Posted on 02/13/2012 11:31:42 AM PST by NCDragon
RALEIGH, N.C. — Three years ago, 98 Democrats arrived at the North Carolina General Assembly to begin yet another session in the majority.
Longtime Sen. Marc Basnight and Rep. Joe Hackney again led their respective chambers to continue the party's almost uninterrupted period of control since 1898.
But governing through a rough economy, followed by an election that gave Republicans the gavels of power and pencils to redraw district boundaries for the next decade, mean fewer than half those Democratic lawmakers will be around the Legislative Building in 2013.
A review of election defeats, resignations and retirements shows that of the 30 Democratic senators in early 2009, 19 of them are no longer in the Senate or won't return after this year. In the House, 37 of the 68 Democrats in 2009 either are already gone, announced they won't seek re-election in 2012 or will be at home. Some won't return in 2013 because they'll lose to a fellow incumbent in the May primary. Others may not win in November. The candidate filing period begins Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
Methinks Guvnah' Dumplin' saw the writing on the wall and decided, (after being pushed from Obama?) that she would not run simply to lose this year!
Or, perhaps she didn’t think she would have coattails on which to ride back into the Governor’s Mansion.
Rats leaving a sinking ship.
“After you’ve been in the majority and you’re used to having things a certain way, it’s much more difficult to be in the minority,” said Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake.
Believe it or not, we’ve had some of the same things happen in Minnesota. Back in 2010, the GOP won control of the state senate for the first time since 1970.
Since then, a number of long-time Dem legislators have suddenly decided that it’s no fun to be in the minority and have either resigned mid-term or are not running for re-election.
I’m glad to hear it. We have a time share there and I hate to even go anymore. They’ve been banning everything from plastic bags to smoking. Some people might agree with this crazy stuff but it’s the idea that they can just take away convenience at the drop of a pin.
Maybe even a few of them did a little soul searching and decided they can't walk lock step with the Marxist agenda coming from the White House. Ehhh probably not.
The Marxist agenda is kinda like blackmail, or maybe a SMLE — to appreciate it, you got to be on the right end of it.
The "right" end of the Marxist agenda is firmly planted in the gubmint, and if you ain't there, you're little people — on the WORNG end.
She was (is) an unqualified hack who, if she ran in year OTHER than '08, gets her head handed to her by the electorate.
Wouldn't surprise me if BO whispered "Drop out" in her ear. He's still under some delusion that he can carry NC.
Finally, in the 2010 elections, the GOP prevailed (with surprising ease that few saw coming) in the State Senate and State House despite the creative district lines. And furthermore (huzzah!) the newly elected General Assembly got the opportunity to draw new districts for themselves and for the U.S. Congress, based on the 2010 Census, for elections beginning this year -- and the Governor, a Dem, had no veto on redistricting, a legacy of NC's "weak governor" system kept in place by Dems in the General Assembly to increase their own power. Can you say "backfire"?
Now, with new district lines for the State Senate and House (oh, yeah, they are every bit as gerrymandered in the GOP's favor as the old lines were for the Dems -- sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander), the Republicans should have a lock on the General Assembly at least until the next redistricting rolls around, in 2022.
We've seen this "tipping point" phenomenon in other Southern states before -- once a GOP legislative majority is achieved in a legislative body, there ensues an acceleration of the trend to the Republicans. Old Dem hands decide they can't bear to be in the powerless minority, so they retire, or in a few cases, change parties. And, of course, we have the redistricting on top of that.
What we need now is a Republican Governor, and I think we'll get that in Pat McCrory. He's not perfect -- he has a tinge of RINOism to him, and he supported an absurd commuter rail system in Charlotte while he was mayor -- but he has been running to the right, and has pledged his support to certain "red meat" issues like the push to require photo IDs in order to vote, and slashing of State spending. I am optimistic.
For those of you in the Raleigh area, please consider my old shipmate and friend, Bill Randall for Congress!
You will like his conservative cred!
http://www.randallforcongress.com/
Bump for later reading
Good job at the local level for the ‘Pubs. Glad to hear it. I’ve got my eye on a place at the beach on Topsail Island. It’d be nice to be in a politically friendly state (even if I’m a Yankee).
The day it was announced that she would not seek reelection, we had lunch in Durham. At the next table were a bunch of democrat party people they were discussing fund raising and gotv strategy for the coming election. Right before they left the restaurant the discussion turned to Perdue and they talked about the party pushing her out. They acknowledged she would not win reelection.
I kept kicking my husband and asking him “did you hear that?”. lol
More likely, with the ability to deliver earmarks and favors to contributors greatly reduced, being a legislator is no longer profitable enough to interest them.
Yes, he is a good man. Hope he wins.
Exactly my sentiment when I read this in the Virginian Pilot the other day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.