While I would absolutely love for California to turn red, Republicans are screwing up their chance. Let's not forget that California is a hugely liberal state. If Elder were to win, he would be doing it with just the support of about 33% of Californians. Therefore, it is rather stupid for both him and Republicans to go rabid red in their campaign, because it does just as you said, encourages the political left and the lefty media to swarm behind the blue team. Both Elder and the Republicans need to tune their message to the center and maybe even the center left because they need the "no" vote in order to win. Their rabid red campaign, doubling down on far right ideals, is changing the polls to read that the "yes" votes are now in the lead by quite a bit, because liberal Californians are beginning to see what would happen to California if the no votes win out.
The right are flushing their own chances right down the toilet. You aren't going to win here by doubling down on far right policies. You're going to lose. I can't believe how utterly stupid they are. The stupidest thing to do would be for the right to show up here in full force, campaigning about their far right platform, driving out the vote of 67% of the state who wold be terrified of a Republican takeover of the state.