Redistricting

Bardox

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In 2010, many of the states altered their congressional distict maps in a way that shrank or divided democratic districts and increased republican districts putting democrats at a great disadvantage in elections. Independants and dems say the republicans would not hav held majority in the house of representatives nor most of the state legislatures without this "rigging" of the system.

The effort itself was called redmap. Republicans readily admit that even though more votes were cast for democratic reps, because of redmap more republicans won the seats. Most on the left are plainly calling it cheating. The reasoning behind this was that since the country seems to be moving left of center. Redmap was the only way they could hold on to their majority. The RNC does not deny this. Infact they seem proud of it. Some republican controlled states are currently trying to push redmap on the electoral college for the next presidential election.

The Virginia state senate is the latest to push this. One of the democratics went to the presidents inauguration and while he was gone the republicans rammed through a redistricting bill. The governor has yet to sign off on it and dems are preparing to take this to the supreme court saying it is unconstitutional.

I bring this to the forums because I would like to know your thoughts about this redmap.

The RSLC Redistricting Majority Project – REDMAP
 

ColoradoGuy

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Bardox... I get your outrage and I don't think anybody can claim that what's going on is 'fair'. Far from it. However, Democrats have led redistricting efforts, too.

A better debate might be: 'how could the unfairness of redistricting be addressed?' and I would offer that we already have a wonderful way of subdividing the nation in the form of the USPS zip code. Granted, in some locales, you'd be combining zip codes to create a congressional district, but I think those boundaries make just as much -- if not more -- sense than the current way of divvying up the vote.

I think it was pretty spineless of the Virginia State Senate to take advantage of Democratic absences during the Inauguration, but as crushinonted pointed out, the human element tends to get in the way of the idea of democracy.
 

Hoss

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Gerrymandering has been going on for more than 200 years and when redistricting occurs it sometimes is done to benefit one side and sometimes the other all according to who is in the position of power. Of course the districts designed today which might favor the Republican or the Democrat could very well have a change in 20-40 years time.
 

slurper_la

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:rolleyes:
Gerrymandering has been going on for more than 200 years and when redistricting occurs it sometimes is done to benefit one side and sometimes the other all according to who is in the position of power. Of course the districts designed today which might favor the Republican or the Democrat could very well have a change in 20-40 years time.

Or 7 following the next census
 

Bardox

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Considering those states are primarily republican controlled, do you honestly think they will change the districts in a way that would reduce their control? Now the republicans in my state haven't tried to pull this punk ass move... yet. My bitching shall go into over drive should that happen. What really bothers me is those states are trying to put this into effect on presidential elections.

In 2012, the local and state elections gave more votes to the democratic candidates, but because of redmap, the republicans are still in power in the state governments and the house of representatives. If this was put on the electoral college, Romney would have won despite Obama having crushed him in the popular vote. The RNC has literally cheated the public out of the Representatives they wanted and are trying to do the same for the next president. How is there not more outrage about this?????
 
D

deleted15807

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Gerrymandering has been going on for more than 200 years and when redistricting occurs it sometimes is done to benefit one side and sometimes the other all according to who is in the position of power. Of course the districts designed today which might favor the Republican or the Democrat could very well have a change in 20-40 years time.

Yes but the HUGE difference now is the Republican Party intends to use that power to literally rig the vote and tilt elections their way. It's the most despicable thing I've ever heard.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that the sponsor of Virginia bill’s, Charles W. Carrico Sr., a Republican, “said he wants to give smaller communities a bigger voice.” Carrico told The Post, “The last election, constituents were concerned that it didn’t matter what they did, that more densely populated areas were going to outvote them.”

Yes, you read that right: he wants to make the votes cast for the candidate receiving the fewest votes matter more than those cast for the candidate receiving the most. In Republican Bizarro World, where the “integrity of the vote” is a phrase used to diminish urban votes and in which democracy is only sacrosanct if Republicans are winning, this statement actually makes sense.


Redistricting, electoral shuffle, voter ID bills aimed at boosting sagging GOP prospects in Va
 

Bardox

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The whole point of holding an election is that the voter chooses who represents them in government. This redmap crap is taking that way from voters. If you can't get more votes it's because you suck! Change your platform or lose!

"60% of the people have elected me as the congressman."

"Oh yeah? Well those four people over there say I won so blah :tongue: "

There should be conservatives shitting on governors door steps over this.
 

TomCat84

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I wouldn't mind a scheme in which electoral votes were allocated according to what percentage of the vote a candidate gets in a state. Besides a pure national popular vote, it would be the most fair system, and would benefit BOTH parties. The Republicans would get votes out of states like California, and the Democrats would get votes out of states like Texas.
 
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deleted15807

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I wouldn't mind a scheme in which electoral votes were allocated according to what percentage of the vote a candidate gets in a state. Besides a pure national popular vote, it would be the most fair system, and would benefit BOTH parties. The Republicans would get votes out of states like California, and the Democrats would get votes out of states like Texas.

But you see the scheme is only for battleground states. That's the total sham in it. Texas and the south are not included. :eek:
 

Bardox

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I wouldn't mind a scheme in which electoral votes were allocated according to what percentage of the vote a candidate gets in a state. Besides a pure national popular vote, it would be the most fair system, and would benefit BOTH parties. The Republicans would get votes out of states like California, and the Democrats would get votes out of states like Texas.

Electoral votes are on a state by state basis. That is the way the electoral college has functioned since it's inception. Who ever gets the most people to vote for them in a state gets that states electoral votes. The RNC is trying to change that becuase they are getting fewer and fewer votes every cycle. They are changing the rules because they can't win otherwise.