Last year, when I dared question the support of Barack Obama for president, I was told repeatedly that the Supreme Court appointments were what mattered. Well Virginia, redistricting is our Supreme Court.
I’ve always been clear that the closer government is to me, the more it affects me. At stake in this election is how we Virginians will live and function for the next twelve years. There will be no other race between now and the time the legislature undertakes redistricting in the 2011 General Assembly session. The lines that will be drawn will remain in effect until 2021.
If you want the Republicans to control two thirds of the redistricting puzzle, then go ahead – write in someone other than Creigh Deeds for governor. Think about it: Bob McDonnell as governor is one vote away from controlling the entire redistricting process. And we know how well things worked for Democrats since the last redistricting controlled by Republicans. Despite his election year conversion, I don’t trust McDonnell to stick with his pledge of bipartisan redistricting. It’s just too tempting for him to not at least try to change the one Senate vote he needs. Besides, if he goes back on a campaign pledge, it’s not as if there is a mechanism to hold his feet to the fire: he doesn’t have to face the electorate again.
We have a shot at changing the redistricting process. And that shot lies solely with the election of Creigh Deeds as governor. Despite my differences with the man (and yes, there are many), at the end of the day, I refuse to lose sight of the goal.
At the end of the day, this election is about putting the voters first. A vote for anyone other than Creigh Deeds is a vote against the voters of Virginia.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Vivian, we are about a week and a half away from the election, and I am still yet to hear a reason to vote FOR Creigh Deeds rather than AGAINST Bob McDonnell. The polls continue to give McDonnell more and more momentum, and it is very clear that the negative campaigning and support from the grassroots (along with a very unclear definition on his campaign) is what is doing Deeds in.
So, I will ask a couple questions. First off, why should me, as a Republican in Virginia, vote FOR Creigh Deeds? And, what should motivate a Virginia Independent voter to vote FOR Deeds, knowing that they already have a Democrat in the White House and both seats of the Senate, not to mention an eight year hold to date on the governor’s mansion?
And yes, I did intend to put extra emphasis on “for” and “against”. I’m looking for reasoning that does not cite McDonnell, Bolling, Cuccinelli, or Republicans in general. I can say I like Bob McDonnell’s plans to sell ABC stores for transportation and that he takes a strong pro-life stance. What is Deeds’ appeal?
Oh you mean outside of his strong support for years for bipartisan redistricting, one which I have documented on this blog? As a Republican, you should be as interested in bipartisan redistricting as anyone, because it puts the voters first.
Or maybe you missed my earlier post on why Deeds will be the governor of all of Virginia? No mention of McDonnell in there.
How about that I happen to think that his idea of how to handle transportation is the way to go? That we’ve not had any success in the past doing it any other way? That the idea emcompasses everything – including consideration of the sale of ABC stores – as long as at the end, we get the money we need to fund transportation?
Or his support of a woman’s right to choose? (Although as a pro-life Republican, you’re not going to like that one. But given that it is the law of the land, no governor can overturn it.)
To paraphrase what Grover Norquist said last night;
Anything bipartisan is usually stupid and a bad idea.
Nonpartisan ideas are anything that makes sense and would better the state.
Bipartisan redistricting means we get a set number of dem seats, a set number of GOP seats, and a few that are up for grabs to play with.
Non-partisan is what we need. A computer should be drawing these lines, not any group of people. Let the computer draw it, then let the politicians have their say. At least then we start off with a fair deal.
Oh, I would much prefer non-partisan redistricting. But I’m a realist: there is no political will in VA to do true non-partisan redistricting. So the best we can hope for (at least for now) is bipartisan redistricting. At the very least, though, I hope they remove incumbent protection from one of the principles of drawing the lines.
But who programs the computers?
I’d say we both parties could agree to some common sense parameters;
geometric regularity
similar economy throughout
conformity with existing political boundaries
For example, the 90th District has one precinct in Virginia Beach, 12 in Norfolk, and 4 in Chesapeake. The 100th is the entire Eastern Shore with one precinct in Norfolk by the Naval base that is split withe 79th district which gets a couple precincts in upper Larchmont, the rest of the district being Hampton.
A computer would consolidate these districts so that Norfolk is not split up piecemeal and the Eastern Shore would get something across the bay where the economy is more similar.
Isn’t it funny how some Democrats in Virginia only began to embrace so-called “non-partisan redistricting” — an uncommonly silly concept; anything political is “partisan” — only when the GOP became competitive?
Correction, 79th is Portsmouth.
You do know how the 79th ended up that way, right? Partisan redistricting. And before the Republicans did it in 2001, the Dems did the same thing.
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Democrats weren’t worried about bi-partisan redistricting (or bi-partisan anything else) for the century+ that they controlled state government. Republicans would do well to emulate them and use the redistricting process to strengthen their grip on power.
Like it or not, that’s how it works. Dems should quit whining and win more elections.
We’ve had this conversation already, Brian. Two wrong STILL do add up to a right. And I’ve been calling for bipartisan redistricting for a long time, even taking Dems to task who didn’t support it.
I’d put more stock in your argument if you or any other Dem had been pushing it before Vance Wilkins reshaped the General Assembly.
You don’t have any proof that I or any other Dem didn’t push it before then, Brian.
If you don’t believe in bipartisan redistricting,just say so and stop trying to hide behind the idea that it’s always been done that way, so let’s keep doing it that way.
You want me to prove a negative? That burden is on you. Can you find any Democrats pushing for bipartisan redistricting when they controlled Richmond? I suspect that I know the answer to that one. Wold you even brought up this subject if Dems controlled the GA?
It’s not so much that I’m against bipartisan redistricting, It would probably improve the political milieu. What galls me is the notion that favoring it is the morally superior position. Republicans have no obligation to put away political tools that Dems used against them for generations.
McDonnell may not have to answer to another vote is he breaks his promise for bipartisan redistricting, but Bill Bolling will.
Yep. And I would hope the voters would remember. But then again, voters have the tendency to have short memories.
Whats the margin in the senate? What if Creigh wins and we take his senate seat? Conversely, what if Cooch wins and you all take his senate seat?
The margin is one seat. Right now, the Ds have 21 seats and the Rs 19. A single flip of a D would cause a 20-20 tie, with the LG casting the tie-breaking vote.
Republicans are unlikely to win Deeds’ seat – look at the partisanship makeup of the electorate in that district on vpap.
Democrats are likely to win Cooch’s seat. Again – look at the maps on vpap.