THE CLINTON LEGACY: The Hidden Election

[DaveSZ]

I thought this was interesting to note:


http://prorev.com/legacy.htm

NATIONAL CONF OF STATE LEGISLATURES
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/elect/hstptyct.htm
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/elect/demshare2000.htm


THE CLINTON LEGACY
The Hidden Election

USA Today calls it "the hidden election," in which nearly 7,000 state legislative seats are decided with only minimal media and public attention. The paper took brief notice because this is the year the state legislatures perform their most important national function: drawing revised congressional districts based on the most recent census.

But there's another important national story here: further evidence of the disaster that Bill Clinton has been for the Democratic Party. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Democrats held a 1,542 seat lead in the state bodies in 1990. As of last November that lead had shrunk to 288. That's a loss of over 1,200 state legislative seats, nearly all of them under Clinton. Across the US, the Democrats control only 65 more state senate seats than the Republicans.

Further, in 1992, the Democrats controlled 17 more state legislatures than the Republicans. After November, the Republicans control one more than the Democrats. Not only is this a loss of 9 legislatures under Clinton, but it is the first time since 1954 that the GOP has controlled more state legislatures than the Democrats (they tied in 1968).

Here's what happened to the Democrats under Clinton, based on our latest figures:

- GOP seats gained in House since Clinton became president: 48
- GOP seats gained in Senate since Clinton became president: 8
- GOP governorships gained since Clinton became president: 11
- GOP state legislative seats gained since Clinton became president: 1,254
as of 1998
- State legislatures taken over by GOP since Clinton became president: 9
- Democrat officeholders who have become Republicans since Clinton became
president: 439 as of 1998
- Republican officeholders who have become Democrats since Clinton became president: 3

[wildmanj]

1. clinton

horse manure-----where clinton goes i shall be there----for hillary having to rethink that one

[jus_the_facts]

2. RAYGUN did this...NOT CLINTON......

......with his SCOTUS appointments....and all the gerrymandering of districts! :puke:

[napi21]

3. The stats are probably true, but the story leaves out the real story.

The Pubs were sooo pi**ed off when Nixon was forced to leave office, they retreated into a long term planning mode. They decided that the best approach was to start at the very local level EVERYWHERE. With school boards, city council members, etc. Then lay the next level into state legislatures, governors, etc. It was a brilliant plan, and it worked! When you get the majority in a state, you get the ability to change voting districts, and deviously elect more of "your kind".

This didn't happen over night, and you can't blame it on Clinton.

The Dems need to concentate on a similar plan. We get all excited about a National election, but pay little to no attention to local elections. How many people even know the names of the people on their city or county council?

[sam sarrha]

4. it is due more to the flim flam artistry of the Reich Wingers.. new Cd

Documentary on Carl Rove, called 'Bush's Brain: how could this have happened?' that explains the con job Rove and the right wing media control did on demonizing the liberals to the point of rewriting the "Definition" of Liberal.. and turning it into a dirty word. Liberal simply means those that believe in the Democratic Process to initiate Change. The right only wants maintain or return to some fantasy that never existed.. like the 'Reagan Golden years'. by making the rich richer.

and now we have the NEOCON's that believe if the country is destroyed a 'Utopia' will rise up out of the 'Ashes'. This is a quote i heard many times by the people in the Cabnet... "Our goal is to shrink the American Government down to the size we can drown it in a bath tub and kill it." that started in the Reagan White House.

[Bucky]

5. That biggest number uses bad math

The drop in Democratic advantage in legislative seats held went from 1542 more than Republicans to only 288 more. The reporter calls that "a loss of over 1,200 state legislative seats." Nope. If you figure that each Democratic loss is also a Republican gain, then that's only a loss of 600, not 1200 seats.

This decade, by the by, was also the decade in which the last of the old long-time Democratic officeholders in the South retired. The more Republican-friendly generation of Trent Lott is now in power. Lyndon Johnson predicted this back when he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The 90s was the decade that completed that cycle. The drop off was inevitable and the Democrats still hold more seats in state legislatures in total than Republicans do.

There is no longer talk of an alliance between Republicans and southern Democrats in Washington, by the way. The obvious reason is because the remaining southern Democrats are all moderates and progressives now. Zell was the last. Now it's just us and the house is looking a lot more organized already.

[DaveSZ]

6. Kick

kick

[Bucky]

7. Aoowtchh!!! Don't kick so hard!

:kick:

[BeFree]

8. Media

Considering that the media, the mind-food for the Sheeple, went against Dems for the last ten years, it no longer remains a mystery as to why the pukes gained.

Thanks Bucky for the LBJ flashback. The civil rights movement was a revolution in the USA, and the backlash has just about petered out.

It's time for a new revolution. A revolution for equal rights with Liberty and Justice, for all. Everyone. Once and for all. Let's get it done, Kerry will lead. Kerry on!

[Toots]

9. I would give more credit to Rush Limbaugh than Clinton

It was the brainwashing of America not anything Clinton did. In fifty years history will show Clinton was one of our best Presidents ever.