Two for Today
-The Brennan Center for Justice has just released its A Citizen’s Guide to Redistricting which is available for download in full on their website. Written by Justin Levitt with Bethany Foster, the Guide appears to be a pretty comprehensive overview of the issue. I’m looking forward to diving in - at 113 pages, it shouldn’t take too long to wade through. I’ll post more when I’ve spent some time with it.
-A nice little back and forth over redistricting and the impact of the upcoming election over at the Vivian J. Page blog, which covers Virginia politics with emphasis on redistricting. The 2008 presidential campaign offers great possibility, but also the potential for great setbacks to the increased recent focus in some states on educating voters about the dangers of gerrymandering. Worst case, progressives, so intent on electing Obama, lose sight of the larger goal of re-organizing a dysfunctional government in favor the “quick fix” of a new presidency. Best case, a nice balance is struck, and perhaps even President Obama wades into the “thicket” of redistricting.
The debate over long vs. short-term gains and means-to-ends is always one of the most fascinating to track in politics. What’s most important? In reality, probably “everything, all at once.”