The San Mateo County election results of June 3 were shocking in one very significant and historic way: The Republican Party on the Peninsula is no longer an after-thought; it is invisible, a complete and utter non-factor. Claude Rains, come on down. Just look at the semi-official final numbers as posted by the County Election Office. Of the 71,071 votes cast, 41,827 were by Democrats, just 17,752 by Republicans. Of the so-called undeclared voters, 4,191 requested Democrat ballots; 640 asked for the Republican version. For the GOP, once the dominant political party in the county, these are exceedingly tough times. In fact, for the first time in anyone’s memory, those who say they are members of no particular party outnumber registered Republicans. That is a stunning development. There are well over twice as many Democrats as Republicans here. And the trend is becoming more pronounced. This latest election, though the turnout was weak across the board, was just one more stark reminder. To say that county Republicans are dispirited and depressed would be a gross understatement. Let’s face it, the party barely has a pulse rate. The Peninsula, for all intents and purposes, is a one-trick political pony. And it figures to stay that way for a very long time indeed.