Can you say Redistribution of Power?

We have pointed out several times already that one of the most important issues not often raised in the 2010 election cycle concerns the Supreme Court: with the current makeup only slightly conservative, we need a Republican Senate in 2011 to keep President Obama in check. But the other rarely cited issue of nearly equal importance is the looming realignment of House seats which will surely bode ill for the left if the November vote is as Republican as it looks to be.

The GOP is poised to gain a few governorships, perhaps holding up to 32 by the end of the day November 2nd. But more important are the number of state houses which they may grab: some pundits are predicting gains of over 500 total legislative seats. In the Congressional arena itself, many Democrats are on the bubble as they won only marginally in districts generally Republican. But again, looking at the legislative races is where the long term effect of the 2010 elections may be most critical. Why? Because it is the state legislatures which shall control the redistricting process which will occur based on the 2010 Census numbers.

Texas for example looks to have 4 new congressional districts for 2012, and the GOP should keep control of its state house. The New York Senate and Ohio and Pennsylvania Houses of Representatives were only narrowly Democratic after 2008. Will they stay so for January 2011? The GOP even has a decent shot at taking the Alabama legislature, something it has not done since the 1870's.

Yet more bad news faces the left. Can older democratic states such as Michigan, which will lose seats in the second next Congress, continue to the practice of nearly guaranteeing a certain number of liberal seats? Will a population loss in our home state force a battle in 2012 between John Conyers and the newly elected Hansen Clarke for a lone liberal Congressional representative from around here? If the legislature can gerrymander two seats, it surely will; but what will it cost in terms of outstate Democratic officials? How many other rust belt states will face similar troubles?

It looks brighter every day for the GOP. If the victories pile up too much, we may see a Republican majority carved simply out of new Congressional districts. Yes, it's too early to know for sure. And yes, the liberals will surely fight legislative Congressional changes in the courts because its what they do when they don't get their way. Power to the People, until the people disagree with them. But the sun appears to be shining on the right for now, as clouds continue to gather over the Democratic National Committee.