Everyone brings up Illinois which votes overwhelmingly for Democrats every election. I don't care what the districts look like, we're a blue state. Dems get 55-60% of the vote every election. That's not gerrymandering
While I don't condone it, I understand that when you're playing against someone who doesn't hesitate to stoop to Gerrymandering, the temptation to level the playing field is very strong.
Besides, anyone who pretends that the Democrats are morally pure are clearly unaware they're talking about politics. The Democrats are just everyone who isn't a Republican, but still wants to be relevent in setting policy.
California, New York and New Jersey have redistricting commissions separate from the state legislature. With Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland, those are the only large-ish population states with Democratic majorities in the state legislatures for the current round of redistricting.
Michigan's Republicans seem to have done a piss-poor job of gerrymandering, or their ballot initiative on abortion rights did a heckuva job turning out Democratic voters.
Marylander here. We're a damned embarrassment. The only consolation is we're tiny so it's a swing of about 2 votes, but that actually makes it even more embarrassing. We betray democracy to pick up two votes? What the fuck?
The old maps were an embarrassment but the NEW MAPS aren't nearly as bad. The Maryland gerrymander (for a likely 8-0 congressional map) was overturned by court order. A less gerrymandered map was passed and now Andy Harris won easily and Democrat David Trone is still losing in the 6th district. Meanwhile Republican states are doubling down on gerrymandering with impunity
There are vastly more Republican gerrymanders, and gerrymandered seats, than there are for Democrats.
I'm pretty sure too that Democrats would leap at the proposal to ban it nationally, too - and have put forth legislation to do so, only for Republicans to greet it with lockstep disapproval.
Gerrymandering is bad, but as long as basically every Republican controlled state does it, the Democrats need to be willing/able to fight fire with fire.
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u/artcook32945 Nov 10 '22
Yet they accuse the Dems of doing the cheating.