"Cram all the Dem garbage into four districts"

[RandySF]

Last edited Thu Jul 26, 2018, 03:21 PM - Edit history (1)

A Michigan lawsuit uncovered emails from GOP staffers bragging about gerrymandering "Dem garbage" into four congressional districts and accommodating GOP preferences, according to a new report from the Center for Michigan.

"In a glorious way that makes it easier to cram ALL of the Dem garbage in Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland and Macomb counties into only four districts," an aide to former Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), Jack Daly, allegedly wrote to other GOP consultants in 2011. "Is there anyone on our side who doesn't recognize that dynamic?"

Michigan Republicans also predicted maps drawn in 2011 would keep Republicans in power for years to come, reported the Center for Michigan, a nonpartisan think-tank.

The emails emerged as part of a federal lawsuit, brought by the League of Woman Voters and other Democratic groups, that alleges the 2011 congressional maps are gerrymandered in favor of Republicans. GOP aides and consultants allegedly exchanged these emails shortly before releasing the 2011 districts.



https://www.google.com/amp/thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/398835-gop-staffer-emails-reveal-support-for-gerrymandering-dem-garbage-report%3famp

[unblock]

1. and the supreme court might well say this is fine.

"hey, we're not discriminating against people of color! we're discriminating based on the political party people of color overwhelmingly choose!"

[Fred Sanders]

3. If SCOTUS says political election boundary corruption is ok then this is not a democracy.

[unblock]

6. it's a flawed democracy at best.

[riversedge]

8. our democracy has always been an experiment. It takes good people to uphold the best

of its tenants and we do not have those leaders in charge right now. damn

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. They probably won't care much about the bias either

Kennedy won't be deciding this if it goes to SCOTUS but we probably could have gotten him to care about the obvious hostility to Democrats because he cared so much about hostility to Christians. Maybe......

[DownriverDem]

12. Petition Drive

We are waiting here in Michigan to find out if the challenge by repubs regarding the petitions for creating an independent commission to draw the districts will be stopped. The question was approved for the November election, but of course repubs don't want it. We already have recreational pot on the ballot which should bring out voters.

[DemocracyMouse]

2. This should be featured on DU... and not the gratuitous click bait

... (hey editiors: no more Bernie/Hillary reruns!).

Focus on real news like this. The gerrymandering is so easily legislated out of existence using simple math/geometry guidelines which Democrats must put into place along with other voting rights legislation.

Thanks for posting this, Randy SF!

[bettyellen]

4. True! So many people complain Dems aren't doing anything when they're just misinformed

[DownriverDem]

13. Totally agree

Doesn't it make you wonder who those folks are?

[appalachiablue]

21. Now posted in LBN, Latest Breaking News- Front Page.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142119674#post9

[EleanorR]

7. they seem fine cheating to stay in power, and their fearful, ignorant fans cheer them on

Democracy means nothing to them.

[dalton99a]

9. Kick

[FakeNoose]

10. Gerrymandering only benefits the incumbents

If the incumbents are Republican teabaggers, then of course they're making sure they get re-elected.
The Dems got screwed because nobody paid attention while they pulled this shit. It did not happen overnight, it has taken them probably 20 years to pull this off. Don't forget that the districts only get redrawn once every 10 years.

Where was the Democratic Party while this was going on in almost every state?
Probably arguing over bullshit nonsense. We've got to watch them every minute.

[OilemFirchen]

17. "Where was the Democratic Party while this was going on in almost every state?"

Out of power. The Republican plan, successfully executed, was to first take over state governments, then redraw the maps. The Democratic Party was well aware of the gerrymandering, but reduced to minority status and unable to stop the process.

I've chosen not to alert on your post, but it reeks of contempt for the Democratic Party. Please remember where you are.

[watoos]

11. Democrats need to be in power in 2020

that's when the districts get drawn up during the census, every 10 years.

[bucolic_frolic]

14. We are being patriotic while they fight a cultural war against us

They thought us deplorables long before 2016

[Scurrilous]

15. K&R

[heaven05]

16. +++

important happenings in Michigan.

[Kind of Blue]

18. +1000. Can't Rec this enough.

[geardaddy]

19. K&R

This needs to kicked and recced to the main page.

[appalachiablue]

20. Kick. Very impt. info.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. This is essentially what they did here in PA

when they redrew the congressional districts after the 2010 census and it took 8 years, a majority (D)-elected state Supreme Court, a Democratic Governor, and numerous cases from various parties including the LWV (plus fighting back SCOTUS challenges & threats to impeach Democratic State Supreme Court justices), to finally get the map redrawn.

And by prevailing this past March, we have a potential to have a minimum 2 additional (D) seats and up to 4 more additional (D) seats (if the GOTV is there) to change PA's current delegation (which already saw a gain of 1 (D) seat via Conor Lamb) from 12 (R) - 6 (D) to the minimum 10 (R) - 8 (D), up to the possibility of 8 (R) - 10 (D).

[rickford66]

23. The minority party should be in charge of redistricting

[aggiesal]

31. Here in California, ...

The redistributing is done by a commission of 15 people:
5 Democrats
5 Republicans
5 Independents

Doesn’t matter what party is in charge.
We have probably the best drawn districts in the country
and have literally made the Republican party useless.
We have the majority in both chambers & the governorship
and we’ve balanced our budget by taxing the wealthiest
after the mess the gropenator left behind.

And since we have open voting, if the top candidate doesn’t
get 50%+1 then the top 2 candidate runoff. We’ve had
Dems as the top 2 candidates in multiple elections,
the last being the Kamala Harris Senatorial election.

Republicans were not happy being shut out of the Senate
election, on a system they approved.

[rickford66]

32. Looks pretty good.

[GoCubsGo]

35. Why? That would not solve the problem.

The minority party can gerrymander just as easily as the majority party. It should be done by an independent committee made up of equal numbers of independents and members of each party.

[rickford66]

36. The minority would eventually be the majority and vice versa.

Problem not solved, but both parties get periodic chances to determine districts. Your solution looks like California and is fair. I think you'd have to get Democratic control for it to pass. Republicans never want fair. It's not in their nature.

[calimary]

24. Garbage, 'eh? Maybe we'll turn THEM into garbage in November.

But it won’t happen UNLESS WE VOTE!!!

[appalachiablue]

25. Kick, 'garbage' Dems...!?

[Iliyah]

26. GOPers consider Democrats as trash.

These are the people that are in the WH, administration and congress. Also, elected GOPs also feel the same way about their base as well, well until election time, then GOPers are all lovey dovey.

[roamer65]

27. We are going to shove that independent commission proposal right down their fucking throats.

People in MI are pissed as hell.

The proposal is going to pass by a very wide margin.

[RandySF]

28. I gave money.

[roamer65]

29. Thank you.

I signed the ballot initiative petition. I live in one of those Dem districts. MI-12 under Debbie Dingell.

Best damn petition signature I have penned yet.

We are also going to pass MJ legalization by a heavy margin as well.

[Takket]

33. where did you sign it??? I want to sign....

[roamer65]

30. MI-11 was a specially gerrymandered district to give McCotter a US House seat.

He was on the redistricting committee and created it so he could further his fraudulent career.

He is an obnoxious jerk, as I was told by another former state senator.

I hope the commission slices and dices MI-11 out of existence.

[GoCubsGo]

34. "Garbage" is what these fucks see when they look in the mirror.

Always projecting, those republicans are.