GOP Shouldn’t Need Tricks
Posted: January 31, 2013
Know that old saying about a stopped, or broken, watch being right twice a day? Well, Dick Saslaw had one of those moments Tuesday — and the mere fact that he did make sense shows how misguided, bordering on politically puerile, state Republicans have become.
“What they couldn’t do at the ballot box,” the Senate Democratic leader said, “they tried to do with a pencil.”
Of course, Mr. Saslaw is referring to GOP efforts this General Assembly session to change the electoral playing field. We’ve already taken Republicans to task for their dead-of-night reconfiguration of legislative districts already redrawn. Now we must take issue, as Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Upperville, already has, with the GOP’s scheme to replace the winner-take-all method of awarding Electoral College votes with a system of apportioning them by the result in each congressional district.
After two straight losses to Barack Obama, state Republicans are frustrated. So are we. But the way to win the hearts of voters is through the power of ideas, not legislative gimcrackery.
“What they couldn’t do at the ballot box,” the Senate Democratic leader said, “they tried to do with a pencil.”
Of course, Mr. Saslaw is referring to GOP efforts this General Assembly session to change the electoral playing field. We’ve already taken Republicans to task for their dead-of-night reconfiguration of legislative districts already redrawn. Now we must take issue, as Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Upperville, already has, with the GOP’s scheme to replace the winner-take-all method of awarding Electoral College votes with a system of apportioning them by the result in each congressional district.
After two straight losses to Barack Obama, state Republicans are frustrated. So are we. But the way to win the hearts of voters is through the power of ideas, not legislative gimcrackery.