Look Downticket, Voter

The late, great Molly Ivins cut her reporting teeth covering the Texas state legislature, which is to regularly insane legislatures like Kentucky's as Rand Paul is to Trey Grayson: off the charts crazy.

She had way too much fun writing about it - almost as much fun as we had reading about it - but one aspect she was dead serious about: when it comes to the laws and regulations that make your daily life easier or more difficult, your state legislature has far more power than Washington, D.C.

Peterr at Firedoglake makes the case that this year it's more true than ever:

There’s nothing that the people running campaigns in downticket races fear more than a tidal wave at the top of the ticket. Some voters will be discouraged at being swept away by the wave, and won’t come to the polls. Other voters, excited to be part of the wave, will come and vote in that big race and maybe a couple more, but then leave the booth and neglect the other races entirely.

But next week, which seems destined to turn DC into gridlock once more, may prove the importance of those downticket races.

On foreclosure fraud, health insurance, school standards and much, much more, your local races are where the power is.

But the monster elephant in the room, as karoli at Crooks and Liars puts it, is gerrymandering. Next year states will redraw the congressional and legislative district lines based on the 2010 census. That's your governor and state legislators. The people you will be voting for or against on Tuesday. On this one issue, they matter more than Congress or even the president. On Tuesday, the votes you cast for them matter more than any others.

Here in Kentucky, on Tuesday you'll be voting for your local city council members and mayors, your county magistrates and judge-executive, your district court judge, your county clerk and circuit court clerk, your sheriff and your property valuation administrator. Each one of them has the power to make your life a living hell, so know your candidates and cast an informed vote.

Kentucky is also voting on every one of its 100 members of the state house of representatives, and half the state Senate. That means you're voting for the people who will be choosing which state programs get the budget ax next year. Choose a representative and senator who will act responsibly to balance taxes and spending.

Vote on Tuesday. Vote in every single race. If you don't, we all lose.