I’ve been harping for some time on the melding between the states and federal government that inevitably occurs when a dictator rises to power (most recently, here: So Long, State's Rights). Without beating that dead horse much further, let me simply point out that the states of this union have often provided a check on the excesses of Federalism, and as every politician likes to parrot, are the “laboratory” for experiments in government. Well, we know what the current powers-that-be think of laboratories, don’t we?
It should not be surprising, then, in the plot to overthrow our democracy and replace it with a kleptocracy, that the Republicans/Fascists early and ongoing goal was to co-opt states through district-by-district gerrymanders. Their aim was to take control of state and ultimately federal legislatures and courts. It is by this maneuvering that the current occupant of the White House managed to sweep all seven swing states needed for an electoral college win, despite not actually winning the popular vote. (Not to mention some considerable amount of voting rolls shenanigans).
North Carolina is the poster child for a state that has been gerrymandered into submission. Despite a near even split between the parties, the reactionaries’ control 10 of the 14 Congressional districts. One asshole on the Right famously quipped that they would have made it 11 to 3, if they could have found a way. All this came to pass after the fascists took control of the state Court of Appeals (12 to 3) and the Supreme Court (5 to 2).
As soon as the right-wing had a majority on the state supreme court, they overturned a previous court ruling and declared that partisan gerrymandering was perfectly acceptable. Partisan gerrymandering IS technically legal, except in our case it happens to curiously coincide with race-based selection, which used to be against the law, until about 3 months ago. (Race figures prominently in everything North Carolinian, including who gets elected to the state supreme court.) Anyway, if you’re wondering why we have Democrats in the Governor’s Office, the AG’s office, the State Board of Education, and so on – it’s because those offices are elected state-wide, where gerrymanders have little effect.
Parenthetically, losing control of the NC Supreme Court is a wound the North Carolina Left will have a long time to lick. The road back runs thru Allison Riggs and Anita Earls, and even then, Dems will retain a 2-5 minority until at least 2028.
Also note: It’s not clear that there will be a two-party system in North Carolina or anywhere else in the U.S. by 2028. As things stand now, the opposition party will probably exist in name only. That’s how autocracies roll.
Let’s see, where were we? Oh, yeah – the federal usurpation of state power and identity. In a further move to align North Carolina with the Barge of State that is the current federal government, allow me to introduce DAVE. DAVE is North Carolina’s home-grown response to DOGE.
See, back in 2024, when the legislature saw that the Board of Elections was going to be a continuing thorn in their side, they decided to strip the Governor of the authority to make appointments to that Board, by vesting its control in the hands of Dave Boliek, a former Democrat and now Ultra-MAGA State Auditor. (There’s no true believer like a new believer, eh?). And NOW, they’ve decided that Boliek is just the guy to clean house. Accordingly, they have decided to give him some additional responsibilities.
According to The Caucus[1], “Under the Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency Act (D.A.V.E. for short), Boliek would be tasked with providing lawmakers a report by the end of the year with recommendations of state agencies/divisions/offices that should be dissolved and government positions that should be eliminated.” Un-huh. That’s the same state that currently has 1 in 5 state government jobs unfilled, because something?
I’d like to believe that our state morons, er, politicians, didn’t sit around and think up an acronym for the Act that was the namesake for the guy who runs it, but, hell, why not? It expires at the end of his term, in 2028.
We keep hearing about these machinations and talking among ourselves, “oh, well, it won’t be so bad.” “We just need to keep our heads down and wait it out.” “It’s all part of the pendulum-swing.” “They’ll self-destruct, just watch!” With all that chatter in mind, let me offer you one more acronym to digest: DUPE. Don’t Underestimate Political Extremists – or do so at your peril.
Maybe you believe It’s Get Better. Frankly, I wouldn’t count on it.
[1] A newsletter from The Assembly - https://www.theassemblync.com
North Carolina, gerrymandered out the ying-yang, elected subversives in charge of the legislature and now we have an incipient, self-inflicted, major depression on top of all that; what could possibly go wrong?