TW: A perenially under-reported political story is what happens at the state legislature level during the national elections. As the article relates, the state legislatures are key "incubators" of future political leaders and of public policy, not to mention the arbiters of one of the worst customs of American democracy, gerrymandering of Congressional districts. The Dems added to their numbers at the state level gaining control of 4 more state legislatures:
Bi-cameral Dem control: before 23, now 27
Bi-cameral Republican control: before 8, now 8
Split control: before 12, now 8
On a sour note, one place where the Republicans won big was Tennessee, my birth state, where the Republicans won control of both the house and senate (not to mention Obama lost TN by 15%). Tennessee politically is going one way, much of the rest of the country a better way. There was a time when Tennessee was a beacon of light in the South, not so much anymore.
From the Economist:
"...those “incubators of democracy” that set much of America’s public policy, redraw federal legislative districts and train future congressmen, senators and presidents. Indeed, half the members of the current Congress served in a state legislature...They took the New York Senate, controlled by Republicans since 1966. The governor and the state Assembly both favour legalising gay marriage. A Democratic Senate might, too...
As blue states got bluer, red states got redder. The Republicans made up for their losses up north with victories in Tennessee and Oklahoma. Neither has ever had a Republican legislature. There haven’t been this few divided legislatures since 1982"
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12573331
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