Less than a week from now, we have an opportunity to vote the Republicans out. It’s a chance many of us have been yearning for, and judging  from early statistics  one we may utilize to the hilt. Before we move forward, it is worth remembering how we got here.

Democrats helped set up their temporary downfall. Over the previous decade, the party harmed  its own  brand by bungling mental health reform and by resting on their laurels in economic policy. A parade of scandals substantially worsened their image problem . Then, the Bush Depression forced Democrats to implement painful, unpopular budget cuts. They skated into this decade on thin ice.

Enter the 2010 midterms. Inflamed by hatred of Obamacare, Tea Partiers flooded polling places across America. As usual, Democrats turned at lower rates than in a presidential year. Combined with a suffering economy, this mismatch left the GOP in control  even of dark-blue states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. Art Pope’s money was just the icing on the cake.

How bitter a pastry it proved to be. Aided by the Koch Brothers’ Project Redmap, Bob Rucho drew one of the most gerrymandered electoral maps in the nation. Despite narrow  popular-vote victories, in 2012 Republicans gained huge majorities in both chambers. Through essentially undemocratic means,they had secured apparently invincible majorities.

This is the story of how Republicans rose to power. It tells us nothing about public sentiment in North Carolina, which did not transform overnight  in November 2012. Rather, it is a lesson in the fragility of democracy, and the need for its vigilant  protection.

Alexander H. Jones

Alexander Jones is an original contributor to PoliticsNC.