by Donna on November 10, 2022 1:14 pm
And the only reason Republicans look like they're gonna win control of the House is because of gerrymandering.
A Red Wave Didn’t Give Republicans the House But Gerrymandering Probably Will
The 2022 election turned out to be a draw. But Republicans won the redistricting wars—and it'll likely give them the House.
Republicans aggressively gerrymandered a number of states over the past two years, redrawing congressional district lines to give them new seats, protect their vulnerable incumbents, and go hard after Democrats in states like Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Texas. Democrats tried this as well in many places—but their efforts were stymied by court decisions in places like New York and limited by blue- and swing-state measures designed to end gerrymandering, the process where politicians get to pick their voters by redrawing political boundaries.
The result: Long before Election Day, Republicans had already given themselves a big advantage at winning a House majority in an evenly balanced national political environment, which 2022 turned out to be.
Right now, Republicans have won or lead in 220 House races while Democrats have won or lead in 215—a split that, if it holds up, would give Republicans a narrow three-seat majority in the House, the smallest House majority since 1930. That would represent an eight-seat pickup for the GOP if it holds—a gain that can be entirely chalked up to their gerrymandering wins.
It’s clear that the national political environment, as polarized and tense as it was, turned out to be largely evenly balanced. But Republicans were allowed to gerrymander their House maps in more big states this year, while Democrats were blocked from doing so in some key spots. And while votes are still being counted, if Republicans do indeed hang on to take House control, they have gerrymandering to thank.
The House has to redraw its lines every decade to account for population shifts, and that redistricting process has long been dominated by partisans of both sides gerrymandering seats to benefit their party. But that process has gotten much more precise and accurate in recent decades because of computer technology. Republicans had a huge 2010 election they used to lock in gerrymandered maps. That gave them unified control of more states than Democrats a full decade later—which they used to draw even more gerrymandered maps to protect their political power.
vice.com
by oldedude on November 10, 2022 1:26 pm
Again. Gerrymandering has been going on since the second constitutional congress... Both sides do it. Both sides have been caught (it's the dims this year in three or four states). I don't pay much attention to it at all. and to get your panties in a wad over it is just wasting your time. If you think it's wrong, start a lawsuit and fix it. If others with more legal knowledge haven't done so, I just stay out of it.
by Donna on November 10, 2022 1:32 pm
Again, you miss the point. As the Vice article cites, Democrats tried to gerrymander numerous districts across the country. No one is denying that. But if you read the article, it explains how Republicans got away with it much more than Democrats did.
by HatetheSwamp on November 10, 2022 1:34 pm
Donna,
Word is that, when the dust settles GOPs will have won the popular vote in the 022 election.
This is one of those days when it feels like po has hijacked your account.
Interestingly, the top Dem, "that feckless dementia-ridden piece of crap" comes in third.