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I find it amusing that Holder and Obama are making this their focus given the extreme gerrymandering in the state of Illinois.

by fixxer 10y ago

handedness 10y ago
It would be amusing if it wasn't so unsurprising. The article neglected to mention that neither side wants to actually fix the problem, but both sides want to gain an advantage under the guise of fixing the problem. It's like players arguing calls in contemporary sports–it's not based on what's correct, it's based on trying to win at all costs.
Declanomous 10y ago
If you look at why the districts are drawn the way they are they kind of make sense. For instance, the fourth district looks ridiculous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27s_4th_congressional_district https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27s_4th_congressional... The funky shape ensures that minorities get representation though. The weird path it takes is because of the 7th district, which I live in, which is 54% black. If it was cut any farther East, black people would be a minority. I think the shape is a bit ridiculous, but it would be possible to make a more fair looking shape that had a white majority in each district, so I think this is the lesser of two evils. There is probably a better way to district this area though, but proportional representation would make the entire situation a bit less ridiculous overall.
- fixxer 10y ago
  So, the district was carved up to ensure the electorate matched a certain demographic voting block... Sounds like gerrymandering to me. I guess it is OK when the demo isn't white, eh?
  - Declanomous 10y ago
    I'd say it's more like the decision was made to make sure that the districts represented the demographics of the state. It would be significantly less fair if every single district was majority white just because the white areas were more contiguous than the minority areas, especially when the reason that minorities live in those areas is in part because they were forced there due to policies like redlining. The way you've represented what I've said is absurd. If representatives are to be representative of the population you'll have to create some funny looking districts somewhere. If Illinois was really gerrymandering as much as say, Wisconsin, our district map would look like a tentacled monster extending from Chicago and reaching down through the rest of the state.
    - fixxer 10y ago
      You literally defined gerrymandering, so don't get too sanctimonious.

I find it amusing that Holder and Obama are making this their focus given the extreme gerrymandering in the state of Illinois.

by fixxer 10y ago

I find it amusing that Holder and Obama are making this their focus given the extreme gerrymandering in the state of Illinois.

handedness 10y ago

It would be amusing if it wasn't so unsurprising. The article neglected to mention that neither side wants to actually fix the problem, but both sides want to gain an advantage under the guise of fixing the problem. It's like players arguing calls in contemporary sports–it's not based on what's correct, it's based on trying to win at all costs.

Declanomous 10y ago

If you look at why the districts are drawn the way they are they kind of make sense. For instance, the fourth district looks ridiculous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27s_4th_congressional_district https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27s_4th_congressional... The funky shape ensures that minorities get representation though. The weird path it takes is because of the 7th district, which I live in, which is 54% black. If it was cut any farther East, black people would be a minority. I think the shape is a bit ridiculous, but it would be possible to make a more fair looking shape that had a white majority in each district, so I think this is the lesser of two evils. There is probably a better way to district this area though, but proportional representation would make the entire situation a bit less ridiculous overall.

fixxer 10y ago
So, the district was carved up to ensure the electorate matched a certain demographic voting block... Sounds like gerrymandering to me. I guess it is OK when the demo isn't white, eh?
- Declanomous 10y ago
  I'd say it's more like the decision was made to make sure that the districts represented the demographics of the state. It would be significantly less fair if every single district was majority white just because the white areas were more contiguous than the minority areas, especially when the reason that minorities live in those areas is in part because they were forced there due to policies like redlining. The way you've represented what I've said is absurd. If representatives are to be representative of the population you'll have to create some funny looking districts somewhere. If Illinois was really gerrymandering as much as say, Wisconsin, our district map would look like a tentacled monster extending from Chicago and reaching down through the rest of the state.
  - fixxer 10y ago
    You literally defined gerrymandering, so don't get too sanctimonious.