Last time I wrote about this, readers e-mailed me to wonder why the party preferred by voters should not have the power to draw the state's political boundaries. When I called the bipartisan commission idea more fair, one reader said, "You seem to think that 'more fair' means to give more power to those who are not elected by a majority of voters. To me that is the height of unfairness!"

OK, my fault for not stating it more clearly. The advocacy group Common Cause put it better this week in an e-mail it sent touting Schwarzenegger's crusade. In a democracy, it said, the people are supposed to be able to choose their elected representatives. But the way redistricting is done today, it's the other way around. The elected representatives are choosing their voters.

When that happens, elected officials become entrenched. They begin taking their re-election for granted. They also tend to represent the more extreme elements of their parties.

A lawmaker from a competitive district has to learn how to listen to and consider a variety of viewpoints. That tends to chip away at the extreme edges. America's two-party system has succeeded because of its ability to push all politics toward the center. Utah's Legislature, if you hadn't noticed, has been pushing toward the edges a bit in recent years.

A bipartisan redistricting commission wouldn't change Utah's preference for Republican candidates. What it might do is allow more areas with natural boundaries to elect people who understand that area's unique needs. It would also put an end to the endless contortions designed to force Utah's one Democratic representative out of Congress — an exercise that seems to never work.

Ever the showman, Schwarzenegger has given California lawmakers an ultimatum: form a commission or face a referendum. "If the legislators don't do their job, the people of California will," he said, no doubt in ominous tones.

No one in Utah seems interested in auditioning for a supporting role. Too bad.

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Jay Evensen is editor of the Deseret Morning News editorial page. E-mail: even@desnews.com