More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
Whilst we've concerned ourselves with the results of the House, Senate and gubernatorial races, we may have overlooked one of the most consequential results of the historic 2010 election:
Republicans picked up 680 seats in state legislatures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures -- the most in the modern era. To put that number in perspective: In the 1994 GOP wave, Republicans picked up 472 seats. The previous record was in the post-Watergate election of 1974, when Democrats picked up 628 seats.
The GOP gained majorities in at least 14 state house chambers. They now have unified control -- meaning both chambers -- of 26 state legislatures.
That control is a particularly bad sign for Democrats as they go into the redistricting process. If the GOP is effective in gerrymandering districts in many of these states, it could eventually lead to the GOP actually expanding its majority in 2012.
Republicans now hold the redistricting "trifecta" -- both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship -- in 15 states.
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May '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
Oh, to see more Right to Work states and a general kneecapping of the AFSCME where state government workers are concerned!
Politically viable, and economically necessary. Plus, it's not as if the unions could hate and smear Republicans more than they already do.
Jun '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
That's a funny perspective. Fewer Democrats gained seats after a Republican president resigned than the number of seats Republicans gained after just 18 months of Obama. Mind officially blown.
Jul '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
"The GOP holds the redistricting trifecta in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Ohio - plus, as noted earlier, Nebraska and North Carolina."
Awesome. Look at all those purple states that will have the opportunity to maximize R's in their delegations.
Aug '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
Everybody remember what Republican means ? I need 680 affirmatives please . Or we assign ten people to each new pol (6800) to make sure . Pretty easily distributed across our milieu ... right ? Pretty please ?
Oct '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
That was not the case here in Washington (sigh!) We are little better of than California in that regard. Hopefully the "two flushes" metaphor will apply here in 2012.
Jul '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
California will have a citizen board do the re-districting. This is the result of a ballot initiative in 2008. The pols tried to sell two different, competing, confusing Propositions on Tuesday that would have put re-districting back into their paws, but in a sole nod to sanity, the voters told them to go take a hike.
Jul '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
This election is fascinating because it has worked exactly according to the Constitutional structure.
Those governmental structures closest to the people responded most vividly to the people. The state legislatures responded overwhelmingly to the spirit of the day. Not only is this important from the redisticting standpoint, it matters even more in that - as much as we obsess about the federal government - our lives are much more impacted by state government. It also sharpens the distinction between those states obliviously sliding to decadance and those leaping towards liberty.
Second most impacted is the House. Designed by the Framers to be responsive to the passions of the people. Bingo.
The Senate, designed to dampen those passions, was more muted.
Somehow it all works as designed.
Sep '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
To be fair, there are now 58 states in the Union.
May '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
Another benefit of all those legislature pickups is they will serve as the "minor league farm teams" for future GOP candidates. This should give great "bench strength" in the future for statewide and national slots in the future.
Jul '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
"If the GOP is effective in gerrymandering districts in many of these states....."
"If"
What does that tell You about the history of the GOP when they have control? I smell more compromise.
Edited on Nov 5, 2010 at 3:54amMay '10
Re: More Spoils of Tuesday's GOP Victory
Jason Hart: Oh, to see more Right to Work states and a general kneecapping of the AFSCME where state government workers are concerned!
Politically viable, and economically necessary. Plus, it's not as if the unions could hate and smear Republicans more than they already do. · Nov 4 at 5:13pm
There is nothing that would benefit Michigan more than eliminating the union shop. Imagine if the UAW disappeared- Hyundai would be there in an instant buying vacant assembly plants, and hiring people for $50k a year with reasonable benefits but no stultifying work rules, the system that has made Nissan and Honda employees prosper in Mississippi\ and Tennessee.
And dare to dream about a new California. I still believe that it is time to split the state in half- I would vote for aid to California if they created two states and passed right-to-work. Irene Dunne was right 60 years ago.