The Republican Years?
July 7, 2011 - by
Seeing the Republicans’ gerrymandered redistricting scheme reminds me of the rueful comment made by a wise old Democrat right after the 2010 elections: “We picked a bad year to have a meltdown.”
If this was a “normal” year – i.e., not a redistricting year – Democrats could be confident the Republicans blew their chance.
Take these headlines from today’s paper:
“GOP budget dumps 6,000 students from NC financial aid”
“Forsyth Tech’s GED classes affected by state budget cuts”
“Cuts for Governor’s School may end summer program for gifted students”
And there’s more ammunition to come – with veto-override votes and then a special session on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
That will be the all-important last impression the Republican legislature leaves with voters.
Now, Speaker Tillis may have been right when he told a newspaper recently that the gay-marriage amendment “polls well across the voter base.” (A real profile in political courage, there.)
But the Republicans’ problem, in Raleigh and Washington, is that they appear to be anti-everything – and about as tolerant as the Taliban.
So Democrats shouldn’t abandon hope. If legal challenges don’t delay redistricting, Democrats can paint a vivid picture of how Republicans handled the task. Show voters the convoluted maps. Show how many counties are split up and shuffled around.
For the long run, take heart, and be patient. The Republicans may parlay 2010 into a few years of dominance. But they are rapidly sowing the seeds of their eventual defeat. And the payback won’t be pretty.
The Republican Years?
July 7, 2011/
Seeing the Republicans’ gerrymandered redistricting scheme reminds me of the rueful comment made by a wise old Democrat right after the 2010 elections: “We picked a bad year to have a meltdown.”
If this was a “normal” year – i.e., not a redistricting year – Democrats could be confident the Republicans blew their chance.
Take these headlines from today’s paper:
“GOP budget dumps 6,000 students from NC financial aid”
“Forsyth Tech’s GED classes affected by state budget cuts”
“Cuts for Governor’s School may end summer program for gifted students”
And there’s more ammunition to come – with veto-override votes and then a special session on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
That will be the all-important last impression the Republican legislature leaves with voters.
Now, Speaker Tillis may have been right when he told a newspaper recently that the gay-marriage amendment “polls well across the voter base.” (A real profile in political courage, there.)
But the Republicans’ problem, in Raleigh and Washington, is that they appear to be anti-everything – and about as tolerant as the Taliban.
So Democrats shouldn’t abandon hope. If legal challenges don’t delay redistricting, Democrats can paint a vivid picture of how Republicans handled the task. Show voters the convoluted maps. Show how many counties are split up and shuffled around.
For the long run, take heart, and be patient. The Republicans may parlay 2010 into a few years of dominance. But they are rapidly sowing the seeds of their eventual defeat. And the payback won’t be pretty.