One Word: Redistricting

by folkbum

I haven't seen any discussion of this anywhere since last Tuesday, and yet it is quite possibly the most important dimension to the Democrats' regaining control of the Wisconsin Assembly and keeping control of the Wisconsin Senate. That's redistricting.

Now, I know we still have one state election between now and when the leggies break out the crayons and white-out. However, the Democrats will be playing defense in the 2010 election, not offense, and the odds of their still being in charge when that dust settles is better than average, particularly if the surprisingly resilient Jim Doyle sticks around and cruises to re-election against Scott Walker.

In principal, I believe in partisan-free redistricting. Draw boundaries that follow municipal and geographic boundaries, I say, partisanship be damned. But I have come to learn in recent years that the partisans on the other side hold no such romantic notions about the process (see, for example, Georgia or Texas). I would wager pretty much anything that, pluck a random blogger from the righty Cheddarsphere, and they would say, roughly, "Stick it to 'em" if they had the chance.

I've been wondering what kind of mission this blog would need following the late victory. This may be it. Stay tuned.