Free Republic

But it was the unheralded passage of another initiative that may make the most history and crimp Democrat hopes for a prolonged era of dominance. Proposition 11, which passed with the narrowest of margins (50.8 percent), could mark the most serious challenge to the political class by voters since the foiled term limit movement of the 1990s. It strikes at the core pillar of power: incumbency guaranteed through gerrymandered districts. Californians took away from their legislature the power to draw its own districts--a key element of nearly uninterrupted Democratic control since 1970. The task will now be handled by an...

"What kind of democracy is that?" Mr. Schwarzenegger asked in his State of the State address. He noted that the current system allows special interests to dominate low-turnout party primaries, which thus favor rigidly ideological candidates in both parties. He vowed to repair this "rigged" system even though many incumbents in his own party don't want to put their own seats at risk. ... In tackling redistricting, Mr. Schwarzenegger faces a daunting political challenge. Five times in the past, voters have rejected redistricting reform, including similar commissions. Former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown boasted in the 1980s about his ability to...