brief rundown of the rules – and again, these are mandatory:

• Only three households may gather for Thanksgiving.

• People must dine outdoors, although shade structures are allowed. (Depending on where one is in California, Thanksgiving and the December holidays are likely to be both cold and wet.)

• Even while celebrating together, each of the three permissible households must stay at least six feet away from the two other households at all times, even while outdoors.

• People may remove their face coverings only briefing to eat or drink. Here is a training video:

• The whole gathering must end within two hours.

• Attendees must try not to sing, chant, or shout.

• Musical instruments are allowed only if the musician is also a guest -- and that guest really shouldn’t play a wind instrument (e.g., trumpet, flute, etc.).

Although it’s not in the guidelines, the subtext is that you should be grateful to Big Brother for taking such good care of you, whether you want it or not.

It’s easy enough to laugh at California’s craziness and then forget it. But again, Democrats see California as a guide for the rest of the nation:

On criminal justice reform, Kamala Harris said, “First of all, having served as the Attorney General of the State of California, the work that I did is a model of what our nation needs to do, and we will be able to do under a Joe Biden presidency.”

On gun control, Michael Bloomberg -- who’s still pouring money into the issue -- says that California’s (almost certainly) unconstitutional gun control laws  are “something the rest of the country looks to.”

On the Wuhan virus, those ubiquitous “experts” contended that California was a model as long during its most draconian lockdown phase – so Gavin Newsom locked it down again.

On poverty, Georgetown Law professor Peter Edelman stated during an interview that California is the preferred Progressive model:

“Without saying that everything is perfect, this state has been moving in a kind of politics that I do think we should be trying to push and argue for around the country,” Edelman agrees.

Biden and Harris have already indicated that their policies are California’s policies: They will open the border, decriminalize a host of “quality of life” crimes, end all fossil fuels, lockdown America indefinitely because of the Wuhan virus, and engage in extreme gun control. If they win the White House (which means they’ll win Congress too), what you already see in California is what you will see across America.

This election, don’t stay home and pretend it can’t happen here. California shows that it can happen here, and it will happen across America if Progressives gain control.