GOP Splits on Schwarzenegger's Remap Overhaul

October 17, 2005

GOP Splits on Schwarzenegger's Remap Overhaul

One key reason polls show little public enthusiasm for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) redistricting initiative "is that most Democratic officials are united against it." But CQ Politics Weekly says there is another factor: "Schwarzeneggerís inability to rally a united Republican counterforce on the issue."

The initiative would take congressional and legislative redistricting out of the hands of state legislators and turn it over to a panel of retired judges.

Chuck Todd praises the proposal and argues it would be a missed opportunity if it doesn't pass. "Bottom line, California initiatives are like colds, they're very catchy. If this reform measure passes in California, every other state with an initiative/referendum process would likely follow suit. And there are far more gerrymandered states in favor of the GOP right now than the Democrats. Redrawing the districts in these states would lead to Congress being much more representative of the national mood."

Kos also backs the proposal. "I'm not sure why busting the current incumbent-protection racket would be a bad thing, why creating competitive districts and forcing incumbents to be more responsive to their constituents than the current 70-80 percent partisan districts require."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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October 17, 2005