It’s also used to pack your opponents voters into areas so they all vote in a couple districts.
brenarlo - 08:06pm on 06/26/2008
This is a bipartisan problem. And its somewhat called for in some instances. We don’t want the urban populations to have all the say. Seriously.
Sparkie Arbuckle - 08:06pm on 06/26/2008
I absolutely agree it is a bipartisan issue - both sides seek to maximize their advantage, of course.
And I live in Illinois, where Cook County is the tail that wags the rest of the state.
I hate that.
Ken McCracken - 09:06pm on 06/26/2008
The problem with Broder’s article is that the idea behind gerrymandering is not to build safe districts for the party. In fact, the point is to do nearly the exact opposite: build slim majorities in as many districts as possible, so as to maximize the party’s number of representatives in Washington D.C.
Why is this a good thing.
What the party in charge of the state legislature tries to do is to draw minority districts that will win in landslides, but the majority districts win barely. The point is to minimize the votes of the minority party in the legislature, even if that is the majority party in the population.
Why is this a good thing?
It is wrong. Districts should be drawn around neighborhoods and communities.
Lestat - 09:06pm on 06/26/2008
Ken
Do you have any non-question-begging solutions to how to cut up the pie? If you do, chances are they will give urban populations too much voice in the House of Reps, IMO. We are talking about the Fed again though. Fuck it.
I like state and local politics. If we could only eunichize the fed… we’d have no problems.
Sparkie Arbuckle - 09:06pm on 06/26/2008
I honestly have no solution to this.
I agree with Lestat that communities should be the bond holding the district together, but . . .
Just how do you accomplish that?
Ken McCracken - 09:06pm on 06/26/2008
It keeps being mentioned that without gerrymandering urban populations will have more say.
The reality is that they should have more say. More people live in cities.
It’s not a problem, it is how it should be.
Lestat - 09:06pm on 06/26/2008
I still hate it.
Ken McCracken - 09:06pm on 06/26/2008
This NC district is similar to the one in SC drawn so Clyburn could get face time in DC and make jobs---for this own relatives. This is the same thinking that liberals did to neighborhood schools---and wrecked discipline along with learning back in the 1970s. Destroyed both.
Here’s a bizarre example of gerrymandering.
http://www.adversity.net/special/GerryGraphics/1992_gerry.JPG
It’s also used to pack your opponents voters into areas so they all vote in a couple districts.
This is a bipartisan problem. And its somewhat called for in some instances. We don’t want the urban populations to have all the say. Seriously.
I absolutely agree it is a bipartisan issue - both sides seek to maximize their advantage, of course.
And I live in Illinois, where Cook County is the tail that wags the rest of the state.
I hate that.
Why is this a good thing.
What the party in charge of the state legislature tries to do is to draw minority districts that will win in landslides, but the majority districts win barely. The point is to minimize the votes of the minority party in the legislature, even if that is the majority party in the population.
Why is this a good thing?
It is wrong. Districts should be drawn around neighborhoods and communities.
Ken
Do you have any non-question-begging solutions to how to cut up the pie? If you do, chances are they will give urban populations too much voice in the House of Reps, IMO. We are talking about the Fed again though. Fuck it.
I like state and local politics. If we could only eunichize the fed… we’d have no problems.
I honestly have no solution to this.
I agree with Lestat that communities should be the bond holding the district together, but . . .
Just how do you accomplish that?
It keeps being mentioned that without gerrymandering urban populations will have more say.
The reality is that they should have more say. More people live in cities.
It’s not a problem, it is how it should be.
I still hate it.
This NC district is similar to the one in SC drawn so Clyburn could get face time in DC and make jobs---for this own relatives. This is the same thinking that liberals did to neighborhood schools---and wrecked discipline along with learning back in the 1970s. Destroyed both.