◼ Our laboratories of democracy are moving toward one-party rule - Ed Morrissey/HotAir
This is going to be an interesting phenomenon to watch during the next four years of a continued Obama economy. As the choices made by individual states become more starkly partisan and the results start rolling in, we’re going to be able to compare apples to apples — and I’d bet good money that red states are going to start seeing significant gains in areas over which they have control.
For instance, California has a massive debt crisis on hand, and is sitting atop oil and gas reserves four times as large as those available in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. Although California could sorely use the revenue and jobs that tapping into those resources more would create, they’re obstinately committed to developing an economy more focused on renewables. North Dakota, meanwhile, is taking full advantage of their energy resources, and their economy is going gangbusters with an unemployment rate hovering around three percent.
Implementing ObamaCare, education policy, regulatory agendas, taxes, energy development — there are plenty of policy decisions on which the parties will be able to make their specific mark, and the contrasts between good policies and bad policies are going to be much more readily apparent.
◼ One-Party Control Opens States to Partisan Rush - NYT