What would happen if the winner of the Super Bowl got to make the rules for next season? Instead of getting the last pick in the draft, the champs got to take the first pick? What if they could decide which division they played in and could pick an easier schedule? As a result, they would virtually ensure consecutive championships for the foreseeable future. If that sounds unsporting, unethical, and even absurd, that’s about what the Republicans are doing to Tennessee’s political system.

To press their already huge advantage, the GOP majority has been busy “redistricting” or redrawing the map so they are likely to win more seats in the future. By splicing up Shelby County, they have reduced the Senate seats from five to four and whittled down five African American incumbents to three seats. Of course, the only legitimate reason to redistrict is when there are population changes in a specific area. Splitting counties and forcing Democrat incumbents to run against each other has nothing to do with re-balancing the districts and everything to do with a power grab. (more…)