To follow up on yesterday's post on the Virginia GOP and it's attempt to gerrymander presidential elections, ThinkProgress reports that one Republican-State Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel-abstained from the initial vote, sending it to the Privileges and Elections Committee without full recommendation.
Her abstention was more procedural than anything else-she chairs the redistricting subcommittee-but she has announced her opposition to the proposal. If the bill reaches the floor, and Vogel joins the Democratic opposition-it will fail to win passage, on account of the Virginia Senate's even split between Republicans and Democrats.
One thing worth noting about this is how much it's a just an admission of electoral defeat. Last year was only the second time in over 40 years that Virginia voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, and even still, it remains more Republican than the 270th electoral vote-any Democrat close to winning Virginia has already cleared the hurdle for the White House.
The only reason to pursue a scheme like this is if you no longer think you can convince voters to support you. And if that's true, then-in the long-term-no amount of changing the rules can save their electoral fortunes.
