Gerrymander Illinois for the Democrats?

[Eric J in MN]

I've seen the idea floated on other boards here to gerrymander Illinois for the Democrats for US Congress to make-up for the gerrymander of Texas for the Republicans.

Is there any chance of a mid-decade gerrymander of Illinois?

[No Mandate Here.]

1. Since playing nicely has been de:Layed, this should be done ASAP

I am on a local Board with a top PA reThug operative, (he is actually a pretty nice guy, and respects others' politics - even mine) and we were talking about mr. de:Lay. I was taken aback when he described de:Lay as a good guy who is really looking out for the best interests of the country. I am very glad I hadn't just taken a sip of something - because it would have been sprayed out all over the place.

I heard that the districts of Hyde and Hastert are adjacent. They should have to run against each other. Think anyone would notice that one?

This thread should be kicked all weekend long.

[papau]

2. kick ... sigh ....

:-)

[No Mandate Here.]

3. Why, Sigh?

[papau]

4. Just tired this am - a bit depressed that media rejects logic - C-span

shuts down a liberal comment before it can be made but lets far right ramble on -

I think I will make a cup of tea and wake up!

Plus I lived 21 years in Illinois and watched GOP election corruption in Illinois, with some personal experiences in 1960, that the media ignored as they dumped on Chicago Dems and Daly's "voting the dead" - while abstentee voting of the dead is the MO of the GOP these days -

redistrict ILL - I like it - if it can be done.

time for tea

[jburton]

5. Illinois and other states too, dammit!

The whole point of Delay redistricting was to eliminate all of the Texas WD40's (White Dems over 40)

They redistricted Martin Frost in Tx, why dont we go after Denny Hastert in Illinois? Make his ass buy a new home just to run again.

Most of the Repug House "gains" this election were not true wins, but the result of the Tx redistricting.

[Radical Activist]

6. Madigan didn't fight for Dem Congressional districts in 2000

so why would he make an effort to change them now? Many Democrats in the state even participated in drawing a Democrat out of his district in Southern Illinois, and that did not have to be done. We could add one or two Democratic Congressman in downstate but I don't expect it to happen.

[davsand]

7. Phelps??? The GOD SQUAD guy?

I can't say that I miss him a whole hell of a lot... Phelps was anti choice, along with really tied into the whole Fundy thing. He was, also, the least Senior Dem, from what I recall.

The compromise was made to protect most of the incumbents. Right or wrong, that is how I understood it was done.

With the Dems in control in Illinois, I'd have expected them to do a lot to improve that map. The biggest issue we face, however, is that outside of metro areas and university campuses, this really is a pretty Republican leaning state. A LOT of these districts we are holding really could go GOP if we screw with the maps too much.

Are some of the GOP held districts an abomination? Oh yeah--they are ugly as sin. However, if we pull Dem votes from a nearby district to strengthen one, we run a risk of weakening another one and then losing a Dem in the next go round.

I am not a big fan of "the Madigan" but I've SEEN these downstate district numbers and they really ARE painful.


Laura

[Radical Activist]

8. There was a less senior Republican

Tim Johnson who had just gotten elected. They sacrificed a Democrat with a great union record in favor of a much more pro-life Republican asshole who used to let his paperclip vote for him.

I know what the downstate districts are like and the realities of redistricting. There was absolutely no reason another Democratic district could not have been kept in Southern Illinois. The most Democratic voting county in the state is in Southern Illinois, not Cook County. They also could have drawn a new Democratic district in Central Illinois based around Decatur, Champaign, Peoria or Springfield.

I know it was much easier to draw an incumbent protection map, most states did that this time. Yet, Madigan chose not to fight for the Congressional map like he fought for the State legislative map. If he didn't care enough to make the effort then, I can't see him caring enough to make the effort now.

[davsand]

9. Don't EVEN get me started on Johnson's district.

I loathe that SOB and he's my Congressman.

That Congressional district is drawn with one of THE most gerrymandered lines I have EVER seen. What really pisses me off about it is they took Vermilion and Champaign Counties (two VERY good Dem counties) and lumped them in with a bunch of places that are NOT favorable to Dems, thereby negating any help we could provide.

The old District lines were not great--but at least we had a district that was contiguous. Now, we have this gawdawful district that goes all the way over to the state line and about seven counties south. Additionally, the old map gave us both Vermilion and Champaign Counties, along with a slice of Kankakee.

