Flap’s Links and Comments for March 9th on 10:52

These are my links for March 9th from 10:52 to 11:46:

• California Census data will bring a big shift in Legislative and Congressional Districts – When state legislators drew new districts for themselves and their congressional colleagues in 2001, they were interested only in political impacts and largely ignored demographic changes revealed in the 2000 census.
  The bipartisan gerrymander was aimed at preserving the numerical status quo in both the 120-member Legislature and the 53-member congressional delegation by designating the partisan ownership of every district.

  The public's adverse reaction to the insider deal, however, led to a 2008 ballot measure that shifted legislative redistricting to an independent "citizens' commission" and a 2010 measure that added congressional seats to its duties.

  On Tuesday, the Census Bureau released the detailed 2010 census data that the commission will use to draw new legislative and congressional districts, as well as four Board of Equalization districts, and the numbers confirmed that big changes are in the air.

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  There will be some big shifts to the detriment of the dominant Democrats, especially in Northern California and the coastal areas.

• Sarah Palin Would Base Presidential Campaign in Arizona – Like Goldwater in ’64? – A source tells Ben Smith that Sarah Palin would base her possible presidential campaign in Scottsdale, Arizona, close to where Bristol Palin recently bought a house.

  "Basing a campaign there would be a provocative rejection of any lingering political cost from those who connect her harsh rhetoric and Gabrielle Giffords' shooting — a traditional refusal to retreat. It's also the core of the politically contested, fast-growing new West. And it would also hark back, perhaps not to McCain, more a Washington figure than an Arizona one, but to what now stands as the iconic campaign for many base Republican voters: Goldwater '64

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  Sarah's polling numbers against Obama are not very good. She may be able to win a multi-way GOP primary in some states but that is probably the extent of her campaign.