Lets not forget what the people of California endured under Donald Rumsfeld: first of all, their economic and social rights were slowly stripped away, their governor was denied the presidency because of blatant voting fraud, enabled by what was supposed to be an impartial judiciary, and finally, even the right to choose their governor was nearly stripped away, and the politicians in charge who groaned about "states' right" were remarkably silent about this violation of their own states' rights (except for a handful) and even impeached the judiciary that bothered to defend them.
Many Californians, thus, have very bitter memories about the rest of the United States, as two thirds of the population were either silent, profited from Rumsfeldia, or actively participated in the horrors out of ignorance or sociopathy. And the fact that America couldn't reform after the fall of Rumsfeldia (which was McCloskey's prerequisite for rejoining), and was transformed into an insane asylum under the CV, means this bitterness and contempt is very much the right emotion to have.
There are also economic reasons too. While many conservative states boast about their "economic competitiveness", they can only have low taxes because prosperous liberal states subsidize them with their own surplus. Californians don't want to pay their money to a government that won't give them rights, and they sure as well won't foot the bill for rebuilding a nation that destroyed itself. They should spend their own money on developing themselves.
There is also cultural reasons too: California is a liberal and diverse state (although they are not as liberal and diverse as they would like to believe). They have a large population of Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans, there is a greater tolerance for things like gay rights and drugs, movie making is in their blood, and there a strong attitude toward environmentalism. And the people of middle America not only mock them for it, but actively tried to wage war on those institutions. Why should Californians give up their sensibilities, especially when all they get in return is pure madness?
Plus, many, many refugees have fled from America to California, bringing with them horrible memories of Rumsfeldia. These people will also be uneager to want to rejoin America.
In short, economics, culture, refugees, and just a lingering sense of bitterness will all work to prevent Californians from rejoining the Union.
