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Isn’t a brief glance at the shape of some congressional districts a smoking gun that it happens all the damn time?
by larnmar 7y ago
Isn’t a brief glance at the shape of some congressional districts a smoking gun that it happens all the damn time?
- someguydave 7y agoYes, but if this were a Democrat strategist NPR certainly wouldn’t have covered it.
- int_19h 7y agoNPR covered Democratic gerrymandering in Maryland many times, e.g.: https://www.npr.org/2018/01/14/577969855/gerrymandering-in-maryland https://www.npr.org/2018/01/14/577969855/gerrymandering-in-m...
- someguydave 7y agoLol the angle in that story is that Democrats should "give up" gerrymandering to convince Republicans to do so. I don't think this counts as "pro-Republican" (or "anti-Democrat") bias.
- int_19h 7y agoThe point is that it draws attention to Maryland, which is gerrymandered by the Dems - contrary to your claims that they'd ignore that. Why is it supposed to be "pro-Republican"? (Nor is it the only story NPR has on gerrymandering in Maryland, by the way - merely the most recent one.)
- ajross 7y agoNo, the shape of the district is circumstantial evidence. The people who draw those lines swear up and down (and often under oath, as these things are routinely contested in court) that they would never do this. And because the distinction is intent and not the result, it basically amounts to an unprovable thought crime. But what we have here is a guy with a bunch of analysis based directly on racial data, and a bunch of emails detailing specific plans and concerns about racial demographics. In this one case we know the relevant boundaries constitute a civil rights crime.