The Virginia Ruling Bolstered Democracy, If Not Democrats

Distraught that the Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a statewide referendum that would have enabled them to gerrymander their way to a 10-to-1 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation in November, up from the current 6-to-5 split, some Democrats are reportedly considering a novel response: firing the whole court.

They shouldn’t. The Virginia court’s 4-3 decision last week is undeniably a blow to the Democrats in the distasteful and bizarre partisan gerrymandering race to the bottom, now including Alabama, that has been unleashed by the US Supreme Court. And the justices in Washington aren’t going to overturn the decision of the justices in Richmond, despite the state’s appeal of the ruling.