Ewing (Johnson's predecessor) was a real toad, but at least labor was solid in its dislike for him. Johnson is actually pretty well liked by the building trades guys. (I am not trying to slap them around, but this last endorsement session was pretty creepy because some of those guys in the trades wanted to endorse Johnson.)

To be fair, oddly enough, Johnson has not done too bad on his Congressional votes for labor. That may be the ONLY area that he's not been in line with the GOP in his votes, but it has gained him a lot of support that wouldn't be there ordinarily. I guess they forgot how hard he screwed them when he was a State Rep. (And, yes, he DID use a paperclip to automate his vote when he was in the State house.)

There was some speculation (and I never heard it from any of the labor guys--only some of the Dems) that part of the reason Madigan protected Johnson was because he was so well liked by the Building Trades guys. (It is possible, I suppose--because from what I heard, Phelps' support came from the other unions--not the building trades guys.) I dunno.

I am not claiming that all of downstate is GOP inclined. Take a trip to St. Clair County sometime and it will do your heart good to see a Dem party that has got it under control. Vermilion is good Dem turf, along with Champaign county, all of Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, and even Sangamon. The Dems have made a lot of gains in Coles too...

the problem with Downstate is the good Dem turf is scattered, rather than contiguous, like it is in Cook. It is tough for them to draw a decently Dem district given how spread out we are.

Sometime, I'd love to get the downstate DUers (and I suppose Chicago could come too!) ;) in one room for a few beverages and some chat. I suspect there is a lot none of us can say publicly that we'd say in a more private forum. Especially when it comes to both dirty laundry and state party battles...

Maybe failing that, we can organize an AIM chat for Illinois DUers.

Peace to you, brother!

Laura

[Radical Activist]

10. A Downstate get together is not a bad idea

Maybe in champaign or springfield. I wonder how many people we would get.

The 15th is one ugly district. That one and Lane Evans' district really take the cake. Maybe in 2010 we'll get a decent map.

[davsand]

11. Springfield or Champaign--sounds great to me!

I'm just outside Champaign, and Springfield is not terribly far for me, so either would be easy to do...

THIS may be my next "project" after we survive the holidays!

I've really wondered if either Lane Evans' District OR the 15th would have stood up to a court challenge. The law says "contiguous and compact." The "Dragon claw" district that Evans has sure doesn't fit that definition with it's sliver of Springfiled AND that sliver of Decatur along with the Quad cities. The 15th is pretty awful too. I'd like to have seen them challenged when they were drawn, but it didn't happen.

Don't you just LOVE Illinois politics?


Laura

[seventythree]

17. dirty laundry and party battles ???

I'm rolling on the floor -- but I'm keeping my mouth shut for now.

[Tweed]

18. Welcome to the DU & the Illinois Forum

Keep those posts coming, especially in our Forum ;-)

[davsand]

19. Don't you know that family feuds are best kept IN the family?

Don't want to spread that dysfunction TOO far and wide now! :)

Fun as it is to dish the dirt and chew that fat, the bottom line is that we are in a public forum. Most of the folks on here who have been around for very long know better than to put some of this stuff out there lest it be held against them later in another venue...

Welcome to the fray!


Laura

[stevebreeze]

12. What we should do is eliminate gerrymanders i.e Iowa

Make redistricting fair! not just now but when the inevitable pendulum swings the other way. It is not just the house districts it is all the state house and senate districts that stink to high heaven.
Iowa redistricts with cartographers, not politicians. It is far more fair and competitive.

[Eric J in MN]

15. Unless Democrats gerrymander, too, Republicans have

no reason to oppose gerrymandering.

We need to get into the mud with the Republicans to win.

[Lenape85]

13. Here's how we do it

1. Cook County alone will get 8 seats
2. Madison, Monroe, St. Clair, Jersey, Clinton, Macoupin, and Calhoun counties can form the metro east district
3. LaSalle, Macon, Champaign, DeWitt, MacLean, Livingston, and Piatt counties could form the greater LaSalle-Decatur-Champaign district
4. Keep the district that was the 17th in 2000

Anyone know of any other ways of drawing it.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

14. I like your thinking! I am all for gerrymandering Blue States.

If we can get a Democratic Governor in New York (Spitzer) then we should gerrymander them out too!

[Eric J in MN]

16. Would any Dem. Illinois state reps.be interested? NT

NT

[Rican1]

20. Brilliant !

We need to be as cut throat as the right. We also need to target any republicans who are vunerable.

[sjgman9]

21. Uh, NO. wont happen

Dennis Hastert would bitch, and i know he's a pug, but he brings home the bacon for illinois. Lets do it the old fashioned way and retire Hyde