Washington Post (Op-Ed): Democrats might lose the House because they didn’t embrace gerrymandering

By the beginning of the 21st century, only a handful of Republicans could still be seen as Progressive-style reformers. These included people such as Sen. John McCain, who aligned with Democrats on campaign finance reform and made a lot of enemies within his own party in doing so, and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has advocated clean campaigns and redistricting reforms and is hardly in sync with most modern Republicans.

All this is to say that there is a substantial political movement that very much believes in and advocates for “clean” government and campaigns — with limited influence of money and special interests, fair redistricting processes, professional management of government, etc. — and is willing to advocate for it even when it hurts their own party. They believe in good government as a goal in itself, rather than as a means to advancing some range of policies or electing a team.

This movement is overwhelmingly aligned with Democrats today. There simply aren’t many Republicans who make these arguments. Note, for example, the remarks by Colorado Common Cause leader Amanda Gonzalez, who defended the latest redistricting trends: “By taking the process out of the hands of politicians, I’m sure it frustrates some people in power. But I think it’s a process that’s much more trusted by the average Coloradan. I think that’s ultimately a good thing.”