3 ms·

Geez, they aren't even hiding that they're gerrymandering for a jumbo Republican state (with the added "benefit" that the remaining OR and CA will become even m

Geez, they aren't even hiding that they're gerrymandering for a jumbo Republican state (with the added "benefit" that the remaining OR and CA will become even more Democrat). Exactly what the US needs in 2021. I'm half amused and half horrified.

philwelch 5y ago
Gerrymandering has to do with influencing representation in the US Congress. I think this has more to do with state government, particularly the ability for more people to live under the type of state government they would prefer. Portlanders would probably prefer an even more liberal state government than Oregon already has while eastern Oregonians evidently prefer the Idaho state government to their own. I sincerely think this is exactly what the US needs: a civil agreement that you people can live over there under the laws that you prefer, while we can live here under the laws that we prefer, and that we coexist as a federation of states instead of just fighting to impose a single national politics on everyone.
- yongjik 5y ago
  I think "you live under your laws, we live under our laws" is a cop-out that's never going to work as intended. 33% of Idaho voted for Biden in 2020. Unless you're OK with disenfranchising 1/3 of voters, you're not going to have your ideal government. (Of course they same can be said for places like CA - all the more reason why states shouldn't be divided over partisan lines.)
  - philwelch 5y ago
    Is it better for states to be divided closer to 55-45 and “disenfranchise” closer to half of the people? Or perhaps we compromise and “disenfranchise” everyone? Majority rule is always an exercise in the minority not getting their way. Decentralization—i.e. federalism—reduces the size of the minority that isn’t getting their way. If politics is completely national, maybe 49% of the people will be unhappy. If that 49% includes 66% of Idahoans, and you let the people of Idaho decide most issues at the state level, they can be happy and so can the Californians because there’s no need for Idaho and California to live under the same laws. Besides, someone living in Idaho and voting for Biden may prefer Biden as President but still prefer the state laws of Idaho. And if he doesn’t, moving states is easier than changing the President.

philwelch 5y ago

Gerrymandering has to do with influencing representation in the US Congress. I think this has more to do with state government, particularly the ability for more people to live under the type of state government they would prefer. Portlanders would probably prefer an even more liberal state government than Oregon already has while eastern Oregonians evidently prefer the Idaho state government to their own. I sincerely think this is exactly what the US needs: a civil agreement that you people can live over there under the laws that you prefer, while we can live here under the laws that we prefer, and that we coexist as a federation of states instead of just fighting to impose a single national politics on everyone.

yongjik 5y ago
I think "you live under your laws, we live under our laws" is a cop-out that's never going to work as intended. 33% of Idaho voted for Biden in 2020. Unless you're OK with disenfranchising 1/3 of voters, you're not going to have your ideal government. (Of course they same can be said for places like CA - all the more reason why states shouldn't be divided over partisan lines.)
- philwelch 5y ago
  Is it better for states to be divided closer to 55-45 and “disenfranchise” closer to half of the people? Or perhaps we compromise and “disenfranchise” everyone? Majority rule is always an exercise in the minority not getting their way. Decentralization—i.e. federalism—reduces the size of the minority that isn’t getting their way. If politics is completely national, maybe 49% of the people will be unhappy. If that 49% includes 66% of Idahoans, and you let the people of Idaho decide most issues at the state level, they can be happy and so can the Californians because there’s no need for Idaho and California to live under the same laws. Besides, someone living in Idaho and voting for Biden may prefer Biden as President but still prefer the state laws of Idaho. And if he doesn’t, moving states is easier than changing the President.