Will on Arnie
washingtonpost.com: California Revolution
Another glowing tribute by George Will to an up & coming pol. This time, it's one that most are familiar with: Arnold Schwarzenegger. A good read for one simple reason ... like it or not, Arnie is well on his way towards setting something close to a gold standard for reforming a major state government.
Like Will, I have my disdain for the spending-by-initiative process that California employs. There's a role for initiative & referendum, but California's version goes well over the line, making a fulltime legislature a meaningless political body.
But by any means necessary, Arnie has taken on some sacred cows rather effectively, goring them just fine and dandy without any major hit to his political Q-rating thus far. There's a lot to emulate there by members of either party.
Regarding the redistricting concept, I think Will makes a unique point with this:
Democrats now hold 33 of California's 53 congressional seats. In November, just three of the 53 races were won with less than 60 percent. Increasing competitiveness statewide probably would disproportionately increase Republican turnout in a state Bush lost by 10 percent in 2004 without seriously campaigning in it. If California again becomes competitive in presidential elections, Democratic candidates, deprived of 55 sure electoral votes, will be disadvantaged.
I dunno ... I think this "depressed turnout" theory cuts both ways when you have such uneventful November elections and the effect will likely be a wash. If one is a Democrat in a heavily Dem or GOP district, what's to suggest they're any more or less likely to sit at home on Election Day than a Republican just because the outcome is effectively known? Like a lot of non-voter theories, there's a heavy dose of speculation that goes into any guesstimate of what the effect will be. I've long been under the impression that California's Democratic majority is a lock waiting to be picked, but it will just take the right kind of Republican to pick that lock. Arnie, obviously was that kind. And I think if a moderate Republican (or even McCain) wins the GOP Presidential nomination, California is highly contestable.