Perhaps more important than the GOP gains at the national level is the crushing number of Republicans who won at the state and local level.
Devastation: GOP Picks Up 680 State Leg. Seats
Republicans now hold the redistricting "trifecta" -- both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship -- in 15 states. They also control the Nebraska governorship and the unicameral legislature, taking the number up to 16. And in North Carolina -- probably the state most gerrymandered to benefit Democrats -- Republicans hold both chambers of the state legislature and the Democratic governor does not have veto power over redistricting proposals.
From Hot Air:
In the longer term, though, Republicans will have more connection to voters and build better organizations in states where they have achieved control. That will put Democrats at a disadvantage for fundraising, but also in developing candidates for public office. It will put more Republicans into statewide offices, into governorships, and into Congress. That impact will likely be felt long past the next census, and may be the most underrated effects of the 2010 wave.
Here in Texas, Republicans now have a super majority in the legislature, meaning Democrats can't stop any legislation from reaching the governor. This is great news for legislation that has been bottled up for years (hello, Voter ID!).
|