Redistricting vicous cycle

[Blackacre]

My liberal fantasy is a reverse 2010 in 2020 (COMPLETE Democratic sweep). The Dems then use their redistricting power to impose a nonpartisan, math-based redistricting solution on every state which would be in place forever. Gerrymandering dies, problem solved.

[Blackacre]

My liberal fantasy is a reverse 2010 in 2020 (COMPLETE Democratic sweep). The Dems then use their redistricting power to impose a nonpartisan, math-based pro Democrat redistricting solution on every state which would be in place forever. Gerrymandering dies, problem solved.

That is what would really happen.

That's why I said "my liberal fantasy". Nate Silver types would lead the charge, along with the Dems who love bipartisanship. The Dems who were burned by unfairness in our electorate (2000 presidential election, two decades of Republican gerrymandering) force everyone else to not go partisan, with aid from Republicans who would benefit from the nonpartisan solution. (and finally, DC would pick up a seat in Congress, because it's MY liberal fantasy, so why not xD)

[Blackacre]

My liberal fantasy is a reverse 2010 in 2020 (COMPLETE Democratic sweep). The Dems then use their redistricting power to impose a nonpartisan, math-based pro Democrat redistricting solution on every state which would be in place forever. Gerrymandering dies, problem solved.

That is what would really happen.

That's why I said "my liberal fantasy". Nate Silver types would lead the charge, along with the Dems who love bipartisanship. The Dems who were burned by unfairness in our electorate (2000 presidential election, two decades of Republican gerrymandering) force everyone else to not go partisan, with aid from Republicans who would benefit from the nonpartisan solution. (and finally, DC would pick up a seat in Congress, because it's MY liberal fantasy, so why not xD)

Fair enough. Although usually, my fantasies involve everyone agreeing with me and electing me President for Life

So you wanna be FDR?

[Blackacre]

Well, if they continue to win by cheating,  they will go so mad with power that they go off the deep end and subsequently lose by a margin so big that they can't even win by cheating. i.e. The Bush Years.- Won by cheating, birds came back to roost.

Well Bush won on a technicality, not by cheating.  Unless you consider different election laws in different states to be cheating, but then you could argue anything closer than 2008 was "stolen."

If Democrats won huge in 2018-20, I'm not sure you would see them redistrict quite as aggressively as Republicans did this time.  There seem to be more people on the left who just don't like gerrymandering, period.  There was opposition to the MD map on the left, for example.  Not to mention that their state legislative majorities would be built by people who won in Lean R districts and might not even want a 58% Obama seat because of the primary.

However, they could amend VRA Section 2 to include Evangelical Christians as a protected class.  That would require drawing R+30 districts all over the place.  People like Michele Bachmann would probably support it, so it wouldn't even look partisan.

If Dems control redistricting in 2020, liberals like me will hold their feet to the fire and make them redistrict fairly. NO GERRYMANDERING

[Blackacre]

Well, if they continue to win by cheating,  they will go so mad with power that they go off the deep end and subsequently lose by a margin so big that they can't even win by cheating. i.e. The Bush Years.- Won by cheating, birds came back to roost.

Well Bush won on a technicality, not by cheating.  Unless you consider different election laws in different states to be cheating, but then you could argue anything closer than 2008 was "stolen."

If Democrats won huge in 2018-20, I'm not sure you would see them redistrict quite as aggressively as Republicans did this time.  There seem to be more people on the left who just don't like gerrymandering, period.  There was opposition to the MD map on the left, for example.  Not to mention that their state legislative majorities would be built by people who won in Lean R districts and might not even want a 58% Obama seat because of the primary.

However, they could amend VRA Section 2 to include Evangelical Christians as a protected class.  That would require drawing R+30 districts all over the place.  People like Michele Bachmann would probably support it, so it wouldn't even look partisan.

If Dems control redistricting in 2020, liberals like me will hold their feet to the fire and make them redistrict fairly. NO GERRYMANDERING

That's what they all say...

...okay, okay, I'd probably just yell on liberal facebook pages instead of going and contacting state legislatures, but I value fairness above all else. The country functions best when both parties are given equal ground to stand on. A slanted house for 5 cycles, while good for me as a Democrat, wouldn't be good for the nation. It's just that most of the unfair measures and hypocrisies I see are on the side I'm opposed to at the moment. Gerrymandering is WRONG, no matter who does it or when. Voter suppression is treason, no matter who does it or when. The fillibuster needs to be fixed, no matter who's in the minority.

[Blackacre]

Well, if they continue to win by cheating,  they will go so mad with power that they go off the deep end and subsequently lose by a margin so big that they can't even win by cheating. i.e. The Bush Years.- Won by cheating, birds came back to roost.

Well Bush won on a technicality, not by cheating.  Unless you consider different election laws in different states to be cheating, but then you could argue anything closer than 2008 was "stolen."

If Democrats won huge in 2018-20, I'm not sure you would see them redistrict quite as aggressively as Republicans did this time.  There seem to be more people on the left who just don't like gerrymandering, period.  There was opposition to the MD map on the left, for example.  Not to mention that their state legislative majorities would be built by people who won in Lean R districts and might not even want a 58% Obama seat because of the primary.

However, they could amend VRA Section 2 to include Evangelical Christians as a protected class.  That would require drawing R+30 districts all over the place.  People like Michele Bachmann would probably support it, so it wouldn't even look partisan.

If Dems control redistricting in 2020, liberals like me will hold their feet to the fire and make them redistrict fairly. NO GERRYMANDERING

This liberal certainly won't. I hope we gerrymander every state we can.

So you'll take a bigger majority unfairly won over a smaller majority/minority chosen by the people? It's just not fair to gerrymander, and as history has always shown, we gotta set the example by doing the right thing. If we set the precedent, in 2030 should the Republicans be on top, we'll still be districted fairly.

[Blackacre]

If we set the precedent, in 2030 should the Republicans be on top, we'll still be districted fairly.

aww, that's adorable!

it's my "liberal fantasy". I don't expect this to happen bar a miracle, but hypothetically speaking, what if in 2020, we got the presidency and a 2/3 majority in the house and senate. We then passed a Constitutional Amendment requiring each state to have their districts drawn for them every 10 years by a nonpartisan federal district-drawing commission. Implausible, but amazing for the country

[Blackacre]

My liberal fantasy is a reverse 2010 in 2020 (COMPLETE Democratic sweep). The Dems then use their redistricting power to impose a nonpartisan, math-based pro Democrat redistricting solution on every state which would be in place forever. Gerrymandering dies, problem solved.

That is what would really happen.

That's why I said "my liberal fantasy". Nate Silver types would lead the charge, along with the Dems who love bipartisanship. The Dems who were burned by unfairness in our electorate (2000 presidential election, two decades of Republican gerrymandering) force everyone else to not go partisan, with aid from Republicans who would benefit from the nonpartisan solution. (and finally, DC would pick up a seat in Congress, because it's MY liberal fantasy, so why not xD)

Unfortunately the opportunity was there in IL as the Dem map of 2000 plus the Gov win in 2010 allowed the Dems to draw a map to maintain their hold for the next decade. The Governor's task force and liberal activist groups in Chicago clamored for a neutral redistricting amendment but the majority party in the legislature would not entertain it. Power trumped ideology when push came to shove.

The thing is that Gerrymandering is an unnecessary evil (like the current fillibuster) and must be stopped on a national level. There has to be a way to undo it. When there's a will, there's a way...