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A Centrist’s POV: Redistricting Round-up

January 26th, 2008
By PAUL SILVER

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California and Arizona
are both preparing to vote on redistricting plans aiming to reduce political distortions.

The California version focuses on trying to keep cities and counties contiguous, rather than broken up into obscure gerrymandered shapes. Perhaps these new districts can be made more competitive for candidates by pairing communities with different political inclinations. In order for Gov Schwarzenegger to get support for this from the Democratic leaders he had to agree to allow the term limit laws to be altered to give those leaders an extended stay in power.

The Arizona version is more precisely aimed at making the districts competitive which may allow for some splitting of cities and counties. With more competitive districts we will have a better chance of electing more moderate and pragmatic representatives who have to appeal to a diverse electorate, rather than ideological extremists who have little inclination or need to compromise.

I am delighted that these states may join Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Jersey and Washington that have objective redistricting plans that aim to allow the voters to choose their representatives rather than the representatives choosing their voters.



This entry was posted on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 7:48 am and is filed under Campaign Reform, Redistricting, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elections, Moderates, Centrists. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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