As many of you know, the Republicans took complete control of the state legislature for the first time ever back in November. And with it, they got complete control of redistricting. Although Governor Bev Perdue is a Democrat, she can't veto any new map--a legacy of the days when governors couldn't veto anything period (North Carolina was the last state to give governors the power of veto). Speculation has abounded that the Republicans could use this to squeeze out as many as four Dem incumbents.
This prospect has led me to do something I've only had to do once before in my life--think like a Republican. So here's my guess as to what North Carolina's new map will look like. It assumes two certain Repub pickups, and possibly a third. Follow me below the jump for more. The result--even though the demographics dictate 7-6 either way, it'll likely net a 8-5 or even 9-4 Repub advantage.