The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

[joecct]

Not necessarily. VA is unskewing the GOP gerrymander of our state leg districts right now, they aren't waiting for the next census. There's no reason to wait: we have the raw 2010 data. If I read joe's comments correctly MD is doing the same thing to undo the Dem House district gerrymander there.

We need national standards for non-partisan, objective, competitive redistricting at every level. There are tons of ways to do it that keep the parties' greedy little hands out of them.

Great idea, but a lot of oxen are going to be gored if you eliminate safe districts.

VA has gotten down to the state level. Maryland needs to get there too, but won't.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

Great idea, but a lot of oxen are going to be gored if you eliminate safe districts.

All the more reason. Let voters pick their Members, not Members pick their voters.

[Rover]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

I can see why the Court has tried to stay out of it. It was preferable to give the states a chance to take care of it but the states have proven they are corrupt AF and most can't seem to stop their own parties from denying their populations "a republican form of government."

Baker v. Carr demonstrated that the Court will take action if there is a severe enough problem. Now, with a sizeable number of purely partisan Republican hacks sitting on this Court (Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh) it will be up to Roberts and Gorsuch to admit that voter suppression is Unconstitutional, but things have gotten so ludicrous perhaps they finally will. I'm not sure about Gorsuch but Roberts seems inclined to have his Court not viewed by history as totally fraudulent. He'll never get off the 1%'s tip, but on other issues he seems nearly capable of distinguishing between right and wrong.

unofan can speak to this with much more knowledge.

Frankly I don't want to wait that long. Dems should try to have state court draw new lines in NC in time for 2020 elections. Same thing with MI although its possible the new law does that anyway. The best I feel we can hope for out of Roberts is ruling blatant partisan line drawing unconstitutional but then leaving the remedies up to the states which puts us pretty close to where we were. Dems need to either 1) put citizens referendums on the ballot that clean up the process (AZ, FL and now MI) and/or 2) win state supreme court seats wherever possible and have GOP lines declared unconstitutional (PA, NC, maybe MI and hopefully WI in the near future).

Despite an inept state party and total GOP control of the government for the past 20 years, the Florida delegation is 14/13 R/D. Is that because Florida Republicans are magnanimous when it comes to redistricting? No, its because the voters in the state passed a law banning a lot of games that Goopers tend to play which has led to much fairer maps.

[joecct]

All the more reason. Let voters pick their Members, not Members pick their voters.

No argument from me.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

No argument from me.

Still?

If correct, that means gerrymandering currently gives the GOP 18 net House seats solely due to cheating (+25 - 7). If districts were fair the current House breakdown would be D +72 (253 - 181).

If you're still with us, well, I applaud you sincerely.

[joecct]

Still?

If correct, that means gerrymandering currently gives the GOP 18 net House seats solely due to cheating (+25 - 7). If districts were fair the current House breakdown would be D +72 (253 - 181).

If you're still with us, well, I applaud you sincerely.

If it means that, due to population, that the Ds have a built in unlesswetotallyscrewitupweowntheHouseforthenext50y ears, then so be it. Draw competitive districts, impose term limits (HA!) and we'll have a working Congreff again.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

If it means that, due to population, that the Ds have a built in unlesswetotallyscrewitupweowntheHouseforthenext50y ears, then so be it. Draw competitive districts, impose term limits (HA!) and we'll have a working Congreff again.

Nothing is for long in politics. Today we do have an advantage and it will get bigger until the Republicans finally give up on their Leni Riefenstahl Revival, but every generation kills its parents so in 20 years the political landscape will look very different, again, which is healthy.

Also: term limits sound good but they are terrible. They only give even more power to lobbyists because they are the only ones who understand how things work. There really is a Deep State, and it's money. If you truly want to drain the swamp you have to get the money out. That means public financing of elections, 100% transparency, and killing McCutcheon and Citizens United with fire.

[joecct]

Nothing is for long in politics. Today we do have an advantage and it will get bigger until the Republicans finally give up on their Leni Riefenstahl Revival, but every generation kills its parents so in 20 years the political landscape will look very different, again, which is healthy.

Also: term limits sound good but they are terrible. They only give even more power to lobbyists because they are the only ones who understand how things work. There really is a Deep State, and it's money. If you truly want to drain the swamp you have to get the money out. That means public financing of elections, 100% transparency, and killing McCutcheon and Citizens United with fire.

Congreff should not be lifetime employment. 30 years is enough.

[bronconick]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

It'd help if Congress could not be decades behind the march of technology. The last two years of listening to 70 year old men debate social media has been painful.

[joecct]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

Kep?

@frednewspost: State police: Man hospitalized after jumping from U.S. 15 bridge in Point of Rocks
http://bit.ly/2H1N9fl via @Jarias_Prime

[French Rage]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

Kep?

@frednewspost: State police: Man hospitalized after jumping from U.S. 15 bridge in Point of Rocks
http://bit.ly/2H1N9fl via @Jarias_Prime

The worst bloodshed in that area since the Battle Of Trump's Golf Course during the Civil War.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

Kep?

@frednewspost: State police: Man hospitalized after jumping from U.S. 15 bridge in Point of Rocks
http://bit.ly/2H1N9fl via @Jarias_Prime

Whoa. Depending on where he hit that water can be very shallow. I don't know what the level is right now but there are slate sheets that practically come out of the water during low periods.

Assuming he went in in the very center I can see him being OK (he's 23, not 55) but I suspect to pull that stunt he was already not in the best of shape.

Probably had about a 30% chance to bite it.

Remember, joe, I am gone from MD. Been in lovely Reston, VA going on 2 years now.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

The worst bloodshed in that area since the Battle Of Trump's Golf Course during the Civil War.

Balls Bluff was no joke -- it almost cost us Oliver W. Holmes. But yes I realize Dumpy's course is nowhere near it.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

Congreff should not be lifetime employment. 30 years is enough.

Mandatory retirement age of 70 and f-ck em who squeal ageism.

[MissThundercat]

Re: The States: At Least Michigan is Better Than Indiana

Trans people in bathrooms is "not a real issue," according to new Texas House Speaker.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/01/...7fk4rGWEzTL9Lw

I'd given up hope on a Texas Republican saying that.